Chavez backtracks after strong Santos showing in Colombia

IBD:

After vowing war on Colombia if Juan Manuel Santos were elected president, Venezuela's Hugo Chavez is singing soprano. Santos' big win Sunday is part of a wave of free market leaders sneaking up on him.

It was almost comical to see Venezuela's dictatorship put on its best manners and offer congratulations to Colombia's new conservative president, who won the election in a 69%-27% landslide.

"The Bolivarian government extends its congratulations for the victory of President-elected Juan Manuel Santos, and wishes him success in the exercise of his new responsibility," a Venezuelan foreign ministry statement read.

During the campaign, Chavez had christened Santos "Saint Demon," declared him "a threat to the region" and warned Colombian voters "there will be war" if they dared cast their ballots for him.

Given what is known about Chavez, that change of language can't be attributed to a change of heart.

Truth is, Santos and his pro-free-market plans pose a threat to Chavez, whose socialist failures are mounting. His sudden sweet words signal a recognition that he is being outnumbered in a hemisphere he seeks to rule, amounting to an admission of defeat.

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We did not need this election to prove Chavez was a jerk, but it certainly confirms the obvious. It will also confirm the superiority of the free market in competition with a command economy that is nearly on its knees.