How to destroy a national economy in easy steps


More Chavez threats from Venezuela
It sure looks like Hugo Chavez is writing a book with that title.

"Private banks have to give priority to financing the industrial sectors of Venezuela at low cost," Chavez said. "If banks don't agree with this, it's better that they go, that they turn over the banks to me, that we nationalize them and get all the banks to work for the development of the country and not to speculate and produce huge profits."

It was not clear if Chavez was only referring to Venezuelan banks like Mercantil Servicios Financieros CA and Banco Provincial SA, or if he was also aiming the threat at major international banks with subsidiaries in the country, such as Citigroup Inc. (C) and Spanish banks Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA (BBV) and Banco Santander Central Hispano SA. (STD)

Chavez also warned the government could take over steel producer Sidor, which is majority controlled by Luxembourg-based Ternium SA. (TX) Shares of Ternium fell 3.9 percent to $26.15 in U.S. trading after Chavez's comments.

Just to make it clear, it's impossible to create a monopoly without active state intervention.

It will take Venezuela decades to recover from Chavez, and only then if they are lucky.

— NeoWayland

Posted: Fri - May 4, 2007 at 05:06 AM  Tag


 ◊  ◊   ◊  ◊ 

Random selections from NeoWayland's library


Pagan Vigil "Because LIBERTY demands more than just black or white"
© 2005 - 2009 All Rights Reserved