2002

On April 12th every major paper in the USA runs a story that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez had resigned as he was, "unpopular and dictatorial." In fact he had been kidnapped under a coup, where he was imprisoned on an army base. Following sympathy from the guards, the coup falls apart and President Chavez is back in his office one day later. Interestingly he has video evidence that whilst he was imprisoned on that base a United States military attaché entered the base.President Chavez, demonized by the controlled western media, gives milk and housing to the poor, and gives land not used for production by big plantation owners for more than two years, to those without land. His big crime however, was in passing a petroleum law that doubled the royalty taxes from 16% to 30% on new oil discoveries, which affected Exxon Mobil and other international oil operators.

He also took full control of the state oil company, PDVSA, which before was nominally owned by the government, but in actual fact was in thrall to these international oil operators. Not only that but President Chavez is also the President of OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries). The main reason is, however, that President Chavez fully rejects the World Bank's, "Four Step Strategy," and plan to reduce wages of the people for the benefit of the bankers.

Indeed President Chavez has increased the minimum wage by 20%, which has increased the purchasing power of the lower paid workers and strengthened the economy. His minister, Miguel Bustamante Madriz, fully aware of the danger Venezuela poses to the bankers when people contrast the fact it wouldn't let them in, for example, with Argentina who did, stated,

"America can't let us stay in power. We are an exception to the new globalization order. If we succeed, we are an example to all the Americas."