Chavez: The Obama Illusion Is Finished

Hugo Chavez, socialist dictator wannabe

The honeymoon is over for El Presidente Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. After Chavez’s address earlier this year to the United Nations where he implied that Obama’s “smell of hope” had replaced Bush’s “smell of sulfur“, this from Reuters:

“Let’s not kid ourselves: the Obama illusion has finished, and the shameless interventionism of the American administration shows that,” wrote Chavez.

Having opposed the Copenhagen climate change summit’s final agreement as a behind-doors deal between major powers that ignored nations on the margins, Chavez said rich nations were making a mockery of U.N. principles of equality.

“Those leaving us on the verge of an unimaginable ‘ecocide,’ those who caused climate change, should be forced to accept their responsibilities,” he said.

Given that Venezuela is South America’s largest exporter of oil, the likelihood that Chavez is sincere about climate change and ‘ecocide’ is slim. It is much more likely that Chavez is goading our Appeaser-in-Chief for his own ends, whether that be his own aggrandizement or just defining the playing field.

It’s not hard to see why Chavez is disappointed with Copenhagen. He had expected welfare on a global scale, something he desperately needs as the drop in the price of oil has left his nationalized petroleum industry unable to fund his socialist programs.

With Venezuelan legislative elections in 2010 and a presidential election in 2012, Chavez needs his social programs to continue buying the votes of the poor in Venezuela. With infrastructure problems beginning to cause reliability issues with both water and power, Hugo’s plan to become ‘Socialist Dictator for Life’ is threatened.

(Hat tip to Political Integrity Now for the heads-up)