This is what happens when someone comes along and give people what they want to hear; Chavez is just an arrogant ignorant that is learning from Cuba on how to keep a hold of power. Is about time that someone tells him to SHUT UP!! He is just hiding behind the crude!!! People in Venezuela needs to take action and avoid another ignorant to get a hold of the dignity and values of Venezuelans!!

Hey Guys! I hate propaganda as much as other people and seek out the truth,rather than any propaganda c**p.
I listen to the voices of the Venezualan people who have suffered,and ARE STILL suffering with extreme poverty.Whilst a 'socialist democrat', like Hugo still lives in the lap of luxury(palaces, private land-grabs etc)many people have now lost that last vestige of Democracy and feedom to choose.
The option to choose has been subued by persecutionand censorship,those who had a chance to profit and make better lives for themselves found that they couldn't compete with being undercut by Hugo's massive state enterprises.
Bush and Chavez have both stripped many people of a chance of improving their quality of life.They have stripped away Constitutional rights,education,and freedom,by becoming AUTOCRATS who favor,and protect the few.
Socialism,on it's own,historically,does NOT HAVE a good track record of surviving practically.It suffocates and shackles people.
Then,take away Democracy and freedom of enterprise FROM THE PEOPLE,and it has always failed.
Those poor Venezualan people,in rural areas are still hounded by militias,rebels,and have limited voting freedom,facilities,and transport.Chavez pretends to be a socialist,who will spread the benefits across the board,equally,but I fear that means that those people who once had a chance of owning a WHOLE 'loaf of bread', by their own hard work and enterprise within a more open system, will now have to 'eat crumbs' with the majority of Venezualans(metaphorically speaking)! Chavez will be fine in his palaces though,and he always has that personal TV station,to lean on.
Venezuala still, like America,and Iran, has it's top minority elite,who profit from the poverty and joblessness of the majority.
Bush,Chavez and Ahmadinejad are all loud mouthed bullies,who promise their people so much,BUT achieve so LITTLE.And all are contradictions to OPEN DEMOCRACY!
They are all good at stifling their free/public media,in favor of 'State' censored limited information.Unfortunately,MANY people in Venezuala don't have access to internet options,because they are still largely 'off the grid'.
Chavez has caused so many people to go bankrupt in their traditional family businesses,farms,etc,that took them YEARS to build,and be proud of.Again,they couldn't compete with the undercutting of the state price-caps.
So they are reduced to'crumbs'while Chavez still gets the whole 'loaf'.
Bush et al,has done the same by out-sourcing etc,to third world countries who will use human abuse to churn out the product.
Not to mention,that those said Corporations,also staff the White House chambers.
I see your point though NoBa, but the term,"large margins" is only relative to the accessability and freedom of the WHOLE POPULATION,of Venezuala.
People like Bush,Ahmadinejad and Chavez(among many others) are NOT EMPERORS,they are merely electable,disposable,public servants.When they start to appear to be,or act as something else,then Democracy is waving 'bye-bye'to the people!
Don't go by election results,they are usually corrupted.
Sit down with the people and listen to the VOX POX!
Buenos Dias!

I agree with ReyLoo. Chavez has been elected repeatedly by large margins which indicated that he indeed does speack for a substantial part of the population. I cannot speak about Iran as I do not know a lot about the electorial process. Here in America Bush is in power by two very suspect elections, so its clear that his mandate is weak. Whereas I agree with Grassroots' right to voice his opinion below, it seems to be based on the current anti-Chavez rhetoric that is currently being proffered by the Bush administration who is antogonistic to Venezuela's anti-imperialist stance, rather than the results of any concrete criticism on the PDVSA's program. Let's post real info here. If I want propaganda, I would turn to network TV.

Can you explain specifically why you place Chavez in the likes of Bush & Ahmadinejad? I understand where the criticism of the latter two is stemming from...(Iran-legalization of religious oppression/ US-entering into an act of agression(war)unilaterally against UN charters & the attempt to legalize torture). what exactly did Chavez do that would be a clear parallel?

You have got to laugh when you see a newspaper picture of Chavez and Ahmadinejad standing side by side! On a light side,it's like looking at the comedians laurel & Hardy! On the dark side,it's just two more loud mouthed,two-faced bullies pretending to speak for their people,in the battle for private power!Just like Mussolini and Hitler,thinking they were the new leaders of a reborn mighty 'Roman-type' Empire!
And 'Bravo',to his Spanish Majesty for doing saying what,probably,millions of Europeans,Americans,Iranians and Venezuelans have been echoing for years!
"Por que NO te callas"! Can't wait to get THAT T.Shirt and mug,in the mail!
IN FACT, perhaps the ordinary people of America,Venezuala and Iran should arrange to have T.Shirts printed out with the faces of their 'bullies' such as Bush,Chavez and Ahmadinejad and have the slogan printed in English,Spanish and Farsi(Arabic) respectively! LOL!
And these men STILL think they speak for their respective people.They insult their people and culture!
"OLE", to King Juan Carlos!