Hugo Chávez clearly knows he's in trouble. When evidence was presented to the Organization of American States last week that his country is harboring hundreds of Colombian guerrillas, the Venezuelan president reacted with televised belligerence, breaking off diplomatic relations with Bogotá "out of dignity" while calling Colombia's outgoing president, Álvaro Uribe, a "madman" and a "mafia boss," as well as accusing him of fabricating the photos and videos in order to start a war.
The fact is that Ch‡vez is desperate to distract Venezuelans from his disastrous mismanagement of the economy. Parliamentary elections are scheduled for September, and analysts say the results are impossible to predict despite Chávez's strong-arm political tactics and his muzzling of the media. The country's inflation rate—more than 31 percent, according to the central bank—is among the world's highest. Although it's Latin America's biggest petroleum exporter, there are shortages of milk and other basic items at the supermarkets. And while the rest of the region has shaken off the global financial crisis, Venezuela remains mired in a recession that's likely to continue through next year. No wonder Chávez has launched his own war of words.
Uncommon Knowledge
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