QFAC: Venezuela, Your Position

I've noticed that the ATS '07 Presidential election forum has been very quiet recently,
so I thought I'd bring up an issue that I have'nt seen talked about, that being Venezuela.

As is known (well it should be) Venezuela is one of the countries that the reich er that is
the right (I'm kidding) has decided to attack, now for the most part that's because Venezuela
has asserted its sovereignty by nationalizing the foreign run oil drilling in the country and
because it's a Socialist country, now of course there are some not so positive things
that have been done by the Venezuelan president, but they're nothing in comparison
to things many other countries have done.


Anyways, since I suppose I am already interjecting opinion into this, what my fellow candidates,
is your position on Venezuela?

My position.


I will say this, and it's a fact I don't try to hide, I support Venezuela and Hugo Chávez,
now in recent times there have been a few things that I he has done that I disapprove of,
but overall I support him.

Now when/if I am elected, I will personally go to Venezuela and talk to President Chávez,
and show him that America is not his enemy, anymore at least, and I will try to negotiate fair
and free trade as well as much better relations between Venezuela and the United States,
I will also try to get him to, and this is sort of a great thing to do, use his power of decree
(while he has it for the next year or so) to make sure that no president ever be given
such power again, and to give it up, or at least talk it over with the legislature before
doing things.
I would also make present my concern over the not renewing RCTV's broadcasting license,
and the danger of indirectly censoring the media without a great deal of reason.

The signs coming out of Venezuela haven't been good . Hugo Chávez has used the widespread dislike of Bush blundering policy's to gain support from the American left.
My admin would leave the possibility of sanctions open unless things in Venezuela seem to turn around. Hugo Chávez seems to be going for an gradual take over so by the time he is an dictator people wont have realized what has happened.

I say give the man one chance to fix things the right way, through diplomacy. After that, all bets are off. He'll be on his own. Yes, he may have oil, but we're not reliant on what little he has when we're sitting on virtual seas of it over in the Middle East. He has nothing to barter with, which I'm sure puts him in an uncomfortable position. We'll have to wait and see which way things go from here though.

I'm of the opinion that we give everyone at least ONE chance. After that, we spare them nothing, as they've had their shot to change.

TheBorg

I thought that this thread was worth bringing in terms of the topic. Chavez is off his rocker and hasn't even been around the block a few times yet.
So what do the candidates think of Chavez comments and do they change your policy towards Venezuela ?