Expropriation

all the facts and news in Venezuela on Expropriation and how it influences all decisions made by Hugo Chavez as president implications for Expropriation of the Venezuelan people

Oct
7
2011
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In Case You Missed It… Articles Roundup Week of 10/7/11

In this week’s roundup… As Venezuela’s economy and infrastructure continue to crumble, President Hugo Chávez insists on furthering his failed economic policies and expropriations; inflation spikes as Venezuelan merchants struggle to turn profits; the remains of former President Carlos Andrés Perez are finally buried at home; Chávez turns a blind eye to accusations of government complicity in the drug trade; and six in 10 Venezuelans say that the president should not be reelected next year.                                                                                                                               

Chavez: Houses on Caribbean islands will be seized, The Associated Press

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced Thursday that his government will expropriate homes on the Caribbean resort islands of Los Roques, saying the structures were built on plots bought in shadowy business deals.

Venezuela’s infrastructure falling apart, The Economist 

ENSURING that the engines stay properly attached to the fuselage is, one might think, a fairly fundamental part of maintaining a passenger aircraft.

FACTBOX-Key political risks to watch in Venezuela, Reuters

Speculation about President Hugo Chavez’s health after cancer treatment, falling oil output that could slow economic recovery and rising passions ahead of next year’s presidential election are the main risks to watch in Venezuela.

Venezuela’s new political battlefield: Twitter, The Associated Press via The Washington Times

Over months, Venezuelan TV soap opera writer Leonardo Padron built a Twitter following of about 250,000 people by posting more than a dozen messages a day, many of them skewering President Hugo Chavez.

 

All that’s gold doesn’t glitter, CNN (By Fareed Zakaria)

What do Hugo Chavez and Glenn Beck have in common? The socialist/populist president of Venezuela and the right-wing talk show host often have strange ideas – just not the same ones.

The struggle to balance inflation and shortages in Venezuela, Christian Science Monitor            

A recent El Universal has an article talking about how hard it is for local producers in Venezuela to sell regulated products at a profit, which leads to shortages.

Venezuelans rally as body of ex-leader returns, AFP

Thousands of supporters of former Venezuelan president Carlos Andres Perez rallied in the capital after the return of his body from the United States following a long legal battle.

Six out of 10 people think that Chávez should not be reelected, El Universal

They would like the Venezuelan Head of State to complete his term in 2012.The positive assessment of President Hugo Chávez’s administration reached 58.9% in September, a 10% increase compared to July, according to Venezuelan polling company Datanálisis.

By the planeload: Hugo Chávez seems unperturbed by claims of official complicity in crime, The Economist

OPPONENTS of Venezuela’s president, Hugo Chávez, are eagerly awaiting the trial of Walid Makled, a businessman extradited from Colombia five months ago.

 
Oct
6
2011
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Venezuela’s Infrastructure Crumbles as Nationalizations Continue on the Rise

Engines falling off of jet planes, commuter trains colliding, jacuzzi-size holes in the middle of main roads – those are but a few examples of the perils Venezuelans face when traveling in and out of the country. As the Chávez government continues to nationalize the remaining private companies in the transportation industry, the outlook for Venezuela’s already-crippled infrastructure does not look promising.

Transportation-related accidents are up across-the-board in Venezuela, causing delays and endangering the Venezuelan people no matter how they choose to travel. Frequent air travelers were alarmed to learn that a DC-9 belonging to Aeropostal, a state-owned Venezuelan airline lost both of its engines during a recent landing in Puerto Ordaz. The incident should not come as surprise to anyone. After all, Venezuela has reportedly the most obsolete air fleet in the Americas.  In the month of September alone, there were 33 aviation scares.

Nobody is safe in Venezuela, neither by air or land. Three days after the Puerto Ordaz near-disaster, three Caracas commuter trains collided, killing a driver and injuring dozens of passengers. Two days earlier, traffic heading into the city of Maracaibo was held up for hours after a metal joint between two sections of a long bridge over Lake Maracaibo fell into the waters below. To add insult to injury, potholes in Venezuela’s roads have become so large that local reporters have drummed up a new term to describe them – “mega-holes.” Some of these holes are large enough to swallow an entire vehicle.

True to form, Mr. Chávez has responded to the infrastructure crisis by doing what he does best – ordering more expropriations.  The recent takeover of Conferry is the latest instance of an expropriation frenzy which experts see as “part of the problem, rather than the solution.” Chávez has even “centralized” control of many public services, which were once run by Venezuela’s local governments. As the government bureaucracy swells, public services become unreliable and dangerous. In the past 10 years, for example, the Caracas metro has been riddled by breakdowns, overcrowding, and lengthy delays.

While Mr. Chávez’s 21st Century Socialism continues to crumble, Venezuelans may increasingly choose to just stay home.

 
Sep
30
2011
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In Case You Missed It… Articles Roundup Week of 9/30/11

In this week’s roundup… Settlement talks between U.S. companies and Chávez government over expropriated assets are unlikely, as two more American firms file arbitration claims against Venezuela before the World Bank’s International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID); Meanwhile, the Venezuelan government announces yet another expropriation; Chávez strikes out with Major League Baseball; Venezuela’s prisons are among the most dangerous in the continent; and Chávez tries to silence rumors about his health in his usual flair.

Venezuela Again Rejects Oil Settlement Talks, The Wall Street Journal

Venezuelan Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez on Tuesday rejected talk that his government was planning to settle with companies like Exxon Mobil Corp. and ConocoPhillips outside of official arbitration proceedings for compensation for projects nationalized by President Hugo Chavez nearly four years ago.

Helmerich Sues Venezuela Over Seized Drilling Rigs, The Wall Street Journal

Helmerich & Payne  Inc. has filed a lawsuit against Venezuela over the 2010 government takeover of 11 drilling rigs belonging to the Oklahoma-based oil-services company.

Owens Illinois hits Venezuela with arbitration claim, Reuters

U.S. bottle maker Owens Illinois (OI.N) has filed a claim for arbitration against Venezuela at a World Bank tribunal after President Hugo Chavez nationalized its operations in October last year.

US glass container maker Owens-Illinois seeks arbitration in Venezuela expropriation dispute, The Washington Post

U.S.-based glass container manufacturer Owens-Illinois Inc. said Wednesday it is seeking international arbitration in a dispute with Venezuela over the expropriation of two factories in the South American nation.

Chavez orders nationalization of ferry company, The Associated Press

President Hugo Chavez has ordered the nationalization of Venezuela’s largest ferry company. Chavez says the company, Conferrys, has failed to upgrade its vessels, causing delays and poor service from the eastern city of Puerto La Cruz to Margarita Island.

Venezuela gov’t strikes out with big league, Reuters

Baseball and President Hugo Chavez are both popular in Venezuela, but uncertainty about his policies is prompting major league teams to stop investing here while developing their Dominican Republic training camps.

Guillen says he’s no fan of Chavez, The Associated Press via The Sacramento Bee

Ninety minutes into Ozzie Guillen’s first media session as manager of the Florida Marlins, the subject turned to politics – specifically, fellow countryman Hugo Chavez.

Venezuela’s Prison Chief Says No New Facilities Needed, The Wall Street Journal

The head of Venezuela’s recently created prison ministry, which was formed earlier this year in the wake of a bloody inmate riot at a notoriously overcrowded facility, said in an interview published Tuesday that building more prisons is not necessary. “

Hugo Chávez tries to silence health rumors with his usual flair, The Christian Science Monitor

Hugo Chávez assembled reporters to his palace and played ball, after a Miami-based newspaper suggested the spirited Venezuelan President was on his last legs.