Venezuela: The slide continues

Hugo Chavez is still running amok in Venezuela. Despite voters rejecting a referendum giving the president sweeping power over the economy a mere few months ago, Chavez has taken steps over the past weeks to seize more businesses.

Chavez is driving the take-over of Sidor, a large, Argentine-controlled steel maker; cement companies owned by Mexican, Swiss and French investors; more than 30 sugar plantations; a large dairy products company; and a sprawling cattle estate on the southern plains…and these firms are just a component of overall list.

As expected these moves have spooked foreign investors and infuriated neighboring countries (whose public companies own many of the assets). The compensation offered by the Venezuelan for these companies is under 20 cents on the dollar. Foreign investment in Venezuela has hit record lows, with only $500 million investing in 2007 as Chavez nationalized electric, telephone, and oil companies.

All this socialist exploitation has tanked the Venezuelan economy, which is now beset with foot shortages, building supply problems, and a lack of many other staples. At a time where many other South American economies are booming, the Venezuelan bolivar currency is in free-fall with the black-market rate climbing over 20% in the past couple of months to 3.4 per dollar. The government moves to prop up the currency have failed miserably. One can only expect that the name-sake of the currency, Simon Bolivar would have been shocked at government policies that are so destructive to the people, if he was alive today.

Only high oil prices are propping up the centralized economy of the nation. Of course this is only a short-term situation because oil production is drastically declining at the oil wells seized by the government. The entire government house of cards will fold as oil prices or production fall, further illuminating the reality of why centralized economies do not work. It is one thing to have social programs in countries that aid the poor, homeless, aged, and disadvantaged; it is another thing entirely to seize companies that your entire productive economy is built upon.

Looking ahead one can only expect further unrest and economic turmoil in Venezuela. This situation is unfortunate since the country is rich in natural resources and formerly endowed with a rising economy prior Mr. Chavez’s administration.

Chávez Seizes Greater Economic Power