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Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez cautions Ford and Toyota, threatens to go Russian
In a rather bold move, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez recently spoke out against the production agendas of carmakers worldwide. He even went as far as to threaten Ford and Toyota that should they not hand over their technology he would ban them from Venezuela.
Talk around the water cooler is that Chavez wants more SUV’s and 4WD cars and trucks. Which is quite interesting in itself as Chavez has made a point in the past to remark upon is dedication to keeping Venezuela clean and green. Regardless, the man has ordered an investigation of Toyota’s production.
But the flexing did not cease there. Chavez warned the manufacturers that if the technology isn’t handed over, he would have no choice but to start doing business with…THE RUSSIANS!!
Apparently Hugo Chavez’s assistants failed to remind him that Russia doesn’t make cars that anybody cares about.
Chavez then took a few more shots at GM and Fiat before trying to shoot himself in the foot as he was stuffing it in his mouth.
Obviously Hugo Chavez’s assistants had failed him once more in forgetting to remind him that GM and Fiat (new owner of Chrysler) have a new boss (Barack Obama) who -
a) has spoken openly about his plans to make cars smaller and “greener”
and
b) is likely not to take kindly to, moreover obey, petty threats from a Venezuelan dictator.
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Make no mistake.
Hugo is not trying to force the automakers to accept his conditions. He’s making sure they won’t. Hugo wants the automakers out of Venezuela so he can have ineffient manufacturers from the former Socialist Union. He’s trying to isolate Venezuela to create an “Island”. Like the Castro’s, he wants to stay in power forever. He’ll have the same lame excuses Fidel has had, blaming the USA for all Cuba’s failures. The only difference is that Hugo does not have the only thing that makes Fidel strong: his part in Cuban History as a Hero that overthrew a dictator (Batista), Chavez is just a populist politician.