#Chavez

This makes Hugo Chavez happy: GM wants to more than double its production in the Caribbean worker’s paradise of Venezuela. At least that’s what Chavez told Reuters:

“Asked to provide journalists with the details, Venezuela’s Industry Minister Ricardo Menendez said GM planned to increase its production of cars in the country to 120,000 units per year, up from almost 50,000 now.”

The minister claims that GM furthermore plans to use Venezuela as a production and export hub for auto parts, to be used in Venezuela “and for export to neighboring Brazil and the Caribbean.” We would know a Caribbean island that needs parts badly.

Chatty Chavez added that Renault also is interested in building cars had also expressed an interest in building cars in the oil-rich nation.

P.S.: I hereby apply for tghe post as Venzuelan Propaganda Minister. Free sample: “Venezuela – We put the car in the Caribbean”

The Christmas season would be a reason to be merry, would it not be for Hugo Chavez. More details about his expropriation threats emerge. Turns out, Chavez did not just threaten to kick out Toyota for being lackadaisical in the production of “rustic” vehicles.

“President Hugo Chavez told foreign automakers Wednesday to share their technology with local businesses or they will be told to leave the country,” writes the Boston Globe. Chavez gave the ultimatum in wholesale fashion to Ford, General Motors, Toyota and Fiat. Implied, the ultimatum is also meant for Fiat-controlled Chrysler, for Mitsubishi, Mack and Fiat-owned Iveco. All of the above have production facilities in Venezuela. All are at risk of instant deportation.

Venezuela’s, well, President Hugo Chavez took a page out of the U.S. government’s playbook, and ordered Toyota’s local assembly plant to make more cars, pronto. If the Japanese don’t produce an adequate number of vehicles designed for rural areas, Chavez will expropriate Toyota and kick them out of Venezuela.

According to this morning’s indignant Nikkei [sub,] Chavez said his socialist government is going to apply strict quotas on the number and types of vehicles firms can produce. He ordered an immediate inspection of Toyota’s facilities to see how many “rustic vehicles” they are currently producing. (“Rustic,” not “rusty.”)

“They’ll have to fulfill (the quotas), and if not, they can get out,” said Chavez during a televised address. “We’ll bring in another company.” And what company would that be?