More socialism in Venezuela as Chavez grabs cement
Venezuela seized foreign owned cement plants on Tuesday, a show of strength as President Hugo Chavez moves forward with a plan to make South America's top oil exporter a socialist society.
Venezuela halts oil supplies to Exxon MobilTo cheers from workers gathered at the gates, Venezuela took control of installations belonging to Mexican giant Cemex on the dot of midnight after failing to reach a deal in cement nationalization talks.
Chavez, determined to build a state-dominated economy in Venezuela, has already taken oil and telecommunications companies from private hands and is buying a large Spanish-owned bank and a steel company.
Despite losing a referendum last year that would have given him wider scope to remake the economy, the former paratrooper last month used decree powers to pass a package of laws giving the state greater powers to intervene in sectors such as food.
At Cemex's main Venezuelan plant in Pertilgete on the Caribbean coast government supporters sang the national anthem and waved the country's yellow, blue and red flag. State television showed images from another plant of supporters holding up the flag of Venezuela's communist party.
"Their time is up and they move into the hands' of the state," Chavez said at a political rally late on Monday. "These are all steps towards socialism."
Chavez wants the cement companies, as well as a major steel plant he is buying from an Argentine group, to help meet the home-building and infrastructure goals his administration has struggled with.
After nearly ten years on office, Chavez also has an eye on key regional elections in November, where his coalition's control of the majority of states and cities is expected to be eroded as voters fed up with crime and corruption either turn to opposition parties or abstain.
Chavez has long won elections because of support for his economic policies and sharing of an oil bonanza among the majority poor.
WORKER SUPPORT
|
|
