Hugo Chávez has sent out troops to take over farms and urged the poor to occupy “unused” land in wealthy areas of Caracas, prompting a wave of squats that is rattling Venezuela’s middle class.

Chavez is taking applying a strategy similar to Mao Tse-Tung’s which involved the nationalization of banks and industry as well as the redistribution of land from wealthy landowners to the peasants.  Hugo is slowly nationalizing all industry both foreign and domestic.  Radio and TV stations, oil production and much more have already been nationalized and he’s threatened the entire banking sector.

The more-recent policy of allowing squatters to take land from rightful owners is a direct result of the failure of Hugo Chavez’s version of Socialism.

Under Chávez the government has built fewer than 40,000 units a year – some say only 24,000 – in contrast to previous governments, which averaged 70,000.

It shouldn’t shock any of my readers that this government is failing its people.  By going deep into the play books of Lenin and Marx, Hugo Chavez has managed to thrust his country into poverty, destroy its industry and reduce housing production by almost half.  Now he’s letting the people he’s made homeless steal the land that other’s had worked and saved to purchase.  This move is making other industries fearful that they will be the next on to become the property of the nation of Venezuela.

Even hotels have become skittish since being asked to host those displaced by the floods. They have obliged, but some proprietors now worry they will be the next industry to be nationalised.

.. and they have every right to be nervous, Hugo’s record for taking over businesses is lengthy.  This is just a smattering of what he’s expropriated:

• 2007- Chavez nationalizes telecommunications and electricity generation
• 4/2008-Chavez nationalizes steel production
• 8/2008-Chavez announces nationalization of bank
• 3/2009 - Chavez Nationalizes portions of the U.S.-based food giant Cargill
• 5/2010 - Chavez Nationalizes Private University
• 6/2010- Chavez Nationalizes 11 Oil Rigs Owned by U.S. Operator Helmerich & Payne
• 10/2010 - Chavez Nationalizes U.S. bottle manufacturer Owens-Illinois