Trouble *Really* Brewing in Venezuela as Chavez Ramps Up Military Action

First, he's military action against his own people.

The Venezuelan National Guard moved into Mérida, Venezuela on Tuesday, in response to protests which have erupted across the country. Seemingly unmoved, university students expressed they will continue to march through the streets to protest several new policies enacted by the Venezuelan government.

"The city is militarized since early hours of the morning (from tuesday) and will remain like that as long as its necessary in order to avoid further confrontations in the city of Mérida," said Marcos Díaz, governor of Mérida State on Wednesday.

Waves of protests errupted throughout all of Venezuela on Jan. 23, in response to rationing of water; new increase on the devaluation of the Venezuelan currency; and the recently established weekly rationing of electricity.

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He's violating Colombian airspace.

Colombia has made a formal diplomatic protest to Venezuela after what it says was a violation of its airspace by a Venezuelan military helicopter.
Colombia's foreign ministry said the helicopter had spent 20 minutes above the city of Arauca, near the border, where a big military base is situated.
The defence minister said his forces had shown restraint in not responding.
The two neighbours have been involved in a row over Colombia's decision to grant the US access to military bases.
The Colombian foreign ministry issued a statement calling the alleged incursion "unacceptable".

He's pushing around broadcasters and attempting to strangle the news.

Venezuela's state-run telecommunications agency formally notified two dozen local cable television channels on Thursday that they must carry mandatory government programming, including marathon speeches by President Hugo Chavez.

Cabello also urged prosecutors on Thursday to file criminal charges against Noel Alvarez, the president of Venezuela's largest business chamber, for allegedly attempting to incite a coup. In a recent televised interview Alvarez made statements aimed at provoking a military rebellion against Chavez, he said.

Chavez is claiming that the US caused the earthquake in Haiti


And that the US just wants to build military base on what's left of Port-au-Prince.

President Chavez went public on Sunday in his criticism of President Obama's handling of US humanitarian aid to Haiti which would appear to be geared towards US national security interests rather than humanitarian sentiments for those affected by the earthquake.

Venezuelan Adjunct Ambassador to the United Nations, Julio Escalona has stated that among the US plans for Haiti is establishing a military base on the island in what is now known as the Cite Soleil barrio where many of the dwellings had been flattened.

During his Sunday radio address, Chavez called Obama to send medical teams, equipment, medicine and tents rather than a mass deployment of soldiers.

The US military command has insisted that the United Nations has assumed leadership in the humanitarian operation and that US troop presence has the authorization of Haiti's President.

Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro has set up a Petion-Bolivar solidarity brigade to draw up a joint plan with Haitian social organizations towards reconstruction work.

By: Brant