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Mack Cautions Against U.S. Business Deals with Chavez
Reminds U.S. Businesses of Chavez’s Abysmal Record of Private Property Rights and Free Markets
January 16, 2009 -
WASHINGTON - Congressman Connie Mack (FL-14) today urged U.S. and international oil companies not to consider doing business in Venezuela after news reports indicated that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is quietly soliciting bids from outside oil companies to once again do business in his country.Mack, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said:
“After Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez nationalized his country’s oil industry in 2007, he made it crystal clear that free markets and freedom are not welcome in his Bolivarian revolution. He showed the world that he will stop at nothing to impose his leftist political agenda on the people and businesses of Venezuela, driving many of them out of his country altogether.
“Chavez is now suffering from the weight of his own socialist economy. Realizing that the national oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela, is unable to keep his country’s economy afloat, Chavez is now scrambling to keep his socialist movement viable.
“Two years ago, several U.S. and international oil companies learned the hard way that doing business with a communist dictator will backfire. They would be wise to stay out of Venezuela and consider doing business elsewhere – or risk becoming another pawn in Chavez’s socialist machine.
“While Chavez claims to want to help the Venezuelan people, doing business with him will only strengthen Chavez’s grip on the hopes and freedoms of the Venezuelan people.”
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