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Hugo's Mirror
// The Growing Similarities between Russia and Venezuela
The striking speed of the wave of nationalization sweeping through the oil extraction sector in Venezuela, as a result of which by May 1 the national flag will wave proudly over oil fields that have been developed by foreign companies, is the latest in a long line of surprising similarities and parallels that are increasingly leading experts to compare President Hugo Chavez's Bolivar Republic with Russia under Vladimir Putin. The companies that have been left empty-handed in Venezuela, which include British Petroleum, Statoil, and ExxonMobil, must share with Chevron Corp bitter memories of the misfortune that befell international investors on Sakhalin after they had rushed a little too quickly to the conclusion that the Russian shelf was the new hydrocarbon Klondike. They have all paid for their arrogance.
The theme of the "Venezuelization" of Russia, which has been particularly popular in American academic circles, is now ceasing to be just a diversion and is quickly taking on a host of concrete meanings. The fact that President Chavez seriously intends to establish socialism in his country, while President Putin is threatening no such thing, preferring instead to talk about doubling GDP, does not mean that Venezuela and Russia are two different worlds that have little in common. That difference testifies only that while Venezuela and Russia are in some ways mirror images of each other, the mirror is slightly crooked. And that's what makes it interesting.
It is possible to discern certain inherent features in the warped mirror of Venezuela, as blown out of proportion as they are. For example, the formula of a "rigid power vertical" and the "dictatorship of law," which was first heard in Russia out of the mouth of Vladimir Putin, was actually first uttered by Hugo Chavez. This particular bit of political know-how belongs to the Venezuelan president, though he was more than happy to share it with his Russian counterpart. Because the more "dictatorships of law" and "power verticals" that exist in the world, the fairer, more stable, and more dynamically developing that world will be. Having dealt with fallen oligarchs, clamped down on "antigovernment" media, and imposed order in parliament, where the president enjoys an overwhelming majority, Hugo Chavez has equally decisively thrown himself into battle on the foreign front, with speeches attacking a unipolar world under the leadership of the United States. Vladimir Putin's America-bashing speech in Munich, like the "dictatorship of law" in Russia, comes much later than the Venezuelan version. It should be noted, however, that Vladimir Putin references the American president with an entirely different tone than Hugo Chavez, who obviously gets a real kick out of making personal attacks on President Bush. Everyone knows that President Putin's personal friendship with George Bush is sacrosanct, meaning that the leaders of Venezuela and Russia are completely at odds over the question of the American president. But then again, there should be at least some differences between these two former officers who are now fulfilling their historic missions. Remember that Venezuela is not Russia's twin, not its double, but rather its warped mirror. In magnifying Russian traits, that mirror is making them even more eye-catching and thus more recognizable.
Sergey Strokan
All the Article in Russian as of Feb. 28, 2007
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