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Dictator Chavez steals second Hilton hotel in Venezuela

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout: Debate & Discussion' started by AroundTheWorld, Oct 15, 2009.

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  1. AroundTheWorld

    AroundTheWorld Member

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    http://content.usatoday.com/communities/hotelcheckin/post/2009/10/68500999/1?csp=Travel

    Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez seizes Hilton resort


    On Wednesday, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez officially took over the beachfront Hilton resort on Margarita Island by presidential decree, according to reports by Reuters, Dow Jones, Agence France Press and others.

    The government had already been a majority shareholder in the hotel, which has 280 rooms, 154 time-share suites, a casino, a free-form swimming pool, shops, three restaurants, offices, meeting areas, and an adjoining marina, according to the AFP story. The resort is now held by the state tourism corporation, Venetur, which reports to Venezuela's Tourism Ministry, the story says.

    It's not the first time the Chavez government seized a Hilton hotel. It previously took over the Hilton in Caracas and removed the Hilton brand, renaming it Hotel Alba, a reference to the Venezuelan-led leftist regional alliance Alianza Bolivariana para las Americas (ALBA), the Dow Jones story says. Since then, Hotel Alba has become a meeting point for Chavez sympathizers from around the globe, the story says.

    Hilton Worldwide issued a statement, saying that it's "evaluating how the Venezuelan government's action affects its interest in the Hilton Margarita & Suites. The hotel remains a member of the Hilton system of hotels and welcomes guests with the same level of service they have come to enjoy."

    The latest Hilton hotel takeover comes less than a month after it was used to host the South America-Africa Summit on September 26 and 2 with guests including Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, according to the reports.

    On Wednesday, Chavez decried the hotel's owners because they had dared to impose conditions on its use for the summit, according to AFP's latest report.

    "To hold the conference we had to ask for permission... and the owners tried to impose conditions on the revolutionary government. No way," AFP quotes Chavez as saying. "So I said, 'Let's expropriate it.' And now it's been expropriated."

    Officially, the seizure was described as an "urgent" effort to boost "the social development side of the tourism and hotel industries in Nueva Esparta state"," AFP says.
    Also on Wednesday, Venezuelan Tourism Minister Pedro Morejon said that the hotel was in an "advanced state of disrepair" and that the government would refurbish it.

    "We're going to socialize the hotel," the minister said in a TV broadcast, according to the AFP.

    The hotel takeover is the latest step in a nationalization campaign that's gained momentum over the last four years and resulted in takeovers of companies in strategic industries including telecommunications, cement steel, oil services and banking, according to the reports.

    [​IMG]

    Photo: Chavez and Gadhafi wave during a ceremony at the Hilton Margarita resort on Sept. 28. Photo by Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Reuters.


    ---------------------


    I stayed in the Hilton Caracas in 2003. I didn't even know Chavez had stolen that one already. It's unbelievable that this thief and dictator is still in power.
     
    #1 AroundTheWorld, Oct 15, 2009
  2. Lil Pun

    Lil Pun Member

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    Gadhafi sort of looks like Fred G. Sanford there.
     
    #2 Lil Pun, Oct 15, 2009
  3. YugoRocketsFan

    YugoRocketsFan Rookie

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    This is weird, Chavez is stretching his powers.
     
    #3 YugoRocketsFan, Oct 15, 2009
  4. ghettocheeze

    ghettocheeze Member

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    Oh well Chavy, our government owns half the auto industry. Beat that!
     
    #4 ghettocheeze, Oct 15, 2009
    1 person likes this.
  5. PointForward

    PointForward Member

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    That thread title rivals basso's numerous stupid titles for the most idiotic of ALL TIME.. congrats
     
    #5 PointForward, Oct 15, 2009
  6. aussie rocket

    aussie rocket Member

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    List of things to do today.

    One: Eat Breakfast

    Two: steal a hotel.

    Three: wank to Hocking.
     
    #6 aussie rocket, Oct 15, 2009
  7. DonnyMost

    DonnyMost Member
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    I thought this was going to be an article from The Onion.

    "Chavez annexes Whataburger."
     
    #7 DonnyMost, Oct 15, 2009
  8. AroundTheWorld

    AroundTheWorld Member

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    Explain your idiotic point of view.
     
    #8 AroundTheWorld, Oct 15, 2009
  9. Deckard

    Deckard Blade Runner
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    I'm waiting for glynch to uncork an excuse for this move. He'll think of something. (sigh)
     
    #9 Deckard, Oct 16, 2009
  10. PointForward

    PointForward Member

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    Chavez's government was the BIGGEST shareholder in this Hilton, they owned most of it. They were trying to hold a summit or whatever and the head of the Hilton was being a d!ck, so Hugo told him F you and nationalized what he ALREADY owns..

    "stealing"? hardly
     
    #10 PointForward, Oct 16, 2009
  11. PointForward

    PointForward Member

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    oh, and Chavez is a democratically elected president, he is no Dictator. His approval ratings are through the roof. His people LOVE him, he's done so much for Venezuela. Just because he spoke out against Bush doesn't make him a horrible guy. The guy is great for his country and his people are so supportive of him, which explains why he's still in power despite all the crap the U.S tried to pull on him
     
    #11 PointForward, Oct 16, 2009
  12. Kwame

    Kwame Member

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    How is Hugo Chavez a dictator?
     
    #12 Kwame, Oct 16, 2009
  13. Oski2005

    Oski2005 Member

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    I'm curious how they got those shares. Did the government invest in the Hotel when it was being built?

    Either way, a majority shareholder doesn't make you the sole owner. If you take it from the other shareholders without compensation, it's still stealing.

    I notice you said "he" already owns the hotel. Maybe a slip, but it's actually pretty accurate. He's not about the people, Venezuela is now HIS country and the citizens are HIS subjects.
     
    #13 Oski2005, Oct 16, 2009
  14. Oski2005

    Oski2005 Member

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    I'm curious, when Chavez attempted a coup in 1992, do you think that was wrong?
     
    #14 Oski2005, Oct 16, 2009
  15. PointForward

    PointForward Member

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    when your people are suffering and dying of hunger because of a government instituted program (which is what I believe Carlos Perez ran back then), then yes, a coup isn't out of line.

    Per wikipedia, describing pre-coup conditions: "torture, ill-treatment, extrajudicial killings, political disappearances and corruption were widespread"

    What Chavez has done for his country is unbelievable. He is a hero over there, I think ~80% approve of him, and it's a perfectly legitimate democracy. being THAT popular doesn't make you a dictator, it makes you a great people's president, and it's unfortunate that the U.S (or rather Bush's administration) doesn't like that for a south american country.
     
    #15 PointForward, Oct 16, 2009
  16. PointForward

    PointForward Member

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    No, I believe the government purchased shares after the initial construction, but I could be wrong. It doesn't make a difference either way.

    I agree with this statement. However, considering that the guy in charge of the Hilton was being a d!ck to the major shareholder of the company, I don't see that big of a problem of the biggest shareholder to take over.
    his 82.7% approval rating begs to differ. Or it could be that Venezuelans are a bunch of idiots who don't realize that this president who has done so much good for this country has made this country "his" and made them his "subjects". Is that what you're suggesting there?
     
    #16 PointForward, Oct 16, 2009
  17. madmonkey37

    madmonkey37 Member

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    His approval rating is actually 62.4%, which is still pretty good I guess.
     
    #17 madmonkey37, Oct 16, 2009
  18. PointForward

    PointForward Member

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    yes, you are correct. I just checked my source again and the 82.7% number was from 2008.
     
    #18 PointForward, Oct 16, 2009
  19. AroundTheWorld

    AroundTheWorld Member

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    Chavez is a total dictator and does not respect the rule of law. He will bend and change rules to cement his power. His "nationalization" drive is nothing else than him stealing property for himself and his cronies.

    PointForward, what's next, are you going to tell us that the North Korean dictator is "great for his people" and has "great approval ratings"?

    Chavez just held a conference at that hotel with dictators such as Mugabe, for crying out loud. Then he didn't like that the hotel operators were not submissive enough, so he goes ahead and steals the property. That's typical dictator behavior.

    PointForward, tell us where you are coming from with your viewpoints - are you a leftist lunatic, are you actually from Venezuela, have you ever been there?
     
    #19 AroundTheWorld, Oct 16, 2009
  20. AntiSonic

    AntiSonic Member

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    Stalin wasn't so bad either. People just couldn't stop themselves from clapping for the guy!
     
    #20 AntiSonic, Oct 16, 2009
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