conspircacy theory du jour

Is anyone else a little weirded out by everything going on in Venezuela? I've never observed the formation of a socialist dictatorship, that I can recall, but it sure is starting to look like that's what's going on down there. After taking over numerous private corporations and putting them under government control, Chavez has now convinced the national legislature to hand him sweeping lawmaking powers. Add the media and dissident censorship, and there's a real fun time brewing down there. I doubt it will have a huge affect on me in the states, but if I were Venezuelan I think I might start looking for the exit.

The conspiracy theory promised in the headline is this: when Castro dies, sorry ol' Raul, Cuba is going to Chavez. That's right, you heard it here first -- Castro, upon his death, is going to effectively turn control of Cuba over to Venezuela. I don't know if Cuba will be fully incorporated or if it will just become a protectorate, but that's what is going to happen. That way, Castro will be able to stick it to the US one more time, Cuba will be in the hands of a capable (by Castro standards) leader, and Chavez will be able to strengthen his hand in his attempt to assert himself as a Latin American answer to US power. This future transfer of power is why Cuban television has been showing Chavez and Castro together so much as Castro's health declines -- slowly, the Cuban people are being groomed to see Chavez as the natural, trusted, chosen successor.

Do I honestly believe it? No, not really. But you can bet your last peso I'll be putting that on my CIA intelligence analyst application should the prediction come true.

No, you the man!