Over the eight years of the Bush administration, many on the far left warned that he was going to bring an end to democracy in the United States, that he was going to end elections, ban dissent, and so on. Such complaints have been raised against most recent adminstrations and in every case they were wholly unfounded.

But in Venezuela it looks like things are heading just that direction. President Chavez is already in position as a virtual dictator, with total control of almost all forms of media (television, radio, newspapers) and the power of the entire government behind his agenda.

He is now seeking to lift a term limits law thus allowing him to run for re-election for the rest of his life. The level to which he is using the power of his office to push for the proposal is mind-boggling.

Public employees pack his rallies, and ministry Web sites are laced with pro-amendment ads ahead of a Feb. 15 referendum. Caracas’s subway system has blasted jingles urging riders to vote “Yes.” State television and radio transmit pro-Chavez messages around the clock, ignoring the opposition in violation of the law, an elections regulator said.

Imagine if we had a government agency running ads for a particular candidate for public office?

The last time he tried to push such an agenda the voters rejected the proposal but it seems like this time around he is really going all out and may well refuse to accept a loss this time around. Given the power they have over a large oil reserve and potential influence through the region this could be a major problem for our economy (not to mention the rights and freedoms of millions of Venezuelans)