Monday, September 8, 2008

The More Things Change...

...the more they stay the same:
Nicaragua on Friday became the first country other than Russia to formally recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, giving Moscow a victory in its battle with Georgia over the two breakaway provinces.
And Chavez gets in on the act, of course:
Last week, Ortega's ally Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Russia made the right move by recognizing the independence of the two breakaway regions. But Chavez hasn't formally done the same.

Chavez said he fully supports Russia's position and that Venezuela "would do the same if someone dared to attack us."

The Venezuelan leader has criticized Georgia and has called President Mikhail Saakashvili a "puppet" of Washington.
For those of you not paying attention during the 1980s, Ortega was the Sandinista President of Soviet-allied Nicaragua, against whom the Reagan Administration waged a proxy war with the Contras. Unfortunately, he's back in office, with support from would-be Venezuelan President-for-Life Hugo Chavez.

I would hope this sort of thing would put paid to the notion that Chavez and Ortega are any kind of reformers, instead of the thugs that they really are.

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