Your Hugo Chavez Update.

There was supposed to be a kinder, gentler, Hugo in 2008 takin' care of bidness at home.
You know, fighting inflation and getting the garbage collected.

But people, that's just not how he rolls, as the next two items indicate

Chavez stops exports of asphalt and threatens to nationalize firms that do not comply.

Chavez sez the FARC is not a terrorist organization but rather, he argued, "I say this even though somebody might be bothered by it: the FARC and the ELN are not terrorist groups. They are armies, real armies ... that occupy a space in Colombia." He added that the two groups' " insurgent forces" have a goal, "a project," that is "Bolivarian" and that "we respect."


And then of course there's this: Chavez floats the idea of another referendum in 2010, this time just to allow unlimited re-election. With a grin, he told lawmakers, ambassadors and government ministers in a nationally televised four-hour speech before the National Assembly that he was only “thinking aloud” and that it would be merely a “small amendment.” Lawmakers stood up applauding and chanted “Chávez is here to stay!”

You know it dudes!