Uh Oh.

Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's fanatic president, has announced that he plans to seek a constitutional amendment to increase his term by a year and to remove the ban on re-election. This is scary for a number of reasons. First, Latin American history is filled with instances of leaders using extra-constitutional means to extend their hold on power. Second, Hugo Chavez has made it his goal to align himself against the United States and our allies. He has repeatedly met with and pronounced his support for Iran's president. Even the left-leaning, former union leader, President of Brazil, Lula da Silva, has distanced himself from this mad man. Third, Chavez's efforts seem scarily similar to Hitler's ascension to power. This is a very scary thought.

Much work needs to be done to prop up the other countries throughout South America, which are hoping to finally fully recover from the economic and political turmoil of recent history. Accordingly, congress needs to get its act together and begin to pass the free trade agreements the President has proposed with these countries. Free trade will help to isolate Chavez and others who aim to threaten the American way of life.