During an inauguration ceremony for the construction of a new international airport in the state of Barinas, Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez spoke to the Venezuelan people about the ongoing world financial crisis.
“If here in Venezuela, God forbid, something similar should occur, or even appear set to occur, have no doubt I will not give you bankers even one cent. I will take your bank away from you. … I will expropriate your banks.”
In his speech, Chávez criticized the pro-capitalist governments of the United States, France, Britain and other countries for favoring banks over the needs of workers. He spoke out against the imperialist lie that no money exists for food, medicines, education and health care.
Rather than help the poor stay in their homes and keep their jobs, the capitalists help one another with massive bailouts. Chávez and other progressive Latin American leaders have nationalized sectors of their economies in an effort to return some of their country’s wealth to the workers who create it.
