Hugo Chavez to give out free PCs to Venezuelans?

While we're not sure what happened to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's $6.26 million plan to manufacture $350 "Bolivar" PCs with unnamed Chinese manufacturers, it seems as though that project's apparent failure hasn't set ol' Hugs back at all -- CNET is reporting that Venezuela is planning to enter the oddly crowded PCs-for-undeveloped-regions market, alongside such players as Intel and OLPC. Details are pretty light, as you'd expect, but apparently Venezuelan authorities are contacting Asian OEMs about building the machines, which will be funded by oil profits and either heavily subsidized or given away free to people in various Latin American countries. It's a nice idea, but we're wondering why these "authorities" don't just call up any random catalog reseller and place an order -- last we checked, you could spec out a laptop at retail for under $500, so we can't imagine the wholesale revolutionary-discount price would be over $300. And hey, we just might know someone who'll laser-etch Hugo's face on the lids for cheap -- feel free to give us a call, El Presidente.

[Daren @ Jun 2nd 2007 7:54PM]

So that gives him the right to shut down and disband congress, suppress free speech, and manipulate companies?

[kingofwale @ Jun 1st 2007 9:25PM]

how much money you want to bet that those PC will be running pirated Vista Ultimate? :)

[German Taroco @ Jun 1st 2007 9:35PM]

Do you really belive that a DICTATOR who recently closed a TV Station, will give Free PCs? Everything he do is for a EVIL reason.

[Diego souto @ Jun 1st 2007 9:52PM]

free pc's yes.
but acess to internet no way...

[MN @ Jun 1st 2007 9:36PM]

I'd sure love to get dictator-discount (bush, that is) on gas nowadays...

[Clayj @ Jun 1st 2007 9:37PM]

Hugo Chavez is a tin-pot dictator who only gets any press because his country happens to be sitting on top of a lot of oil. He's as "freely elected" as Saddam Hussein was.

[Korsakow @ Jun 2nd 2007 4:42AM]

Hugo Chavez was in fact democratically elected in 1988, 2000 and again in 2006 with suprisingly minor irregularities. Closing TV stations is of course as undemocratic as it gets...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuelan_presidential_election%2C_1998
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuelan_presidential_election%2C_2000
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuelan_presidential_election%2C_2006

[mr friggles @ Jun 1st 2007 9:52PM]

Chavez is the man. He has my eternal respect for helping out all those poor families providing them CHEAP heating oil & gas HERE IN THE US. People here love to demonize him because he actually uses oil profits for HELPING THE POOR regardless of where they are. Oh yeah, someone mentioned he closed a TV station down...tell me, would Bush close a TV station down if they were advocating armed insurrection?? Chavez over Bush/Cheney ANY DAY!!

[James @ Jun 1st 2007 9:53PM]

Heh, wow. There's a lot of whackos on the internet, all right. Chavez has political dissidents jailed and sometimes killed; he closed the only TV station that dared criticize the government. Bush takes constant flak from most media outlets (now from the right as well, with the amnesty debacle), tries to appease people that gripe loud enough and jails... terrorists, captured in combat or fingered by intelligence services run mostly by Clinton appointees. Yup, Chimpy McHitler is the dictator, war for oil (that's why gas is so cheap!), Chavez loves kittens.... man, you people probably believe Castro is the second coming, Mao wasn't so bad (he only killed a *couple* million of his own people), Marx had it right...

I'll spell it out for you -- greedy little men don the mantle of populism, promise a Socialist paradise, and as soon as they get into power, set about looting the country for the own benefit while trying to maintain a PR campaign with moves like this one -- did you see the press Fidel got when he promised rice cookers to the whole country? Never mind that there's not a single American so poor they can't afford a rice cooker (even the homeless could scrape together $14.88 to spend at Wal-Mart), he's a great humanitarian for the good things he brings his people.

[Diego souto @ Jun 1st 2007 9:56PM]

a come on people Chavez stole a Petro-complex from Brazil.
He didn't even tried to negociate a sale he just take it...

[ghfgfgh @ Jun 2nd 2007 4:57AM]

So?

[James @ Jun 1st 2007 9:56PM]

Mr Friggles -- people don't hate Chavez because he gives cheap oil to the poor (look a bit deeper -- it's a tiny amount compared to his country's total production, and he's straight-up buying PR), they hate him because he uses intimidation up to and including murder of dissidents to remain in power. To pretend a dictator's cheap PR stunt (see rice cooker notes above) somehow absolves them of all their crimes is really sad.

[Kevin Murphy @ Jun 1st 2007 10:00PM]

The reason he doesn't have Dell build them is that the Chinese will put $50 in his Swiss account for each PC and Dell won't.

[ghfgfgh @ Jun 2nd 2007 4:57AM]

Yeah, Dell would put 100$ per PC in their own account.

[Leo @ Jun 1st 2007 10:01PM]

He´s a dictator in disguise. I should know, i had to flee venezuela because of it...

He just closed 1 of the 2 remaining opposition tv stations, giving him control of pretty much all media in vzla.

And he also arrests ppl for nothing, there are countless political prisoners in vzla.
Get your facts straight, before making that kinda comment Cap'n Obvious

The allegedly free pcs, if ever completed in the sea of corruption that venezuela lies in, will only be a diversion from vzlas real problems: crime, hunger, education, health; and the list just gets bigger...

[David @ Jun 1st 2007 10:09PM]

Lets see...

He closes all the opposition TV Stations. What type of internet access is he going to offer.

[mr friggles @ Jun 1st 2007 10:11PM]

LOL you people are actually calling Chavez a dictator in disguise...when less than 3 weeks ago Bush signed an executive order giving him complete power in case of a "National Emergency"...and guess who decides whats a National Emergency..Bush. I could go on about the suspension of Habeus Corpus, permanent detentions (without even telling them WHY they are in jail, or notifying family), torture (including sexually torturing children in front of parents), flying planes around the world for more torture, setting up torture prisons all over the globe, Rumsfeld-approved death squads in Iraq, illegal spying all phone & datalines, exposing a covert CIA agent over a personal vendetta, and lets not even get into what Bush did to get to the 650,000+ civilian death toll in Iraq. I could go on and on about so many things on so many levels with this current criminal syndicate operating out of the White House. So think before you say the words "dictator in disguise". I should know. I live in America.

[ark_v2 @ Jun 1st 2007 10:11PM]

LOL, I'll love to see how he tries to make up for caracas tv's closing with cheap PCs (No internet access of course, imagine, globalization...OH NOES!!! :O)

[Jean-Michel Decombe @ Jun 1st 2007 10:22PM]

Chav'Boy is giving away PCs to make amends for closing down that TV station. They just moved to YouTube and the PCs are so that the good people of Venezuela can watch them smack flames out Chav'Boy's ass on YouTube.

[Matt O @ Jun 1st 2007 10:32PM]

Just the fact that americans can go on the web to blogs such as this and post these hated feelings about our government without getting punished in any way shows that the American Government is better than Chavez...stop being so naive, your lucky you live in America and if you think otherwise then leave the country nobody is holding a gun to your head

[Miguel @ Jun 1st 2007 10:32PM]

Mr. Hugo is clearly a whack-job. It's ironic, however, that there are LOTS of people in Venezuela who truely believe that he's a huge improvement over the small group of elites that raped the Venezuelain people for so long and hard.

There's a pretty good discussion of this on the Marginal Revolution blog: http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2007/05/what_danny_glov.html

[Clayj @ Jun 1st 2007 10:48PM]

BTW, I'd pay good money if someone would REALLY laser-etch Chavez' face.

No, not on anything. Just laser-etch his face.

[Killer @ Jun 1st 2007 10:49PM]

@mr figgles

There are even words to describe the idioticy of your statements. You make me laugh so much, because you're actually someone that beleives that crap? Honestly? There's no point in argueing with you, because your mind is completely loopy as it is. Let me guess, Bush is satan too? Where did the respect for presidents go? I honestly, never make up crap about any president no matter what political party, becuase I at least have common respect for people, that were voted in by the majority of the population. Just because my canidate loses doesn't make me hate the president who won. I might not agree with some of the things, but I don't start stating he's the devil or a dictator. (Which is one the reasons your statement is funny.) You obviviously never learned about limitation of the parts of goverment of the United States. If Bush was TRUELY defying the limitations congress would be on him. (not for political gains like every congress always does. Clinton impeachment *cough*) To say that Chavez was elected ok. To say he was elected fairly. Mhhhm. To say that he is a great man, is retarded. Stealing from companies by taking away every oil platform and not paying for it is a dictator move. Plus one final point. If you really like Chavez so much, and hate Bush, why not move to Venezuala. Since you obviviously don't trust the U.S. Goverment to have safe checks and balances. So move already. Oh wait, you wouldn't have the bill of rights there would you? (No freedom of speech), That explains it.

I would gladly point out too, that people were dying in Iraq before we ever went into the country. People die, it's the facts of life. To blame it on someone that isn't even doing it. (Bush) Instead of the Bombers and Insurgents is pretty pathetic if you ask me. You're one of those people that look for anything to blame on Bush/republicans. What's next? Bush blew up the World Trade Towers...oh wait, my bad that is one of the crazy idiotic ideas. Well that pretty much covers the craziness.

[bor_bor @ Jun 1st 2007 11:35PM]

Respect isn't a given, it is earned.

[Ray Valdez @ Jun 1st 2007 10:53PM]

As a sociology student, I just want to say that I think that a lot of the comments of people stating how "evil" Mr. Chavez really reeks of ignorance. Before anyone should be criticizing another country's ideologies and political leader, they should turn off their corporation controlled news media, take a course on American society, and consider the fact that America is still the world's most stratified country in the world. Race, class and gender mean everything here in the US - it's just very good at making it seem as though everyone is middle-class and that we've got civil rights down. I highly suggest you look up statistics regarding the average median income of blacks vs whites in America if you have doubts.

Anyways, that's not to say that I feel the US is evil, but I find it VERY hard to give it a gold-star. And Chavez, well, he seems to enjoy his publicity and all, but I have my doubts. As for his road map for improving Venezuela, I'll simply believe it when I see it and nothing more.

Regarding the blog post, I think one could argue that Chavez simply would like to bypass retailers (effectively cutting out US-based middle men) in order to secure their own independent deal with OEMs. Seems logical enough.

[Syndication @ Jun 1st 2007 11:08PM]

And I suggest you read a History book.

Do you really thing Chavez is out to improve people's lives by shutting out free speech? Take your blinders off your hate for the US Government and come to the realization that people actually have rights here.

Can women vote in the middle east? - Ummm Nope
Do you have free speech in Venezuela? - Doesn't look like that anymore

But then again, you're a sociology student. Plenty of leftist brainwashing in Colleges promoting that the US = more evil than any other country in the whole world? How do I know? I go to college and several of the classes I took were slanted against the US Government, blamed white people for everything wrong in the modern world, hated the concept of capitalism. I mean these were all politics and writing classes, so it doesn't surprise me that you've failed to see how brutal Chavez and other socialist dictators are.

Sure the United States has engaged in some bad policies, but to compare our president to the likes of someone like Chavez who is actively shutting down opposition against him is insane.

[Syndication @ Jun 1st 2007 10:58PM]

Boy you lefties are out in full swing supporting this chavez guy. I take it that most of the people who actually support this militant dictator have never been outside of America.

Anyone who says Bush is as bad or as worse as Chavez doesn't have any common sense and should move to Venezuela to see what it's really like. If you want to spread more leftist lies, please go to digg and join the 9-11 Truthers.

[J. Vicuña @ Jun 1st 2007 11:05PM]

Mr. Chavez:
Please, do everyone a favor: Shut up, stop messing around with foreign politics (Like you did with Chile, Peru and Bolivia) while dismissing our own diplomatical systems, and stop wasting your money on bloody computers and give people 2 simple things: Food and shelter.

Bush is bad, and I'm a independent republican. But Chavez, like Ahmenajad, is far worse.

[mr friggles @ Jun 1st 2007 11:07PM]

Well, "killer" I believe that "crap" because it is public-known-fact. Reported in US and international publications. Google away. Maybe you see a different reality on faux news or drudge report or where ever you glimpse your fantasy world but all I posted is clear and real. As for the other points you bring up out of thin air, I assume it has something to do some sort of cognitive disassociation on your part. And as your "logic" on Iraq, I guess you also extend that to bin Laden, since he doesn't actually kill the people himself, just the "bombers and insurgents" do that, so you can't blame him, right?? Stick to the warcraft games and hotpockets, thinking isn't your strong point.

[Clayj @ Jun 1st 2007 11:14PM]

If George Bush really were like Hugo Chavez, Secret Service and FBI agents would be on the way to certain homes right now... Mr Friggles' and Jimmy's homes, for example... to arrest certain people.

[xfgdfgdfg @ Jun 2nd 2007 4:57AM]

Well... that's what the US secret services have been doing the last years. Kidnapping innocent people, I mean.

[Killer @ Jun 1st 2007 11:16PM]

@Jimmy

"How come not a single one in Gitmo has been charged with a crime?"

Speaking of education. Try to learn international law. It's called a prefectly fine loop hole, that isn't at all illegal to do. International law clearly states a countries combatant most be charged. Since, said people in Gitmo aren't military combantants with one main country (terroist are in another catagory that there are no international by laws for), they don't fall under the jurisdiction of Geneva. The supreme court really can't make president bush try any of them. The supereme court doesn't have the jurisdiction to do so. It's international law, not United states law. All that the supreme court can do is limit interrogation since the prisons are on US. ground. Most people in Gitmo are people not taken out of the U.S. They are enemy combantants that surrendered from over seas.

Try to get a college education. If you did, well that really helped you didn't it?

I find the funniest about this stating Bush is a dictator. Let's look at history. President Roosevelt. Eleted 4 times. Tried to get rid of all the supreme court judges and put in ones that would agree with him. Created goverment control on pricing. Told people what they could do and couldn't. Made companies manufactor goods that they didn't want too. Put Japanese Americans in camps without ever charging them (OOO, sounds familiar.) Wire tapping phone lines. (familiar) Yet, roosevelt is named one of the top 10 greatest presidents of all time. Why is that? So what he got us out of the depression (which he really didn't, that was WW2 that did that)? He over stepped his presidential powers millions of times, more times then president Bush. So if you're going to call president Bush a dictator, then you might as well call of the nations greatest president a dictator too. I see no difference, except you weren't alive when Roosevelt was president, but you are when president Bush is. In fact you might just have to say that 90% of this country's presidents are dictators because thats about how many have over-stepped their powers. Try learning about history it will help you.

So much for your expensive college education.

[Syndication @ Jun 1st 2007 11:18PM]

@Mr. Friggles

Go Back to Digg.

Everyday, there's another story dugg to the front page of how 9-11 is some conspiracy and how the government was involved. Then there's another story about how Bush is the stupidest guy ever and this government can't do anything right.

Well if the government can't get anything right, how the hell could they pull off 9-11? They did a pretty crappy job during Hurricaine Katrina. But yes, Spin away, save your conspiracies, notions and googled wikipedia facts for digg to support this scumbag from Venezuela.

[mr friggles @ Jun 1st 2007 11:18PM]

Wow.... "sure the US has engaged some bad policies" is like saying "sure Hitler didn't have the friendliest foreign policy". Its interesting how Bush-believers can sanitize fact from reality. Like the two together would create some dangerous explosive compound. Whatever you may think, or dream, or delude yourself into believing about Chavez's foreign policy...it-cannot-in-any-humanly-way-possible compare to Bush/Cheney's slash-and-burn foreign policy. I know the mental blocks flew up at that last comment, but try to see past the haze. Helping poor people get computers is ALOT better then leaving them with so few opportunities they join the military out of desperation.

[Ego @ Jun 1st 2007 11:19PM]

Between an idiot fascist like Bush and Chavez, I choose Chavez any time.
And any country has the right to gobern themselves as they want even if you don't like it.
that's call freedom.

[mr friggles @ Jun 1st 2007 11:25PM]

"Syndication", why are you reaching so desperately to attach the "conspiracy" label? There's no conspiracy in anything I posted so far, and in fact you can check it yourself just g o o g l e it. I guess when YOUR points have no basis in actual reality its hard to make one? Again, the desperation at these Bush-believers put into labeling and attacking people (never the ideas they brought up) should be a clear red-flag.

[Syndication @ Jun 1st 2007 11:25PM]

@ Mr. Friggles

People actually need freedom before they need technology. Exactly what every venezuelan needs, a computer with Hugo Chavez's Political Re-education software. If you fail, you have to enter a political re-education camp.

Please tell me when Mr. Bush shuts down the New York Times, then maybe you'll have a point, until then your post has no merit. The fact you have free speech in the United States is a testament that you still have more freedoms. If you didn't, you would be jailed for hate speech against the government. Enjoy your conspiracy though :-)

@Ego
If you like Chavez so much, please relocate to Venezuela, there's nothing stopping you from living here. It'll be all well and fine till you disagree with Chavez and get batoned to death or thrown in prison.

[Syndication @ Jun 1st 2007 11:29PM]

@ Mr Friggles.

Because you're rationalizing two variables which don't have any meaning. Chavez closed a tv station censoring free speech. The United States invaded Iraq. Somehow I don't see the point in what foreign policy has to do with internal policy.

Chavez may not have gone to war with anyone but he is declaring war on his own people who disagree with him. That speaks volumes about the direction he's taking his country.

[Killer @ Jun 1st 2007 11:30PM]

@ mr figgle

Google away? Wow, now I know why your ideas are crazy. The internet is the world's worst information finding device, becuase facts are easily made up/ manipulated. If you truely believe anything on the Internet without having more than 3 valid source articles to back it up. You need help.

Warcraft and Hot-pockets? Wow, where did you learn to do debate at? If that's all you can do as a conclusion to your arguement? That's sad. I'm sorry but that is possibly the worst conclusion to an arguement ever. Rule number one: You NEVER attack a person with silly remarks that don't relate to anything of the subject. It just shows that you really have no strong conclusion which makes everything you said before less important. It's a rookie mistake, but you're just going to have to live with it.

[Nothing now @ Jun 1st 2007 11:33PM]

Roosevelt got something done and got us out of the depression. Being elected 4 times wasn't illegal back then just odd.

Besides Bush just can't do any thing right .

[Jose Angel Acosta @ Jun 1st 2007 11:34PM]

MR Chavez, Just Started to filter IP of some Internet sites that critiquize him and that help the opposition tor re-organize.

they started a week ago just deleting the entries fron the DNS servers, now they started to filter IPs, that was the reason why him bougth the CANTV (the major telephonic and ISP-80% of the venezuelans access the internet thru CANTV-).

[Philip S @ Jun 1st 2007 11:40PM]

I work with a guy who fled Venezuela because of Chavez. The best thing Hugo could do for his country is to somehow wind up dead.

[J. Vicuña @ Jun 1st 2007 11:42PM]

José Angel:
Welcome to the American China.
You SERIOUSLY need to get something done up there. What is he going to do next? Block YouTube because RCTV is posting their newscast three times a day?

[mr friggles @ Jun 1st 2007 11:45PM]

"Killer" I guess you skipped over the part where I said everything states was reported in US AND INTERNATIONAL publications? It isn't my fault you want to debate undisputed facts. If you do not know info which almost any knowledgeable American that regularly watches the evening news already knows.... maybe thats a sign you should try researching some more..you know, before you try to debate it? No?
And syndication, Chavez closes down a radio station that called for armed insurrection?...and if I recall the country was briefly overthrown in an armed insurrection where the parliament, courts, and departments where shut down. I might be a *little* understanding in that circumstance. But Bush's permanent detentions, torture, illegal wire tapes, his "presidential signing orders" which he uses to circumvent laws signed by Congress, etc, etc, now THAT doesn't strike me as a leader or country I want to be using a standard or model of a free society. And you don't give two sh*ts about Chavez "declaring war on his own people", look at how you casually disregarded Iraq.

[Leo @ Jun 1st 2007 11:49PM]

its really sad to see ppl actually believing in chavez, as there are plenty of in venezuela.

grow up!

hes a dictator in disguise, he bought the country's biggest telecommunications company, has censored most tv channels, corrupted venezuela's powers in such a degree that a brigth future is centuries away...

come on, ill tell you this: almost every college student in venezuela right now is on the streets on a national strike fighting for freedom of speech, is there a need for that in a completely democratic country?
if you thing im lying, use your own advise, google it!

if any of you like chavez so much, move to venezuela!
tell me how did it go after you were robbed, found no job, and couldnt really express yourself as you'd have liked...

[Ego @ Jun 1st 2007 11:55PM]

Syndication, your answer is so pueril: "if you like it so much go and live there..."

Don't tell me, you still believe we are giving freedom to Irak !

wake up...

We need to learn to respect people and countries even if we don't like them and as an example I can say I don't like you but even so I still respect you, Chavez and Venezuela don't deserve less...

[brutha @ Jun 1st 2007 11:55PM]

f*k Chavez....

[Syndication @ Jun 1st 2007 11:59PM]

@ Mr Friggles

You're a left wing nut, and this proves it.
First, it was a TV STATION
After he closed it, he replaced it with a STATE RUN TV STATION?
Smelling the fascism yet? Anything strike you odd about this situation. Isn't that what dictators do?
Nationalizing Oil Fields for his own gain? Dude, you're trying to rationalize all the problems in Venezuela by saying this isn't that bad....... for Venezuela, yet you say this guy is a GREAT ROLE MODEL for the rest of the world.

Bush's permanent detentions? Scuse me?
The people at GITMO are illegal combatants, they aren't affliated with any country so the GENEVA Conventions do not apply to these renegade terrorists. These people weren't found in the US, they were found on the battlefield. They just didn't magically appear there. Torture? You don't know what the definition of torture is, waterboarding hardly qualifies as torture, Going down the backside of somebody with a blowtorch burning their skin IS TORTURE. Quit being a pansy. I'd say waterboarding > Cutting someone's head off any day. Christ, you'd probably considering yelling at someone torture.

Are you calling someone in Afghanistan or Iran or recieving calls from someone from those countries? If not, the wiretapping has nothing to do with you. CONSPIRACY! the government has taps into the phone lines? You just figure that out? It's been like that for 50 years!

The only reason people care to respond is because you lefties put Chavez on a prized mantel saying he's the better alternative to Bush. What a crock of #$$#.

[mr friggles @ Jun 2nd 2007 12:07AM]

Syndication, your points are such blatant republican talk-points I'm almost convinced you're one of the many republican staffers who lost their job in '06. "water-boarding hardly qualifies as torture"?? wow. I would like to see you survive a couple runs and say that.

[Syndication @ Jun 2nd 2007 12:07AM]

@ Ego,

"We need to learn to respect people and countries even if we don't like them and as an example I can say I don't like you but even so I still respect you, Chavez and Venezuela don't deserve less..."

Yeah, I'm sure your apologist logic would've worked GREAT IN World War 2. I can see it now...

"We need to learn to respect people in Germany and other countries even if we don't like that"

When will you learn that some people won't ever like you even if you don't do anything to them? Diplomacy works the same way. No matter how much the good old USA reaches out to the rest of the world, doesn't mean every country will like us.

You think a terrorist who's waging a war for Islamic Jihad against the white devil is going to listen to you and respect your presence? Hell no, they'll cut off your head until you conform to Sharia Law.

I think you need to wake up, and go outside the USA to actually see all the rights you take for granted here.