Being rich is bad, says Venezuela's Chavez

April 15 2005 at 11:47AM

Caracas, Venezuela - Buy and sell, wheel and deal, but don't get rich.

That's the advice to businessmen from Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, a self-proclaimed revolutionary who wants to develop a new form of socialism to fight poverty in the world's fifth biggest oil exporter.

"Being rich is bad, it's bad. People who are rich, who have a lot of money should donate all of that," Chavez told a conference for small business owners.

Chavez, an ally and admirer of Cuba's Fidel Castro, often presents his left-leaning policies as an alternative to "savage capitalism". Since his 1998 election, he has increased public spending on a raft of social programmes for the poor.

But critics accuse Chavez, the son of rural school teachers who rose to political fame by leading a botched military coup, of trying to copy Cuba's communist system in Venezuela.

They say he has increased state intervention in the economy and squeezed private business with currency and price curbs.

"I don't want money. Really, when I leave here, there'll be a shack or a hammock waiting for me somewhere," said Chavez in a sharp business suit. "I don't want anything for myself."
Yes this giy has a real good head on his shoulders. Like most leftisit his intentions maybe good but I bet in the end he will cause disaster for his country just like Castro did to Cuba.