Former Christian Science Monitor editor John Hughes makes a detailed case for the "Cubanization" of Venezuela under leftist President Hugo Chavez.

"A new era of “Cubanization” in Venezuela should warn of a crackdown against Mr. Chávez’s domestic opponents and a stepped-up drive for socialist revolution across Latin America.

"Chávez has been importing “advisers” from Cuba. There are now some 30,000 of them, many of them intelligence, security, and political affairs officers, as well as medical personnel.

"Chávez’s recent installation of Cuban Vice President Ramiro Valdes in a key advisory role in Venezuela is seen by Chávez opponents as a sinister move toward greater “Cubanization” and Castro-style communism. Mr. Valdes is also Cuba’s communications minister and ranks third in the Cuban hierarchy. His job in Venezuela is supposedly to handle an electricity crisis – though his qualifications are suspect."

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