Hugo Chavez has finally gotten what he has always wanted: the chance to become a new Fidel Castro brutally oppressing his people.

Chavez has never respected democratic institutions. In the 1990s, then General Chavez attempted to overthrew a democratic government in order to install himself. The coup failed and Chavez went on to attain power through the ballot box. Since then he has stacked the courts with cronies, nationalized whole industries, forced government workers to become party members, shut down an opposition television station, and thoroughly intimidated opponents. The opposition never had a chance as propaganda was beamed even from metro cars and in the final days till election opposition students were denied permission to protest in Caracas.

Now Chavez, after a previous failure, has finally gotten the Venezuelan people to agree to end presidential term limits. Upon declaring victory for his ability to now more vigorously enforce socialism, Chavez stated that he intends to stay in power for at least decade longer.

Venezuela holds national elections in 2013. That would be an opportunity to remove Chavez from power. But that remains unlikely. Albeit the declining economic climate could very well turn the tide against this vile tyrant. And opinion polls do show that most are against a third term, but the again the Venezuelan people voted against abolishing term limits in 2007 only now to change positions.

Chavez is promising the people of Venezuela a new order. But we have heard this call before, from Castro, Stalin, Mao, ect... Every time some tyrant raises and promises his people a new utopia people end up suffering.

Venezuela’s would be wise to heed the words of the German philosopher Holderlin: “What has always made the state a hell on Earth has been precisely that man has tried to make it his heaven.”

Whatever it is that the Venezuelan people thought they were voting for on Sunday, they will come to pay a great price for it as their marches on the “road to serfdom.”