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Venezuela's Chavez takes it against McDonald's

19 years ago By Alek Boyd

London 06.02.05 | Hugo Chavez has taken his personal quarrel with the USA to the terrain of small private enterprise. Any person familiar with the system of franchises know that McDonald's, at least in Venezuela, operates under such mechanism. As such, when the SENIAT (Venezuela's tax office) closes 80 restaurants affiliated to McDonald's Chavez is effectively harming 80 Venezuelan companies much more than the US junk food giant. It seems to me that the man is screaming out loud for confrontation these days and it also appears, in light of the recent comments of U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roger Noriega, that he may get his wishes fulfilled.