CARACAS — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has said he seized the landmark Hilton hotel on Margarita Island because its owners dared to impose conditions on its use by his government to host a summit there last month.
"To hold the conference we had to ask for permission... and the owners tried to impose conditions on the revolutionary government. No way," said Chavez."So I said, 'Let's expropriate it.' And now it's been expropriated."
The Venezuelan government was already a majority shareholder in the Hilton on the Caribbean resort island when Chavez took it over on Tuesday."The acquisition by force of the real estate, furnishings, and related assets... of the Margarita Hilton & Suites Hotel Complex, along with the Marina owned by Inversiones Pueblamar y Desarrollos MBK, have been ordered," read a presidential decree in the official register.
The sprawling complex, including 280 rooms, 210 suites, a casino, stores, restaurants, offices and meeting areas, as well as the adjoining marina, will be held by the state tourism corporation Venetur, which reports to the Tourism Ministry.
Our country has a system of checks and balances for a reason.
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