This is long overdue.

CITGO is majority owned by the ruling Government of Venezuela as a nationalized oil company. Oil profits from CITGO fuel Venezuelan Dictator Hugo Chavez, his personal wealth, and his ability to manipulate the poorest of Venezuelans in his one-time election as leader of Venezuela. (Once was all he needed, he publicly seeks to rule for life.)

Whether in personal corruption, totalitarian techniques, spreading of socialist agitation among his neighbors, Chavez in all ways models himself after his hero, Cuba’s Fidel Castro.

That he spews hateful and antagonistic bile against President Bush merely makes him more attractive to would be friends among America’s political leftists.

It’s hard to discern a coherent US foreign policy toward Latin America as a whole, let alone towards Venezuela specifically, so opponents of this Administration certainly find ample justification to excuse, condone, and even applaud the would be Generalissimo.

For some, Chavez’s appeal goes beyond the appeal of his rhetoric. Chavez has been interfering in US domestic politics for quite some time, with offers of heating oil to low income Americans. As readily as some New York politicians aided and abetted his public relations efforts, one has to wonder if perhaps Chavez augmented his philanthropy with political campaign contributions.

All at a time when your average Venezuelan didn’t own his own home or even have electricity, he’s giving welfare to “poor Americans” who are ten times wealthier than any average peasant in Venezuela.

No doubt all manner of politicians will manage to hold their noses and accept largesse from this sworn enemy of the current administration, and friend to tyrants and terrorists.

But a strong “well done!” for 7-Eleven, for deciding that they don’t need to do business – or profit the corruption of a two bit Castro wannabe.