The little dictator of Venezuela has made it pretty clear that he will win tomorrow's constitutional referendum by fraud -- and that he will punish anyone who attempts to call him on it.

A threat by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to stop oil exports to the United States has raised the stakes over a Sunday referendum he has called in a bid to expand his powers.

Chavez told tens of thousands of supporters late Friday he was putting Venezuela's oil field and refineries under military "protection" and would halt the exports "if this (referendum) is used as a pretext to start violence in Venezuela."

He accused the US Central Intelligence Agency of preparing to spread unrest during the plebiscite in an effort to topple him, and said if its operation was activated "there won't be a drop of oil from Venezuela to the United States."

Given that he polls show the people of Venezuela sharply split on the referendum and that many of his earliest and closest associates oppose the measures, a victory is bound to be questioned by both internal opponents and foreign sources. After all, he has refused to allow international monitors for the election -- not even the dictator-loving, anti-American Jimmy Carter will be permitted to ensure that the elections are free and fair. That about says it all.

And if the international press attempts to reveal the shenanigans, they will be deported and permanently barred from the country.

He renewed his harsh criticisms of Juan Carlos and Uribe, with whom he has had recent high-profile disputes, and threatened to take independent Venezuela television network Globovision off the air if it broadcast partial results during the voting. He also threatened to take action against international networks, accusing CNN in particular of overstating the strength of the opposition's numbers.

"If any international channel comes here to take part in an operation from the imperialist against Venezuela, your reporters will be thrown out of the country, they will not be able to work here," Chavez said. "People at CNN, listen carefully: This is just a warning."

In other words, don't question my vote fraud.

Chavez keeps rambling on about CIA assassination plots. Our laws forbid such things. Too bad -- it might be the only thing that the Left and the Right in this country might be able to agree on (Hollywood excepted).

Instead, we are likely to see a free people enslaved, just like the Cubans, and will stand by and do nothing, to our eternal shame.