Lunatic Of The Week? Chavez Threatens To Kick Toyota Out Of Venezuela For Not Selling "Rustic" Vehicles

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has threatened to expel Toyota Motor Corp. unless it produces an all-terrain model of 4x4 vehicles used for public transport in poor and rural areas.

The fiery socialist, in a speech late on Wednesday, also said he would not hesitate to expel and expropriate plants from other Asian and U.S. automobile companies operating in Venezuela if they failed to share technology with locals.

"What's this that Toyota doesn't want to make the 'rustic' model here?" Chavez said, during a ceremony in Caracas to hand owners the keys to economically produced cars that Venezuela's government has imported from Argentina.