Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is blaming video games not for violence, but for his own possible political overthrow. The presidente's politburo contend that the upcoming Mercenaries 2: World In Flames from Los Angeles-based Pandemic Studios is part of a US Government plot to dethrone Chavez. The next-gen game simulates an invasion of the South American country to dispose of an imaginary Venezuelan "tyrant."

"I think the US government knows how to prepare campaigns of psychological terror so they can make things happen later," said Venezuelan congressman Ismael Garcia. The US and Venezuela's relationship has been rocky since Chavez came to power in 1998. Chavez increased state control over Venezuela's oil industry, which is the world's fourth largest. The plot for Mercenaries 2 follows soldiers out to overthrow "a power-hungry tyrant [who] messes with Venezuela's oil supply, sparking an invasion that turns the country into a war zone".

An insider at Pandemic just shot us an email, shedding some light on the situation, writing:

Personally I'm rather amused that they would think that we would be some sort of psychological tool for the current administration (which I personally abhor). We're just trying to make a cool game.

Mercenaries 2: World In Flames is set to take over living rooms not dictators in 2007. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [BBC]
Good Press [Pandemic]