CARACAS (AFP) - President Hugo Chavez inaugurated a chain of hypermarkets his government expropriated from a French-Colombian group earlier this year, that he said were already turning a significantly higher profit. He said the new 40-strong chain of stores called Bicentennial Supplies would be added to the long list of state-run food distribution centers throughout Venezuela. The Franco-Colombian Exito and Cada chains of hypermarket, of which Frances Casino group was majority owner, were accused of price-gouging and expropriated by Caracas on January 20. They since reopened under government management. Chavez said his administrations lower prices at the hypermarkets have increased customers by 30 percent and profits by 39 percent. Socialism is necessarily better than capitalism across the board and, thats what were proving, Chavez told hypermarket chain managers.