Sorry, Hugo, but Latin America's populist decade might end soon

Harry Stotle wrote:

Gee, why is it that Oppenheimer gives some political leaders a free pass and chooses for criticism only those whose polititics don't support corporate and financial interests? Imagine the nerve of that Chavez, wantingj to use his country's oil for lthe beneift of his country's people and not to enruch foreign,, big oil stockholders. What a nerve.

Boat Guy wrote:

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Sounds like you support Chavez, How sad. Maybe you should move there.

Chris wrote:

I guess the question is, are the people there better off now than they were under dictators that the US supported? Doesn't sound like most of these guys are much better but seems like the issue in the article boils down to politics and access for American corporations.

Cue wrote:

Chavez is considered a fool by most people in Colombia and probably won’t get re-elected in Venezuela even with all his political shenanigans. They certainly did not help him when his referendum for power failed last year. Chavez offers his countries oil from the “Orinoco tar field” to countries that support his policies at a cheap rate. He buys support at the expense of declining natural resources while the supermarkets are empty of food and the Venezuelan poor continue to struggle.
Morales of Bolivia, has a 4th grade education and Correa of Ecuador has been made to look like a fool on the international stage by Uribe in his denial of supporting FARC. Chavez has been linked as well but to his credit has kept a reasonably low profile since the connection was proven. They are like the “Three Stooges” trying to dance the meringue on a global stage.
My apologies -- I think Bush already did that in Ethiopia, the White House lawn and his daughters wedding. Idiocy does come in threes.

dvd_abad wrote:

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I don't see the millions of colombians who live in Venezuela going back to Colombia and i bet that you can count with the fingers of your hand how many venezuelans live in Colombia or other country in South America.

Cue wrote:

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Bogota,Colombia is the most expensive city in South America to reside in which might have something to do with it. I will agree some Colombians have left the war torn rural areas for safer haven. Maybe if Chavez would stop meddeling in the affairs of Colombia by supporting FARC there would be more peace in the region.
Millions???-- I sincerely doubt it -- post a link to support your contention.

dvd_abad wrote:

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This is from a Colombian Journal.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has made social investment the pillar of his government. These policies have not only benefited poor Venezuelans, but also many of the (THREE MILLION COLOMBIAN) immigrants who have fled across the border.“Single, unemployed mothers have a place to go for help here. In Colombia we had nothing like that,” said one female immigrant from Colombia’s northern coast. According to Venezuelan political analyst Alfredo Anzola,“These immigrants are benefiting from the medical, nutrition and other programs offered by Chávez.” It is this type of social investment that led 42-year-old Freddy Berrio, an immigrant from the northern Colombian province of Sucre, to declare:“Colombia needs a leader like Chávez to end the social and political exclusion there.”
As a result of the Chávez government’s social investment, the percentage of Venezuelans living in poverty has declined from 50 percent at the end of 1998 to 43 percent in 2005. Furthermore, the standard of living for those remaining in poverty has improved dramatically due to government-funded social programs including subsidized food stores, healthcare, low-income housing projects and micro-credit. As the Washington-based Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) notes,“The reduction in poverty since 1999 measures only cash income. This, however, does not really capture the changes in the living standards of the poor in Venezuela, since there have been major changes in non-cash benefits and services in the last few years.”
The Venezuelan example not only illustrates how effective social policies can alleviate poverty, but also how such policies can empower the poor. As one previously unemployed Venezuelan woman from a poor barrio who is now working in an all female, worker-owned textiles cooperative established with a government loan told me last year,“We are no longer staying in the house; we are business women now.” In sharp contrast, residents in towns in southern Colombia that have been “liberated” by the Colombian army under Plan Patriota have repeatedly complained that, while the state now maintains a permanent military presence in their towns, there has been no social investment. Consequently, it is not surprising that the government is struggling to win the hearts and minds of Colombians living in rural conflict regions long neglected by the state.
The emphasis on militarism and neoliberalism by both the Bush and Uribe administrations has failed to improve conditions for the majority of Colombians living in poverty. While the Colombian government’s oil revenues pale in comparison to Venezuela’s—partly due to lower royalty rates implemented under neoliberal restructuring—it has received more than $10 billion in U.S. and IMF aid over the past six years. Washington, however, has ensured that this aid be used to fund the militaristic implementation of neoliberalism in Colombia.
In contrast, Venezuela has used its resources to fund social and economic policies that seek to empower the country’s poor and contribute to a greater democratization of society. The Venezuelan example is not a lesson that Bush and Uribe are willing to learn. After all, neoliberalism has never been about the empowerment of the marginalized and enhanced democracy; its principal objective is to achieve economic growth for the benefit of a few.
http://www.colombiajournal.org/colombia239.ht...

Cue wrote:

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Ok :) You win that one however I suspect I could win on the the other statement you made:
"I bet that you can count with the fingers of your hand how many venezuelans live in Colombia or other country in South America."
What do you think -- possibly a little low?

Cue wrote:

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The Annual inflation in Venezuela has risen to 16%, the highest in the Americas, as President Chavez tripled government spending from 2003 to 2007. The Venezuelan government announced on March 7, 2007 that the Venezuelan bolívar will be redenominated at a ratio of 1 to 1000 on January 1, 2008.
Venezuela also imports two thirds of all the food they consume as store shelves are empty for much of the population of the most basic of items.
Oil rich but food poor.

dvd_abad wrote:

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Maybe you do, but thats not the point. The point is that the international media lies and manipulate the truth about Venezuela, here's an example:
In December 2007, Venezuela held a national vote on a proposed constitutional reform that would have made a large number of changes to the Venezuelan political structure. Among the proposed changes was the elimination of presidential term limits, a change that would have allowed Hugo Chávez to run for reelection in 2012 when his current term ends. While there are many countries in the world that do not have term limits for national leaders, including the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Germany, and others, the constitutional reform in Venezuela was widely reported in international media as a change that would "make Chavez president for life." Media outlets called the reform a "power grab" on the part of Chávez, and presented the image of a country "heading toward dictatorship," when, in reality, Chávez would only be able to continue as the president of Venezuela if he were reelected by the people in national elections.

Pooh Bah wrote:

HOw much did the Rand Corporation pay for this fluff piece?

Cue wrote:

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Well how about this point.
It is difficult for me and the rest of the world to believe Chavez is the saint you proclaim when today Venezuela's top court ruled that dozens of politicians, among them leading opponents of President Hugo Chavez, will not be allowed to run in regional elections this year. The plan to ban close to 300 candidates accused of corruption because of trumped up lawsuits brought by Chavez supporters is unconstitutional. The law in Venezuela says they have to be “convicted” of a crime to be banned from political office not the sham that is being used by Chavez and the court system which he controls.
Just so you know there are TWO Venezuelan families that had to FLEE Caracas when Chavez took control of their business that are now living in our apartment complex in Bogota. They lost their business when Chavez took governmental control in the name of his socialist regime.
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUS...