Angry Robot

Venezuela

This Irish Times article contends that 80% of Venezuelans are poor. Surely “wide popularity” would require at least 50% of a given group? That would mean at least 40% popularity, wouldn’t it? That same article mentions that “the newspapers have reported his popularity
ratings are running about 30 per cent. The privately owned media are
virulently and almost unanimously hostile to Chávez.” The AP article skips
that part. It does mention that Chavez “had irritated Washington with his
close ties to Mr. Castro, visits to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and to
Libya.” Iraq and Libya are OPEC member states, as is Venezuela. Heaven
forbid they meet.

But you do get a sense that Chavez ticked off business leaders, the church, the military and the US, which tends to put a cramp in one’s governing style. However, it’s the oil, of course, that really sealed the deal: according to the AP article’s little timeline, in February of this year, Chavez installed a new board of directors in the state owned oil company, and executives were outraged, claiming the move was intended to strengthen his control over the company.

Imagine that. The head of state wants to control the state-owned oil company. The nerve.

So say what you want about this coup. Just don’t call it a goddamned victory for democracy.

11 comments on "Venezuela"

  1. D says:

    Hey, Chavez has been restored! Disregard the bitterness above.

  2. Anonymous says:

    I wonder why you are defending Chavez so strongly when it is Chavez and his close supporters that shot at peaceful protesterd during their marcha (the day he was removed) killing innocent civilians. This is the same “democratic” leader who shut down all media in the country after the failed ouster. Many members of the media in Venezuela are now in hiding or in jail. This is also the same man who has shut down congress and arms of the government when they oppose him or try to stop his initiatives. It was also Chavez’s supporters who went on a looting, rioting and killing spree when he was removed from power by the military who removed him from power because they disagreed with his decision to have innocent protesters shot and for some reason just didn’t feel right about going along with his plan to kill shockingly high numbers of Venezuelans who oppose him. Chavez is destroying Venezuela and I find it pretty hard to be bitter about his ouster, I feel far more disturbed by the fact that he is back in power.

  3. D says:

    a) “it is Chavez and his close supporters that shot at peaceful protesterd during their march” – this is unsubstantiated speculation. Many believe those killed were in fact Chavez supporters, and the shooters Bandera Roja (anti-Chavez group). Whatever, we don’t know.

    b) Here’s why Chavez hated the media: they ran free ads every ten minutes encouraging people to join the demonstration. This demonstration was a key part of the coup. Later, they reported falsely that he had resigned (he had not), and also that he had left the country. They refused to report on anti-coup demonstrations at all.

    Here’s why they hated him: he made them pay taxes, which they had never done before.

    c) when did Chavez shut down congress? (honestly, if this happened I’d love to know about it). But I can tell you when the coup leaders shut down congress: one day later. They also suspended the constitution and disbanded the Supreme Court.

    My point above is that Chavez was elected, and to claim that a coup against an elected leader is “democracy in action” is, hmm, not a great thing to do. I’m sure he’s not perfect. That’s a good reason to run for office against him, or to vote against him – not to force him out at gunpoint.

  4. blogger says:

    Chavez is no more than a tin-pot dictator similar to the breed that invaded Latin America since the 60’s whose one ideal is power and money-for which he will betray anyone or anything. He has no ideology nor has he performed any positive act to improve the lot of his people

  5. D says:

    Gosh golly! I’ve been meaning to respond to your unsubstantiated namecalling, ‘blogger’, only where does the time go?

    Election, meet dictator. Dictator, election.

  6. C. says:

    Since you like Chavez so much, come and live in Venezuela for a while… Better yet – Take Chavez to your country to govern you, it’s my gift to you

  7. Truth says:

    Hopefully the sarcasm from the above posts will not drip onto mine; but needless to say, Cahvez is not a person who is qualified to govern. He does not know how to reach conensus, or compromise. What he does is class warfare, he promises the poor what the rich have, and then blames others when he fails to deliver.

    He has merely repeated the process through the years, and the situation is becoming explosive.

    That is no way to govern, and it will end in bloodshed.

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