The recent visit to Venezuela from three former Presidents, Colombian Andres Pastrana, Mexican Felipe Calderon, and Chilean Sebastian Piñeda brought a new glimpse of hope to Venezuela. During the past 14 years of the Chavez regime, Latin American countries were reluctant to criticize the abuses imposed by the late Hugo Chavez to the Venezuelan opposition, the private sector, and the media.
The decline of the Venezuelan economy, lack of food and other essential products, physical abuses, tortures and human right violations have turned the tide for the Maduro regime. Nicolas Maduro took office in 2014, less than a year ago after the passing of Hugo Chavez.
During the early years of the Chavez regime many Latin American countries, including Brazil, were initially turned off by the Chavez socialist rhetoric, but when Venezuelan oil bonanza kicked in, only a few countries stood against Chavez. The majority of Venezuela’s neighboring countries embarked on position of complacent silence. In the 15th year of Chavismo power, and after $250 billion of oil bonanza income, Venezuela has nothing to show. Those billions were pilfered or stolen - leaving the Country with a huge debt, poverty, hunger, and destruction behind.
Very different than what happened in Dubai, with their high oil revenues. They built large ports, a financial center, and a robust Tourist industry. Furthermore, Dubai, thinking about the future, plans to reduce their 55% oil revenue dependency to 33% by diversifying its economy.
Even during the United States’ Gold Rush that lasted a similar period of time, the Government helped towns grow by encouraging settlement and expanding the Country’s infrastructure, the Railroad.
It is our hope that more Latin American leaders make a bold move like Pastrana, Piñeda, and Calderon, and categorically denounce the abuses and human right violations taking pace in Venezuela.
Populism -
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