Fernando Damaso, 20 January 2016 — After fifteen years of combined misrule by him and his predecessor, it now appears the Venezuelan president — having recently lost a legislative majority in the National Assembly — has come up with a plan to solve all of Venezuelans economic problems in 2016. The plan is to be presented by his party’s deputies, now in the minority, who refer to themselves as “the patriots.”
It is worth asking why this wonderful plan was not presented and executed when Hugo Chavez and his party enjoyed almost absolute power, a time when there was only minor opposition in the National Assembly. Are they now trying to do what they could not do fifteen years ago? Some fools actually believe this!
Chavism along with Castro-ism are mutant economic failures which do not follow any laws of economics, relying instead on volunteerism and improvisation, practices which carry no assurances of success.
Since the Venezuelan president’s current plan relies on these methods, the results can be expected to be minimal, especially given all the commotion and propaganda accusing the opposition beforehand of not being able to implement it.
They will make good use of the profusion of enormous portraits of Bolivar and Chavez, with which they have dementedly used to adorn all of Venezuela, a demonstration of ignorance and fanaticism alien to the noble history of the Venezuelan people.
There were those who demanded respect for election results — whatever they might be — when they were convinced the opposition would lose in a landslide. Now they are trying to undermine the recent outcome through subterfuge, slander, lies and other petty, unethical arguments while taking advantage of the hold they still have over the Supreme Court, which remains blatantly partisan.
It will fool some of the people — the usual bunch — but not most Venezuelans.
