Wut? Dude, please cite a source for any of the nonsense you're posting in this thread. So far you've had no problem identifying sources that you don't consider credible. From where are you gathering, what appears to be, a wealth of detailed information about the inner workings of Venezuela's economy, social programs, and politics?
United Nation’s index of human development is respected in the world wide community. Laugh and deny it all you want, but unless you provide reasonable support for your claim that they are flawed, you're not showing anybody anything.
According to the Telegraph, during Chavez' time in office, 120,000 people got murdered, a rate four times as high as in post-war Iraq. This would fall in line with an anecdotal experience I had while there - my local guide arrived half an hour late at the Hilton (in which Brazilian president Lula was staying at the same time as me - Chavez later stole that hotel from Hilton). I asked him why he was late. He shrugged and said the road to the hotel was blocked because someone had gotten shot on it just that morning. I also know of people having gotten kidnapped (secuestro express) in official airport taxis, etc. Actually, the murder rate is up to 2,000 people killed in the first two months of 2013. During Chavez' tenure, the murder rate doubled or tripled, depending on the source. Inflation is at 31 %. They are selling more than 4 times as much oil as when Chavez took office, at much, much higher prices - which should have made it easy to buy those votes of the poor. But it doesn't seem like Chavez' government actually built a sustainable economy in which people could feel safe. It seems like only the oil exports made it possible for Chavez to make his clan rich and buy the votes of the poor masses, which of course helped him stay in power. Handouts - which were only possible because of oil - made him popular. It is already predictable that by having people fish instead of having taught them how to fish, the country will be in trouble.
The United Nations has been a joke since 1953, to take any report the United Nations puts out as gospel is laughable(it really is). Secondly, the United Nation's Index of Human Development is flawed and here is one of the many, many reasons why... http://io9.com/5859705/why-the-uns-development-index-is-destroying-the-future The HDI eerily reminds not just me, but a lotttttt of well known scientist as the College BCS system of the world. It models overall growth and what not. But, doesn't take into consideration the actual base for growth... and it's not money.
I was not a Chavez fan at all, and I am most definitely not an Ahmadinejad fan, but this is beyond ridiculous...just shows how backwards these guys are. Can't blame Ahmadinejad here, other than perhaps for angling for effect, but... http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlin...-by-clerics-for-hugging-chavezs-grieving-mom/ Iranian clerics have slammed conservative President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for “clowning around” when he gave a consoling hug to Hugo Chavez’s grieving mother, a violation of the country’s strict Islamic rules about touching women. Iranian media ran photos of Ahmadinejad embracing the woman and crying at Chavez’s funeral, raising the ire of the country’s powerful clerics who called the hug “forbidden,” according to translations by The Associated Press. Under the laws of Iran, a theocracy governed by religious clerics and Islamic law, touching an unrelated member of the opposite sex is strictly taboo. “Touching a non-mahram (a woman who is not a close relative) is forbidden under any circumstances, whether shaking hands or touching by the cheek,” said Mohammad Taqi Rahbar a cleric from the country’s religious center Qom, according to the AP. Touching a women, even “an older woman is not allowed … and contrary to the dignity of the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he said. Another cleric, Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, Iran’s former judiciary chief, called the president’s weepy hug “clowning around,” which failed to “protect the dignity of his nation and his position.” Ahmadinejad and Chavez were friends and allies thought generally considered pariahs by the United States and much of the international community. After the Venezuelan president’s death last week, Ahmadinejad sent a letter of condolence, calling Chavez a martyr and predicting his resurrection.
Good news for the vast majority of the Venezuelan people. Chavez's Party and VP Maduro with big lead over the opposition even per per Barclay's Bank and the Washington Post. From what I read perhaps the real challenge to the Bolivarian Revolution will be the military as you can be sure the US and the internal opposition will be seeking a coup leader. Maduro is not a military man and doesn't have quite the leve of support within the military that Chavez had. The Wapo article is an interesting study in sneaky propaganda for example referring to the incumbent democratically elected VP Maduro as the "government candidate".******* Poll shows Venezuela govt candidate with wide margin over opposition challenger By Associated Press, Published: March 18 CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan government candidate Nicolas Maduro enjoys a 14 percentage point advantage over his opposition challenger in the run-up to April 14 elections to replace the late President Hugo Chavez, a new poll finds. The survey by the Datanalisis firm found Maduro, who swore in March 8 as acting leader, with the support of 49.2 percent of respondents, compared to 34.8 percent for Gov. Henrique Capriles. Released by investment bank Barclays Capital, the poll surveyed 800 people from March 11 to 13 and has a margin of error of 3.4 points. http://www.washingtonpost.com/world...aa55d0-9019-11e2-9173-7f87cda73b49_print.html
http://news.yahoo.com/venezuelas-maduro-urges-obama-halt-plot-against-rival-162712026.html I don't doubt the US will make a move to launch a military coup and install their own guy, whoever that may be. But I also doubt Maduro's sincerity given this is in the middle of an election race. A decent move nonetheless to put a magnifying glass on any potential attempts for foreign agents to infiltrate the country.
