Chávez says that while Europe is reducing salaries and pensions, he is increasing them. Right. The sad thing is that there are many people who get impressed by that. I know a couple of them, one being an aunt who also believes in ghosts.
What Chávez does not say is that as dramatic as the situation in Spain or Greece is, a recession in Spain is like a boom in Venezuela when it comes to what the poor can really do, what kind of security they live in, not to mention what education or health services they have access to. And yes, Spain's situation sucks. Still: don't count on Spaniards pouring in Venezuela as they were doing until the late seventies.
Chávez also said in view of the pressure on the Venezuelan currency that "there is an economic conspiracy executed by the counter-revolution (i.e. us) and openly supported by the Empire". He further added: "the objective of the opposition's strategy is to try to win the parliamentary elections of 26th September and control the National Assembly to destroy everything we have achieved for the people". There is no way Chávez will want to give up power democratically. And yet we must always behave democratically. It will just be a thousand times harder.
The opposition needs to explain:
- while inflation in Spain and Greece is minimal, inflation in Venezuela is officially around 30% and in reality much higher and salary increases for non-military Venezuelans are actually worse than salary decreases in Spain right now
- the collapse of the Venezuelan currency is basically due to the government's inability to manage the economy
- the real oligarchy right now is to a big extent made up of the red-shirted Boliburguesía, the Diosdado Cabellos, the Freddy Bernals, the Chávez clan itself.
What Chávez does not say is that as dramatic as the situation in Spain or Greece is, a recession in Spain is like a boom in Venezuela when it comes to what the poor can really do, what kind of security they live in, not to mention what education or health services they have access to. And yes, Spain's situation sucks. Still: don't count on Spaniards pouring in Venezuela as they were doing until the late seventies.
Chávez also said in view of the pressure on the Venezuelan currency that "there is an economic conspiracy executed by the counter-revolution (i.e. us) and openly supported by the Empire". He further added: "the objective of the opposition's strategy is to try to win the parliamentary elections of 26th September and control the National Assembly to destroy everything we have achieved for the people". There is no way Chávez will want to give up power democratically. And yet we must always behave democratically. It will just be a thousand times harder.
The opposition needs to explain:
- while inflation in Spain and Greece is minimal, inflation in Venezuela is officially around 30% and in reality much higher and salary increases for non-military Venezuelans are actually worse than salary decreases in Spain right now
- the collapse of the Venezuelan currency is basically due to the government's inability to manage the economy
- the real oligarchy right now is to a big extent made up of the red-shirted Boliburguesía, the Diosdado Cabellos, the Freddy Bernals, the Chávez clan itself.
| Country | Inflation | Salary rise | Murder rate |
| Venezuela | 31* | 25 | 52 |
| Spain | 1.6 | -5** | 1.2 |
* inflation is bound to be way higher than that.
** for state employees only
Ps I forgot to add: even according to official figures, over 45% of Venezuelans are working in the informal sector, which is in Venezuela basically "street vendors" and illegal taxi drivers and the like.