lunes, septiembre 11, 2006

Venezuela: new electoral campaign

Venezuela, once again, is prepared for a new electoral campaign.
A gap between the populist speech and the reality

Alfredo Ascanio (askain)

According to The New York Times Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez spoke very badly of the capitalism and of USA, but that the commerce between these two countries grows therefore. Venezuela is the main petroleum-exporting country to USA and Venezuela is one of the main importers of products and services of USA. According to the business WorldCity, of Miami, this commerce grew in a 36% for the year 2.005. This commerce between USA and Venezuela is more or less 40.400 million dollars annual.


A gap between the populist speech exists and the reality of the commerce. The Venezuelan economy grew in a 9,6% in the first semester of this year.

This high growth is causing growing more the differences between rich and poor. The report of Simon Romero also suggested that: "New Porsches and Range Rovers crowd the streets wounds. Rents for to three-bedroom apartment in leafy districts like Altamira and Los Palos Grandes have doubled since January to $6,000 to month. But what most vividly illustrates Venezuela' s latest oil boom may be its Scotch whiskey you leave, which till soaring."

Nevertheless this year Venezuelan TV interrogated to the population of the average social class and poor then the truth appears immediately. The minimum salary of 230 dollars monthly does not reach for the purchases of the daily life. Besides the inflation of the 20% per year erodes the Venezuelan poor class purchase power, but nothing happened.

According to the last survey the 70% of the population indicates the main problems of the country:

-Unemployment
-Informal economy
-Delinquency
-Dwellings lack problems and of services of health

The base of the electoral campaign of the government will be the inauguration of physical works of projects that arose 10 years ago behind and that now they will be begun to function with the presence of the President Chavez.

Even, the social projects of Chavez, The Missions, have not been able to solve the serious problems of the social inequality.

The interviews that carry out the mass media in the poorest neighborhoods indicate that many families do not have hopes that the government of Chavez solve him its problems. That does not mean that all Venezuelan families, because some families that form the faithful group to the politics "revolutionary" (is believed that is a 20% of the total population) still have hopes in the speech of the leader and they are sure that in the future all can change.

The goal of improved this social problems in Venezuela will be reached only when a new government make a new and seek a negotiation with the voters to advance with another focus.