By the writing on the wall, you can see that the people of Venezuela are tired of not having enough food, and they blame it on Chavez to boot. So, that means this is a recent picture, right? Wrong...
I actually took this photo in June 2000, when I took a trip to Barinas, the land of Chavez himself. I went there to get out of Caracas for awhile and enjoy nature with a little whitewater rafting in the Andean foothills. I was curious to see how people reacted to Chavez, but assumed they would treat him like a Favorite Son, Pride of the Andes or something like that.
What I found was pretty consensus resentment towards him and his family, evident by the words painted on this wall. They resented his nepotism, how the Chavez family had gone from modest means to become some of the wealthiest landowners in Barinas since he had taken office in 1998.
Today, there are again food crises: it's hard to find milk, sugar and meat due to Chavez's stubborn price controls on staple goods. Seems like no one wants to produce food and be forced to sell it below cost...Viva la Revolucion, eh? So, the more things change....you get the picture.
In Spanish the words on the wall read "Por culpa de los Chavez Frias las ollas estan vacias" or "Because of the Chavez Frias family, the pots are empty" or something to that extent.
5 comments:
Fortunately, the overwhelming majority of the population supports Chavez along with the revolution he is leading in Venezuela and throughout the region. Contrary to the sentiments of your post, Chavez and the social and political process he is involved in is actually drastically improving the situation and reducing poverty (as well as illiteracy, lack of healthcare, systematic marginalization, etc.) and is working to abolish poverty altogether. Of course, after generations of imperialist domination and capitalist and neoliberal ravaging of the country, poverty doesn't look like it's going to disappear overnight. But the process to end it is under way. Viva la revolucion Bolivariana!
First of all, let me say how thrilled I am to have my first Chavista post! Welcome...hope to see you here often so I can attempt to rewire all that brainwashing you have undergone! Secondly, let me address some of your assertions here. Chavez does not have an 'overwhelming majority' of support in Venezuela. Barely 40% back his constitutional changes, which indicates that even his constituent base is getting tired of his egomaniacal methods. As for the region, he has scant support, especially among the more important nations such as Brazil and Chile. If you can't take my word for it, check out the Nov 7 issue of Veja, one of Brazil's most popular current affairs magazines. As far as Chavez's magnanimous reforms, can you explain why the economy is in tatters despite $100 barrels of oil, and why people can't even buy milk at the bodega any more? Don't give me that robotic "media manipulation" b.s. either...
Finally, if you can actually tell me what you think 'neoliberal' means instead of just repeating it like a mantra, then maybe I'll take you seriously. That's basically a co-opted phrase that chavismo uses as a catch-all that really means nothing, except to generalize the whole Darth Vader, Evil Empire line. Anyway, that's it. Please come again!
Once the Chavista (PSFs) get word of this blog they'll come on over and start throwing insults at you too. Be strong!
This is probably a socialist gringo.. Amazing how they can't see the writing on the wall.
In spite of the oil wealth, Chavez is going to ruin Venezuela over time.. just as Fidel did with Cuba and the military Junta in Burma. Burma was the richest country in that region.. until socialism took root. Now it's the poorest. Why anyone think socialism can work, needs to be institutionalized!
don't waste your time with Cuban sponsored US PR agent Eva Golinger.
She is under investigation and that is between us.
http://venezuelatoday.net
you should delete this
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