At this point in time the landlord of Miraflores (the Venezuelan White House) must be worried about what has happened in Haiti. Colonel Hugo Chavez has some similarities with run away president Aristide. Both share Marxist-populist ways of governing, both have used their fierce rhetoric to enchant the masses and the international community.
There was not much to destroy in Haiti after the Duvalier's regime. Everything was already plundered and looted by Baby Doc. Haiti on its long two hundred years as an independent nation has not enjoyed until Mr. Aristide was elected a pacific election that led him the first time to legally become president. Too many hopes were shattered by this crazy former priest that used to be an advocate of liberation theology. What has happened in Haiti is not something we should be surprise if we understand from where Aristides comes, Marxist theology that states that only the class warfare will advance the revolution. Fight and warfare those are the clue words to understand how they behave.
On the other hand Venezuela was bankrupt politically when Chavez tried to seize power through a coup d's tat. Few years later he was able to gain power with his fierce rhetoric. You can see an excelent report on on Venezuelan contemporary history here
Chavez has been the result of a bankrupt political system, that managed to keep a relatively stable democracy, but failed to deliver prosperity to a large group of the population. If you add to the mix the corruption that has characterized former presidents like Carlos Andres Perez you know why Chavez enticed a sector of the population to elect him president. Now this doesn't justifies what has Chavez done to Venezuela, this just explains how the arrived to the current situation.
President Chavez has been characterized throughout his government to be involved in conflict after conflict. Much the same like Aristide, and judging from what has happened in previous demonstrations it seems that Mr. Chavez will remain in power until the very last minute when everything is lost. Again all this after all the rhetoric that he was not going to resign, and that he will fight until the end.
If we can try to forecast what is going to happen in Venezuela is that only when the international community start being serious about Chavez, and only when everybody in the country starts to turn their backs on him he will be forced to quit or be oustedl like it happened to Haiti. How long will that take? It can be like the Aristide regime that only lasted a few years, or worst it can be a never ending story like Cuban Castro, that stills rocks on after 40 years in power.
Prayer in public schools are wrong, not wrong
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