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Joel Brinkley is a terrific reporter and writer now teaching journalism at Stanford University. I thought this was a particularly thought-provoking column.
Since Venezuelans in February agreed to allow Chavez to seek re-election in 2012, he has turned to the left and tightened the squeeze on his opponents in Venezuela.
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Inside South America is written by Jim Wyss, the South America bureau chief for the Miami Herald and McClatchy Newspapers.
Feel free to send a story suggestion. Read Jim's stories at MiamiHerald.com.
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Posted by: Fleiter | September 23, 2009 at 10:34 AM
I think Chavez talks a big game, but Venezuela now has the top murder capital in the world and is a world leader in kidnappings (top 10). Not a great legacy. Maybe more people are reading in Venezuela, but a heck of a lot more people are dying.
Posted by: AJM | September 24, 2009 at 02:31 PM
Sorry - my statistics are wrong. Venezuela has one city with the top murder rate in the world (most murders per 100,000 people), and as a country, the interior ministry of venezuela reported that venezuela is #1 in kidnappings.
"Violent crime has skyrocketed this decade in Venezuela, which has the highest kidnapping rate per capita in the world (2 per 100,000), according to the country’s Interior Ministry." - New York Times, 2009.
Posted by: AJM | September 24, 2009 at 02:35 PM
Chavez actually lost the vote to seek re-election in November 2007, while I was living in San Cristobal. If you fail, try, try again. And that's what that Marico did. The majority of intelligent Venezuelans didn't show up to the second vote because, what's the point. This maniac does what he wants
Posted by: Manuel Rosales | September 25, 2009 at 09:17 PM
"Venezuelans agreed to allow Chavez"???? WRONG! Venezuelans were coerced, threatened, intimidated, told they would lose their jobs if they didn't appear at rallies and support Chavez, etc. Anybody who thinks this was a free and fair election doesn't have a clue what really happened.
Posted by: capnmike | September 26, 2009 at 11:50 AM
You idiots had a very successful coup against Chavez and then opened the door and let him back in. You got what you deserve! Either get rid of him or stop crying about him being your El President!
Posted by: joel2040 | September 27, 2009 at 11:10 AM
yo soy!
Posted by: bootcamp | September 29, 2009 at 07:40 PM
Letting a leader of a communist guerilla'group (FARC); to become their president say it all. Now he has the power as many other communist fronts support him! He has the power, I don't see how the mayority of democrats could take him out of power, except a silver magic storm.
Posted by: José L Morales | October 04, 2009 at 03:46 PM
Venezuelans need to shout out and LOUD the Venezuelan National Anthem every single day. It says everything the democratic Republic of Venezuelan fought for. Listen to it. Chavez is another Tiran that Simon Bolivar and the Venezuelan Anthem refers to.
http://www.lyricsondemand.com/miscellaneouslyrics/nationalanthemslyrics/venezuelanationalanthemlyrics.html
Posted by: Robert | October 06, 2009 at 01:53 AM
Thought provoking diatribe? How about right wing lie factory. Yeah, those hospitals, guaranteed basic affordable food baskets, clean drinking water, education, medical care, land reforms, minimum wages and poverty reduction amount to totalitarianism. Right. /s Those things really suck if you're a white land owner. Authoritarian government that ensures the oppression of the indigenous, that don't even look like the people they govern should not be ruling.
Unencumbered parasitism on the poor does not equate to the loss of freedom.
What a fall from grace for night-ridder!
http://www.rethinkvenezuela.com/downloads/Social%20Missions%20List.pdf
Posted by: KMansfield | October 07, 2009 at 05:58 PM