Venezuela - Mr. Maduro in His Labyrinth [View all]

[Marksman_91]

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/26/opinion/mr-maduro-in-his-labyrinth.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0&referrer

Framed portraits of the Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez were propped up at various stops of President Nicolás Maduro’s recent whirlwind trip abroad, as the man at the helm of the nation with the world’s largest oil reserves begged for bailouts.

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Last week, in a speech before lawmakers, Mr. Maduro, whose approval rating has slipped to 22 percent as the Venezuelan economy teeters on the brink of collapse, again invoked his mentor in predicting a landslide victory in upcoming parliamentary elections. “I have no doubt that Chávez’s nation will deliver a great victory in the memory of Hugo Chávez in elections that are being held this year,” he said.

Since he was voted into office in April 2013 by a minuscule margin after Mr. Chávez’s death, Mr. Maduro has leaned heavily on the legacy of his predecessor, a populist who governed poorly but had magnetic charisma and shrewd political instincts. Woefully lacking on both fronts, Mr. Maduro has become increasingly erratic and despotic in a quest for political survival that seems more daunting by the day. Healthy oil export revenue allowed Mr. Chávez to build a robust network of patronage and create generous welfare programs during his 14 years in power. Those are becoming increasingly paltry on Mr. Maduro’s watch.

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On a recent afternoon, a Venezuelan woman who had been waiting in line since 4 a.m. showed a television journalist from Al Jazeera English her forearm, where someone had written the number 413 with a black marker to establish her place in line. “Now we are like cattle,” the woman lamented. “This must end.”

Hours later, Mr. Maduro’s government responded with its standard effort to find a scapegoat for the national calamity. The head of the National Assembly, Diosdado Cabello, in a televised address, called the journalist, Mónica Villamizar, an American spy.

How sad that they consider even Al Jazeera as conspirators against the "glorious" revolution. The Chavista leadership is getting REALLY desperate. It's also worth mentioning that Maduro has spent more time traveling than in Venezuela during most of January. Some say it was for a beggar's journey to see who would be willing to give a handout to the country with the world's largest oil reserves, but I think he's really trying to negotiate a place to stay in for asylum once the shit hits the fan and Chavismo is no longer in power. It's not typical that he takes his whole family with him.