Response to comment

A reader left a comment in regards to a "previous post". and I felt that it merited a comment. The reader seemed to think I was somehow nostalgic for the past. I am not! The intent of the post wasn't to show achievements since the 1950's. While I wouldn't ask for a government like P. Jimenez to ever be in power, I think one should at least recognize that most of the major infrastructure and housing projects were done during this time. It wasn't until the late 60's and 70's when Venezuela made the next major infrastructure and modernization investment. Of course it would be naive to say that the investments during this time were transparent, with out favors, or that no corruption occurred. On the contrary investments during this time were full of pet projects that lead to nothing more than empty warehouse or manufacturing facilities that never produced a single product. Hence these some of the reason Chavez is in power.

It is also worth noting that the governments after the oil boom of the 1970's seemed to invest very little in infrastructure. Due primarily because of the poor economic decisions and a lack of economic diversity.

Something that most Chavez supporters seem to think is that, we in the opposition what venezuela to return to the way things were before Chavez. That we are somehow nostalgic for the inefficiencies, corruption, lack of government transparency, injustice, etc... I would like to be clear, I for one am not, but I am convinced that Chavez is not the savior, but simply another bad president that is worse than any of the previous ones for the simple fact that he is socially resentful, that has no intent on handing over power peacefully, and has made things worse for Venezuelans. Again for all their faults, the previous governments did do some positive things. To digress I would like to say that despite some good things (at least ideas and intentions) the Chavez government has been highly inefficient in its spending and has little to no infrastructure to show for all the billions in "income".

Venezuela seems to have had two "major leaps forward" the first during Perez Jimenez and the second during Perez in the 1970's. It is unfortunate that Chavez hasn't been able to utilize his income better during the current oil boom. Hopefully one day we can have a government that is able to right all the wrongs of the previous and current governments. In the mean time I and the rest of us in the opposition will continue our fight so that day comes.