Venezuela

En los últimos meses he estado frecuentemente en contacto con una prima (prima hermana) que vive en Hungría. Recientemente le escribí unas pocas líneas en las que trato de explicar la situación de Venezuela.

In recent months I have had frequent contact with a cousin (first cousin) who lives in Hungary. Recently I wrote a few lines where I try to explain the situation in Venezuela.

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Dear Cousin,

Like I promised, I wrote a few lines trying to explain the situation in Venezuela.

In principle I can say that has not stopped the bloodshed in this country for several centuries. From 1810 until 1830 (the war of independence), then the Federal war, caudillos (chieftains) and other dictators until Juan Vicente Gómez who ruled from 1908 to 1935. Then came a brief period of democracy that ended in a coup in 1948 that served as a prelude of ten years of blood and dictatorship headed first by a Governing Board and then the presidency Marcos Perez Jimenez who is overthrown by a coup in 1958. Once the fall of the government of Pérez Jiménez, begins a difficult but successful process of democracy in our country. From 1958 to 1992 does not happen again any rebellion of great magnitude. But in 1992, Hugo Chávez, together with another group of military officers, commanded a coup against the president, Carlos Andrés Pérez. Although not achieved its objective, the fact gave him a fame. Later he won the elections in 1998.

On the economic side, Venezuela in the 19th century was an agricultural country, we say with pride that our land produce the best cocoa in the world and one of the best coffee beans. With the onset of the petroleum era (during the rule of Juan Vicente Gómez) the agricultural economy was replaced gradually by the oil economy, the farmers moved to large cities to seek higher incomes but many of them began to populate the current misery belts that surround our capitals. Inequality was growing exponentially but also a middle class professional (with a lot of effort). However, the low income population has become 80% of the total according to the latest censuses. It is in these people that the president has focused his strategy.

Hugo Chávez arrives to public life in a very timely manner, democracy was at its worst moment, traditional leaders have lost credibility and the economy collapsing. The levels of corruption, mismanagement and excessive economic inequality became the ideal breeding ground for the arrival of an alternative leader who emerge from the masses and speak their language.

Then, everything happened quickly: between 1999 and 2000 changed the country's Constitution; 2000 and 2002 was a battle between the ruling classes and the new power represented by Chávez: Strikes, street protests, small rebellions and even a military coup that took him out of power for two days; from 2003 to 2006, consolidated the power of Hugo Chávez with the defeat of those opposed in different electoral battlegrounds; 2007 to today began a more radical step: the closure of media, restrictions on freedom of expression and property, centralization of resources and responsibilities; attacks to the private company (using a union) and psychological warfare on people to through state media.

I keep in touch. Every day something new happens...

Guillermo