Venezuela and the Chavez Legacy

If they don't, they'd probably get assets abroad taken as payment. Either way, they'll pay, they aren't that cash-starved, and it's not their money after all.

There's also the Conoco-Phillips arbitration pending, that one is more substantial IIRC.

edited 10th Oct '14 4:19:45 PM by stormtroper

I'm pretty much hopeless about the whole situation too, all of the political maneuvering the people in power played over the years has caused way too much hatred to build up between the different social classes. Before Chavez the lower classes hardly got involved in politics and Venezuela kinda had it's own "liberal" and "conservative" political parties and he started to show people they could claim their own rights but well he pretty much blew the economy into oblivion with all the misiones he made to remain in power and he didn't do much to help the lower class for his own convenience. No matter what people say "consumer" society has become a part of us so there is always a need to have a "good" social status and there is a bunch of people who can't get a proper education, so delinquency has become their lifestyle. Even if we were to somehow get back up from the economic crisis i don't think a true change can be made with all the shit that has been piling up. The sad thing is that, i believe a "Leftist" Venezuela could have brought interesting results on it's own. But anyway, i think the best thing any of us can hope for right now is to do your best to take care of your own well-being and the people who are close to you.

If it helps you feel better, other countries have had it worse and yet they've overcome their problems. Not effortlessly or painlessly, but I still believe it's possible to get the nation ahead.

If you're referring to the Democratic Action/COPEI thing, a new government that's a heir of the reds, whites, greens or whatever won't improve things out of good will, but depending on the circumstances, they might have to out of necessity.

edited 10th Oct '14 6:58:54 PM by stormtroper

I can't believe they won a non-permanent place in the ONU, this is such bullshit...

It was Venezuela's turn; the LatAm&Car seat on the security council is shared according to an alternating gentlemen's agreement set up after the 2006 farce.

I wonder if Maduro will be as much of a cartoon in the general assembly as his predecessor,we lost a valuable source of comedy here in the states when Chavez died

Edit: You can also kiss any hope for airstrikes against Assad goodbye,and expect so many random bullshit motions just to stick it to the west.

edited 16th Oct '14 4:36:20 PM by JackOLantern1337

Maduro's GA speech was pretty tame, actually, though typically he supported Assad.

Airstrikes against ISIS within Iraq don't require UNSC approval anyway, merely the consent of the Iraqi government.

edited 16th Oct '14 5:25:27 PM by Achaemenid

There was never any hope of that anyway, seeing as China and Russia would have to agree not to veto.

Seriously from a getting sutff passed perspective it changes nothing. The west have a 5 person block vote as is, throw in the Eastern Europe seat (normally western-aligned) and you've got a 6 vote block, 9 votes are needed for something to pass and I find it unlikely that anything the west can get China and Russia to okay won't be able to find 3 additional votes.

Mayor Rosa de Scarano has been arrested.

...

Honestly, what the hell? If the government gets away with this unscratched, I will honestly give up.

She's just been released, fortunately.

They did something sensible for once? Huh.

Well, I suposse that with the oil at 77$ and decreasing, and condidering other factors, the situation is really bad for them to take any risks anymore.

edited 17th Oct '14 6:51:58 PM by eligram

No matter, Maduro will just increase oil prices *giggle*

Edit: On a more serious note, I'm torn on whether high oil prices are a good thing for the nation or not.

edited 18th Oct '14 2:34:39 PM by stormtroper

Well since Venezuela exports a lot of oil,it being cheap is probably very bad. On the other hand it probably means lower prices for the average citizen at the pump.

You're showing your American-ness Gas is cheaper than water in Venezuela, because the government massively subsidizes it and it's on a fixed price of 0.097 Bs.F/liter, which is about nine cents/gallon. This isn't really sustainable, and it predates Chavez. Its becoming harder and harder for the government to do it though, and it apparently made quite a lot Venezuelans disconnect what comes out of the pump with the spiralling costs associated with getting out of the ground and usable. Hence, gas price reform is a third rail in Venezuelan politics.

edited 18th Oct '14 4:55:27 PM by Achaemenid

I guess I should've elaborated.

If oil prices plummet:

• Less money will enter the public treasury.

• But that money is used by the PSUV for ads, corruption, political control, etc.

• But it's also money needed for public services, imports (including essential stuff such as medicines), etc.

• But in the long term quality of life will deteriorate as long as the PSUV is in power regardless of oil prices, and they need that money to sustain themselves.

• But even if oil prices decrease, that doesn't mean the PSUV will go down with it.

• But it helps.

• But if it doesn't, we'll get crap and an wrecked economy, and even if it does, there's no guarantee the result wouldn't be crap either

• The end justifies the means.

• But I don't want to lose my CADIVI coupon.

Spot on. Just wanted to add that its price increase is usually considered to be what triggered this, and sometimes thought of as a form of political suicide.

edited 18th Oct '14 5:16:03 PM by stormtroper

I honestly don't care if things end up improving or not in the long run, i just want to see those red weirdos go down already.

Welp, sorry for givingbad news, but better get used to the idea of saying goodbye to your electronic coupon. I doubt that it will continue next year with this oil price decreasing rate. Best case scenario it will decrease to 200$ or less, it will be at 50Bs/$, or both.

That's the same kind of thinking that gave us Chavez in the first place, just replacing 'red weirdos' with 'weird whites and greens (AD and COPEI)' It's rather sad history hasn't taught us anything.

edited 18th Oct '14 6:34:47 PM by NapoleonDeCheese

I'd kinda like to see more discussion on this point: its not like the pre-Chavez government was really any use.

When I was a kid for the longest time I thought "adeco" and "copeyano" where ordinary insults like "idiot" or "scum", not the actual names for members of groups (AD and COPEI respectively) that they themselves used.

Anyhow, yeah, it's understandable to want the PSUV to go away for good, but in the grand scheme of things Venezuela is what's important, and watching your victimaries go down is not worth lasting harm to the nation. It's what's lead random people to assert that they have no food or electricity but the scrawnies won't be back or whatever.

Admittedly, if Chávez 2.0 came around, I'd try to console myself with the fact that the PSUV would no longer be in power.

edited 18th Oct '14 7:26:27 PM by stormtroper

Although they at least allowed far more windows for disenssion. It's a key difference between having a system based on two major mutually opposing forces that kept themselves under relative check and having a system based on a single dominating force that basically runs ahead unchecked.

edited 18th Oct '14 7:10:28 PM by NapoleonDeCheese

Come to think of it, the $'s parallel rate will keep going up, tho. With that in mind those numbers don't seem too terrible (although of course, that rate going up is terrible). Anyhow, 'free' money is nice but compared to all the other stuff...

Anyhow, the MUD and PSUV had marches again in Caracas, as expected the PSUV's was microscopic as expected, however the MUD's was also microscopic. Apparently the MUD really has lost much of the credit they had. Personally, the MUD has done much to lose my trust towards them recently.

Nah i guess you are right, if things don't end up getting better for whatever reason then everything we've endured won't be really worth it.

It's just that i couldn't see how things could possibly improve. At this rate will there be any cheese and leche en polvo left anymore?

A lot of the things they've done recently just seem genuinely stupid to me, I'm really worried about it because it looks like they don't give a fuck about what may happen and we really need them to get people inspired to make a difference.

edited 20th Oct '14 8:06:38 AM by HibikiOni

Maybe things will improve if Leopoldo is released and takes over the opposition leadership. Maybe thats why thr Government doesn't want to release him.

A reason for the march being smaller than usual may be that the students weren't that involved in this march. Or maybe they still not see Torrealba as a leader yet. But I agree in that the opossition being really incompetent lately could be a factor.

edited 20th Oct '14 9:07:37 AM by eligram

Iris Varela wants to make a museum with all the weapons they have collected from the different prisons.

That makes Arkham Asylum look like a joke.

edited 20th Nov '14 7:33:25 PM by HibikiOni