From a local perspective, about the only good thing about Venezuela’s latest stage-managed election earlier this month is that there has been no repeat of Pretoria’s congratulatory message of five years ago (see above). SA’s unlamented former president’s applause came despite Venezuela’s official data showing $300bn in oil revenues since 2006 unaccounted for, presumed lost to corruption.
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Venezuela’s political governance has descended into absurdity. The main opposition party refused to participate in the election, claiming voting was rigged. So, even with hyperinflation, economic chaos and widespread poverty, Nicolas Maduro’s Socialist Party congratulated itself on winning 91% of the Parliamentary seats.
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Among successful candidates were Maduro’s second wife, Cilia Flores, and his 30 year old son, usually referred to as Nicolasito (‘little Nicolas’). Maduro Jr denies he is being groomed as heir to a political dynasty like the Kims in North Korea or Lukashenkos in Belarus.
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Officially, the Socialist Party got 68% of the vote which, with an official turnout of 31%, puts its support at just 21%. But that enables it to continue the misrule in an oil-rich nation now into a seventh successive year of economic contraction and an inflation rate of 6 600%. Five million Venezuelans, 18% of the population, have left their homeland. By comparison, in SA we really do live in paradise.
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