Alien Overlord wrote:Their mistake was not investing the massive profits they earned from the oil industry into diversifying the economy and modernizing it instead of useless social programs.
Useless social programs ? A million learning how to read ? Half a million recovering eye sight ? Millions seeing a doctor for the first time of their lives ? Millions moving out of slums and getting a decent housing ? All those are "useless" to you ?
Alien Overlord wrote:Here's a fact for you, the murder rate
quadrupledunder Chavez and that's not a wider trend for Venezuela, it was because of Chavez.
I wouldn't say it was "because of Chávez" but yes it's a failure of his, I acknowledge that.
Alien Overlord wrote:It's convenient to blame the CIA, droughts, US embargoes and internal opposition and perhaps some of these did play a factor, but if that's the case why is it only Venezuela that has a collapsed economy right now.
They are the main factor, not just a minor contributing one.
Alien Overlord wrote:Colombia should arguably be in a worse state given it's problems with guerrillas and narcos except that it's not.
Colombia doesn't have sanctions from the world's superpowers - it receives help from them. As for not being in a worse state... it's very subjective.
Alien Overlord wrote:Venezuela was set up for success and collapsed because it was mismanaged.
Oh, sure, it was badly mismanaged for 40 years by the "Punto Fijo" parties, before Chávez.
Alien Overlord wrote:If it had taken the route of many Middle Eastern nations like Saudi Arabia and instead have put money into diversifying the economy and moving away from oil, it would have been better off.
And Chávez tried to do that. But he had to face a coup attempt. And a sabotage. And a population that had a million of illiterate. Nearly half who never could see a doctor. 60% below poverty line. And an administration that initially refused to cooperate with him, forcing him to setup semi-parallel institutions (the "missions"). So he focused on the emergencies first - bringing people out of poverty, granting them education and healthcare. Saddly he died and the world crisis and drought hit Venezuela all at once before the Bolivarian Revolution had time to convert the country.