Latin America
Related: About this forumChavez Friends Get Rich After His Death as Venezuela Slides Into Chaos
Retired Venezuelan Army Captain William Biancucci paces around his sparsely furnished Caracas office, clutching a red, bound copy of Hugo Chavezs socialist constitution. Hes discussing his plans to buy a private jet to ease travel to and from his cattle ranch in Brazils Amazon rain forest. From a sprawling stretch of pastureland, he packs cows by the thousands on ships headed to Venezuela.
Biancucci, 55, who grew up poor, says he won contracts to supply Venezuela with livestock thanks to friendships with military officers now in the government. His voice rises with emotion as he says hes been a devotee of Chavez since military college, when the late leader was his history professor.
In 1992, Biancucci joined 140 other officers in staging a coup attempt led by Chavez. Although the coup failed, Chavez was elected president six years later -- and Biancuccis business thrived. Socialism, Biancucci says, is the solution to poverty, Bloomberg Markets magazine will report in its September issue.
Chavezs socialism, he says, has made him personally rich. Im a socialist, but I love having cash in my hands, he says, shaking a fist holding an imaginary wad of money. Socialism is wealth.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-12/venezuela-sees-chavez-friends-rich-after-his-death-amid-poverty.html
Bacchus4.0
(6,837 posts)chavista fools here think its something else.
Al Carroll
(113 posts)Most Venezuelans are far better off. That's why the Bolivarians keep winning elections.
There was always heavy corruption in Venezuela. It's actually declined under the Bolivarians, with many prosecutions for it.
I suspect you won't answer with anything beyond your sputtering anger.
Bacchus4.0
(6,837 posts)of the opposition, have wronged the administration in some way, or the case is so outrageous that the government is actually forced to do its duty. Other than that, its a cess pool of corruption with the boligarchs enriching themselves and the pueblo suffering.
I see exile in the future for many chavista leaders.
Marksman_91
(2,035 posts)I suggest you search other sources, preferably ones based in Venezuela, which aren't government-backed propaganda-spewing websites.