Having recently been to Venezuela, to windsurf at Isla Margarita, I was surprised at how such a country wealthy in oil can be so poor. It was surprising how run-down the country (well at least the island) looked.

Has anyone here been to any other parts of Venezuela? Do the other parts of the country look as run-down?

They are having an election there today, and it will be interesting to see what happens. If they go one way, it will probably stay the same. If it goes the other way...?

If worst comes to worst, anyone been sailing anywhere else (safer) around that area? I like the place, but I am not so sure its going to be that great anymore.

Actually, good point. I was expecting wall-to-wall Miss Universe contestants on the beach, but I think they were out of town those weeks

Unfortunately, the off-season in Playa El Yaque is apparently not where they hang around waiting for windsurfing gringos.

FormulaNova said...

Having recently been to Venezuela, to windsurf at Isla Margarita, I was surprised at how such a country wealthy in oil can be so poor. It was surprising how run-down the country (well at least the island) looked.

Has anyone here been to any other parts of Venezuela? Do the other parts of the country look as run-down?

They are having an election there today, and it will be interesting to see what happens. If they go one way, it will probably stay the same. If it goes the other way...?

If worst comes to worst, anyone been sailing anywhere else (safer) around that area? I like the place, but I am not so sure its going to be that great anymore.

Probably being shafted by multi-national oil groups, just like those buggers up there in Timor

mineral1 said...

Probably being shafted by multi-national oil groups, just like those buggers up there in Timor

Yeah, I think they are, but in this case, by the national oil company. Not in huge fuel prices (its cheaper than dirt cheap!), but it seems that the income from the international sale of it never gets to the people.

I've been reading a book called Civilization by Nial Ferguson. The book has a chapter discussing the differences between the colonisation of the north and south American continents. He writes a bit about Venezuela and discusses Hugo Chavez in quite unflattering terms.

Like in any society, as long as individual rights in respect of personal liberty and the right to own property are trampelled upon, then life will be a misery for the many people. Chavez is using oil revenue to maintain his own power at the expense of those who oppose him. Chavez sees himself as a latter day Simon Bolivar. Bolivar was a bloke who thought most people were incapable of running their own lives and needed the heavy hand of government run by enlightened and intelligent rulers to push them in the right direction.

As in most cases, oil revenue ends up being a curse for the people where the oil is.