Venezuela (New Year 2009)
1st stop. The House of God
- As many Latin Americans, Venezuelans are very religious people...
2nd stop. The god of XXth century Venezuela: the Black Gold.
- Venezuela's first oil well at Zumaque, Zulia State, drilled in 1914. The country's economic development has been and remains heavily dependent on oil. For decades, until the 1990s, the oil revenue had led to a rapid (if unsustainable) development and had successfully bought social peace. Venezuela's democracy was believed to be the most stable in Latin America...
3rd stop. The official god of XXIst century Venezuela: "Socialism"
- On this office building of the state oil company PDVSA, the sign reads "Patria, Socialismo o Muerte" - "Motherland, Socialism or Death". Hugo Chavez was elected president in 1998. Since then, he vowed to implement the "Socialism of the XXIst Century". It is difficult to escape from the red signs that glorify the new state religion, and its official "crusaders". Think I'm exagerating? Think again... Dixit Chavez - "Christ, the Greatest of all Revolutionaries".
After this History lesson, I bet you need some fresh air. Let's head for the countryside!
And since we've already gone so far, why not take some altitude?
Feel better now?
