An Assessment of Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution at Twelve Years

On the 12th anniversary of Chavez’s first oath of office as president of Venezuela, one can easily get the impression from the mainstream media that Venezuela is trapped in a terminal spiral towards becoming a state socialist dictatorship. One reads about a failing economy, presidential authoritarianism, rampant crime and corruption, arbitrary nationalizations of companies, and persecution of the private media and of opposition leaders. If all of this is true, then why does President Chavez continue to enjoy widespread support within Venezuela...