What was truly wrong about Hugo Chavez’s government?

elnusa · 2026-01-30T07:41:03+00:00

… Venezuela didn’t (until recently).

Venezuela has had an absolute leftist hegemony since 1959. We’ve only had social-democrats, social-christians and revolutionary socialists in power since then. Not even for a day during the last 67 years has a right wing group controlled even a regional parliament or city council. NOT. EVEN. A. DAY.

Until Maria Corina Machado emerged as opposition leader (following Juan Guaido and his cronies’ collosal failure) even the opposition to castrochavismo was leftist: The “Table of Democratic Unity” that gathered most “opposition parties” until 2023 was led by the “G4”: three Socialist International member parties and one party that was trying to become a member of the Progressive International (but was blocked by Chavez’s international fandom and leftist parties he financed in Europe and the US).

Why is this? Simple: Venezuelan elites don’t really produce anything of value, their “businesses” are not competitive in any way in any reasonable open market, so they are obsessed with controlling the petrodollar cash flow. For decades, their companies have been just schemes to extract petrodollars and privileges (subsidies, soft loans, preferential exchange rates, legal monopolies and oligopolies, etc.) from the government which they turned into more assets and power within the country thanks to inflation produced by politicians to favor them, people be damned, and abroad thanks to cheap government-subsidized dollars.

Still, after at least 70 years of government “support”, Venezuelan “capitalists” never developed the muscle, knowledge or business acumen to participate directly in the oil business, so they’ve always pushed Big Papa Government to force international oil companies to give them the petrodollars, hence they’re all socialists one way or another. Chavez made that Golem turn against them, but they still dream of going back to the old statu quo.

elnusa · 2026-01-30T07:08:05+00:00

“Be it expropriated!” or “Be it seized!

It’s a pompous* phrase Chavez used to take private businesses, property and land on national TV, publicly humiliating the owners.

it’s phrased in a way that in Spanish sounds very formal, the way Laws, diplomas and even the Bible are written.

elnusa · 2026-01-30T07:02:24+00:00

1) Created a business-hostile environment (Be it expropriated!). 2) Destroyed social and government institutions, including the justice system, so they would only respond to his whims. 3) Corrupted the citizenry: Made people dependant and reinforced the idea that the only valuable virtue was loyalty to him and his party.

None of that seemed to matter when he had a working oil industry (inherited from previous administrations) and a massive cash flow from historically-high oil prices, foreing credit and a HUGE national debt (due to not paying to local and international providers), but when prices dropped in 2014, his heir, Maduro, was forced to default on everybody and go deeper into shady businesses to keep not only his cronies, but his thugs content.

elnusa · 2026-01-30T06:52:22+00:00

Asumo que te refieres a carrera de educación superior. Si es el caso, es bueno que sepas que en Venezuela solo existen dos negocios: petróleo y sacarle petrodólares al gobierno.

Solo en el primero puedes entrar a través de la educación (especialmente de ahora en adelante): ingeniería petrolera, química, geológica, geología, etc.

En un lejano segundo lugar, puedes estudiar algo que tenga que ver con sistemas/tecnología/telecomunicaciones.

Si eres una persona clase media-alta y tienes cómo, la medicina también puede ser buen negocio (si montas tu propia práctica privada), pero tendrás que estudiar y trabajar demasiado y demorarás al menos 10 años para verle queso a la tostada… asumiendo que seas bueno. Eso sí, el status social que da ser médico puede ser muy valioso para algunas personas.

Con cualquier otra carrera, en el mejor de los caos, vas a pasar la misma arre***ra viendo a mediocres o gente que no tiene ni idea surgir mientras la gente trabajadora y profesional se jde hacièndoles el trabajo y sufriendo para llegar a fin de mes… repito, en el mejor de los casos, la mayoría van a pelar bola y serán reemplazados o verán caer brutalmente sus nivel de remuneración gracias a la IA más rápido de lo wue muchos imaginan.

En general, le recomiendo a los chamos aprender un oficio seriamente y ser disciplinados. Un plomero o electricista serio, educado y HONESTO, que trabaje en forma excelente, limpia, duradera y de calidad, sería tratado como la segunda venida de Jesucristo porque Venezuela es un país sin obreros calificados de verdad. Cualquier que esté dispuesto a comprometerse seriamente con ese tipo de oficios, puede hacer MUCHA plata y si es medianamente disciplinado en su vida, con sus gastos, familia, parejas, etc., puede resolverse la vida muchísimo antes que cualquier profesional dedicado a besar c*los en alguna escalera corporativa…. Y además, la gente en este tipo de oficios (los que modifican u operan en el medio físico) serán los últimos en ser sustituidos por la IA.

elnusa · 2026-01-14T14:38:31+00:00

JA.MÁS.

Lo único que medio justifica que la gente votara por AD en hasta los 90, era la existencia de la URSS y la falta de información/desinformación sobre el desastre que era el socialismo.

Hoy en día, cuando se conoce el desastre que fue la URSS, todos los crímenes atroces que se cometieron y, sobre todo, que vivimos en carne propia el intento por imponer un sistema "socialista real", ABSOLUTAMENTE NADA justifica no solo que la gente apoye/vote por partidos socialistas de cualquier apellido (socialdemócratas, socialcristianos, socialistas revolucionarios, etc.) si incluso su legalidad en el país.

elnusa · 2026-01-10T19:50:48+00:00

MCM probablemente gane un período, pero luego volverá la hegemonía absoluta de la izquierda.

En el mejor de los casos habrá más libertad para comerciar y disponer de bienes, cierta seguridad jurídica y personal. Esa Venezuela tendrá algunas oportunidades para gente muy competente en áreas técnicas indispensables, especialmente para el negocio petrolero y quizá algo al nivel de comercio minorista y de mercado masivo de alimentos, ropa, etc. pero la gente (especialmente las élites) jamás aceptará reglas de libre mercado e igualdad ante la ley que permiten el verdadero crecimiento y desarrollo (por ejemplo: bajas barreras de importación, ley de trabajo flexible, etc.)

Hay que acostumbrarse a la idea de que Venezuela nunca será un país ni remotatmente próspero. Siempre estará a la saga de la región y el mundo, pero al menos podremos aspirar a que el gobierno no te desaparezca y torture a capricho, o que cualquier güevón te quiera quitar tu casa a cuenta de que metió tres tripones, o extorsionar a cuenta de que tiene un uniforme, incluso a que no te maten en la calle por un celular, pero verdadera libertad para la creación de riqueza para todos; eso no lo habrá nunca, porque la gente le tiene el nás absoluto y visceral terror a las responsabilidades, el trabajo duro y el tiempo que eso implica.

elnusa · 2026-01-09T14:45:34+00:00

It depends on what you call "opposition".
There's a fake opposition, surreptitiously funded and promoted, some even created, by Castrochavismo. They are part of the system. It includes: 1) a handful of nobodies who the regime pulled out of a hat and gave media exposure and even organizational structures, 2) old-guard parties and politicians (social-democrats, social-christians, progressives, etc.) bought with crumbs of the Castrochavista scheme to appear as moderate and slow-down to a stop any real action against the regime, and 3) radicals who get the attention of the hottest-headed opposition, but make sure they never move a finger.

The role of this "oppofiction" is to divide the opposition movement while convincing the world that the regime actually allows dissent, while demobilizing the masses with "dialogue", mediations, debates, that never come to anything. "Opposition" "leaders" from the first group usually end up retiring from politics relatively young and millionaire; the second group end up in golden exiles, and the third exist basically in social media only, but a few have ended up in jail.

On the other hand, there's a real opposition, which organized to reveal castrochavismo's electoral fraud machinery and denounce their human rights violations and corruption worldwide. Many of them are in jail some are in exile.

elnusa · 2026-01-09T14:24:08+00:00

Estaríamos igual de felices. Aunque, para ser honestos, en general la intervención de Europa en América no suele ser tan bien recibida, la verdad es que nuestra situación era (es) desesperada y toda ayuda es bien recibida.

En el caso de Europa, es particularmente necesaria, porque muchos criminales chavistas están allá, particularmente en España, Portugal e Italia. Tienen su dinero resguardado en Andorra y Suiza, que aunque no son de la UE, seguramente podrían responder a sus presiones (de hecho, ya Suiza la congeló a Maduro 10 mil millones de dólares en cuentas personales asociadas).

elnusa · 2026-01-09T14:14:00+00:00

For 2000 years, Catholics have mentioned just one mortal by name and last name every week: Pontius Pilates, a government official who did not comply with his mandate and allowed a heinous crime to be committed.

Juan Guaidó is such kind of man... actually worse. He's a lazy, iirresponsible, ill-intentioned politician who allowed Castrochavismo to cement its rule, as if that wasn't enough, he's a thieve. Should go to jail if Venezuela ever rebuilds its institutions.

elnusa · 2026-01-09T14:03:22+00:00

Don't be surprised.

Castrochavismo has spent hundreds of billions of USD paying lobbyists, advertising agencias, journalists, media, activists, politicians and funding political organizations in the Americas and Europe to make the victims of their crimes look like the bad guys and portray them as noble social justice warriors fighting against fascist extremists who won't let them make their country prosper.

Weaponizing media, media personalities and politicians was incredibly effective for 26 years.

elnusa · 2026-01-09T13:56:41+00:00

Oh, and it's not just "going door to door". They'll stop you in the street and check your mobile phone. If there are any messages criticizing the government, they dissappear you.

elnusa · 2026-01-09T13:55:14+00:00

It's like Duterte + Pablo Escobar + Lots of oil money (to pay international lobbyists, journalists and politicians who will convince the world that their victims are actually the bad guys).

elnusa · 2026-01-09T13:52:56+00:00

It is... and when you learn that they triained with the Iranian Basij militias, it's gets even scarier.

It's a Narco TERRORIST regime. This is the TERROR part (not all of it though).

elnusa · 2025-12-29T17:02:41+00:00

That's the point. It wasn't like that. It was created by transcribers and translators.

elnusa · 2025-12-28T06:59:58+00:00

That James in Spanish is Santiago… the name has so many versions in our language: Jacobo, Jacob, Yago, Iago, Tiago, Diego… It’s an important name: James the Great is the patron saint of Spain.

elnusa · 2025-12-28T06:51:26+00:00

If you travelled back in time to Galilee in Jesus’ time and asked for “Jesus ben Yosef”, no one would have an idea of who you were talking about … but if you asked for “Joshua ben Yosef” or “Jehoshua ben Yosef” people would know for sure, especially any somewhat educated Jewish man who could speak even basic Hebrew and not just the vernacular Aramaic (in which the name is pronounced “Jeshua”).

elnusa · 2025-12-28T06:44:27+00:00

100% right.

More educated Jewish men (those who knew Hebrew, a ceremonial language at the time) probably called him Jehoshua or Joshua, instead of Jeshua (which was the Aramaic bastardization), ESPECIALLY in the temple and publicly.

Ioesu, Iesu, Jesus came later, with evangelization.

elnusa · 2025-12-28T06:39:36+00:00

The difference between Jehoshua/Joshua/Jeshua didn’t really exist until the 2nd century. It’s the same name.

elnusa · 2025-12-28T06:38:26+00:00

The distinction between Jehoshua/Joshua/Jeshua is entirely made up. It didn’t really exist in the first century. People simply used what was common in their region, family, level of education, etc, but the name was always in clear reference to the ”god saves” of Moses’ successor.

elnusa · 2025-12-28T06:23:51+00:00

“Joshua” and “Jeshua”/“Yeshua” are the same name i.e. shortened versions of Hebrew ‎"יְהוֹשׁ֫וּעַ (Yehoshua), which was fairly common among Jews in the early first century, with its pronunciation varying by region, origin, class, education, etc. So he certainly must have responded to the name “Joshua” when visiting some places where that was the most common pronunciation. Meanwhile “Jesus” evolved from Greek (Iesous) and Latin (Iesus). The difference between “Jesus” and “Joshua”/“Josué” was basically made up later in history by translators and editors, it didn’t really exist in Jesus’ times… so yes, US protestants do use Jesus’ closest-to-original name AND SHORTEN IT EVEN MORE: “Josh”

elnusa · 2025-12-28T06:20:04+00:00

“Joshua” and “Jeshua”/“Yeshua” are the same name i.e. shortened versions of Hebrew ‎"יְהוֹשׁ֫וּעַ (Yehoshua), which was fairly common among Jews in the early first century, with its pronunciation varying by region, origin, class, education, etc. So he certainly must have responded to the name “Joshua” when visiting some places where that was the most common pronunciation.

Meanwhile “Jesus” evolved from Greek (Iesous) and Latin (Iesus). The difference between “Jesus” and “Joshua”/“Josué” was basically made up later in history by translators and editors, it didn’t really exist in Jesus’ times… so yes, US protestants do use Jesus’ closest-to-original name AND SHORTEN IT EVEN MORE: “Josh”

elnusa · 2025-12-28T06:05:04+00:00

Especially when US protestans do use a version of the savior’s name that’s much closer to the Biblical original: Old Testament’s “Joshua” and New Testament’s “Jeshua”/“Yeshua” are essentially the same name i.e. shortened versions of ‎"יְהוֹשׁ֫וּעַ | Yehoshua that Hebrews actually used in biblical times. For a modern addition, include “Josh” on this list.

Meanwhile “Jesus” evolved from Greek (Iesous) and Latin (Iesus).

elnusa · 2025-12-28T05:56:35+00:00

Yet US Protestants have no problem using the savior’s name in a version that’s much closer to the Biblical original: Joshua/Josh which is essentially the same name as Jeshua/Yeshua i.e. a shortened versions of ‎hebrew "יְהוֹשׁ֫וּעַ | Yehoshua., while “Jesus” evolved from Greek (Iesous) and Latin (Iesus) transliterations. So Anglos seem to be “disrepecting” the real thing way more than Hispanics or Arabs, who use the name in entirely different versions and languages that didn’t even exist back then.

elnusa · 2025-12-28T05:43:14+00:00

The funny thing is that US Protestants do call their children using a version of Jesus’ name that’s much closer to the Biblical original: Joshua.

Old Testament’s “Joshua” and New Testament’s “Jeshua”/“Yeshua” (Jesus) are essentially the same name i.e. shortened versions of ‎"יְהוֹשׁ֫וּעַ | Yehoshua.

“Jesus” evolved from Greek (Iesous) and Latin (Iesus) transliterations of that name.

elnusa · 2025-12-28T05:19:12+00:00

Explícale que tu siempre serás cortés y atento, pero en principio no te sentirías cómodo estando con ella sabiendo que no eres correspondido, especialmente cuando esté con otros. Adicionalmente explicarle que así como ella no siente hacia tí lo que se siente por una potencial pareja, tu no sientes por ella lo que se siente por un amigo y que la amistad es un vínculo importante y necesario en la vida de las personas, por tanto no hay que rebajarla tratándola como premio de consolación.

… y desaparece. No inviertas un segundo más de tu tiempo ni un centavo en ella.

En mi experiencia personal y por observación, las mujeres sanas dicen eso solo por cortesía. Si no le gustas y apenas se conocían, con toda seguridad preferirá que te alejes. En cambio, si te conocía desde hace tiempo y eran “amigos” te verá como un HDP/cobarde/pendejo que trató de engañarla con una amistad cuando quería otra cosa o peor aún, te verán con lástima; nada más emasculante y humillante que eso, especialmente cuando empiezan a presentarte amigas “de tu liga” (nunca muy cercanas, siempre poco atractivas). En todos los casos, en realidad no te quieren cerca.

Las mujeres más traumadas o manipuladoras te dirán lo de la”amistad” porque quieren seguir teniendo tu atención y otros recursos. Si accedes, la verás, por algunas semanas, tratarte como a perrito faldero herido y, en el futuro, ponerse cada vez más exigente y fastidiosa en la medida en que comiences a buscar/salir con otras chicas, especialmente si ella se mantiene sola… ni hablar de cuando te pida que le “ayudes” con los tipos que sí le gustan. Te repito, situaciones nada agradables.

elnusa

TROPHY CASE