# Venezuela after Hugo Chavez? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 1, 2011, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venezuela-after-hugo-chavez/587506 "2011-07-01T13:59:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venezuela-after-hugo-chavez/587506/61 "2012-02-22T02:33:32Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Don’t knock 'em, the Capitalist Running Dog is considered a glamorous breed at Westminster. In recent years, though, all its genes have been recessive. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venezuela-after-hugo-chavez/587506/62 "2012-02-22T05:54:20Z")
Ah, Commissar. He was amusing. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venezuela-after-hugo-chavez/587506/63 "2012-02-22T06:29:50Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > It is by U.S. standards. Huh? The last President who had an approval rating that low was George H. W. Bush. I don’t remember anyone claiming he was “wildly popular” when Clinton beat him. ---
**Author:** ![robinson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/848f3c/32.png) [@robinson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robinson)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venezuela-after-hugo-chavez/587506/64 "2012-02-22T18:11:23Z")
He has given a real boost to the political stature of the indigenous population. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venezuela-after-hugo-chavez/587506/65 "2012-02-23T11:15:53Z")
> [@robinson](#): > > He has given a real boost to the political stature of the indigenous population. Just what does that _ **mean?!** _ In real-world terms, please?:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venezuela-after-hugo-chavez/587506/66 "2012-02-23T15:27:23Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Just what does that _ **mean?!** _ > > In real-world terms, please?:dubious: He issued all the Indians platform shoes. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venezuela-after-hugo-chavez/587506/67 "2013-06-28T01:30:42Z")
Well, now Hugo Chavez is dead, and his VP and hand-picked successor [Nicolas Maduro](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicol%C3%A1s_Maduro) has (1) succeeded and (2) [been elected](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuelan_presidential_election,_2013), defeating the same opponent, Enrique Capriles, whom [Chavez defeated in October 2012](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuelan_presidential_election,_2012) – but by a **much** narrower margin, so razor-thin Capriles demanded an audit (with mixed success – they stopped after auditing a random selection of 54% of the votes). What does that bode for Venezuela’s future? ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venezuela-after-hugo-chavez/587506/68 "2013-06-28T11:33:47Z")
Bump. I’m curious myself. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venezuela-after-hugo-chavez/587506/69 "2013-06-28T19:27:01Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > What does that bode for Venezuela’s future? It’s going to be a mess for at least the next few years. Maduro lacks the charisma and intelligence of Chavez, and has already demonstrated he’s unable to command the loyalty that Chavez was able to inspire. He squandered a double digit lead over Capriles in a few months, and things will only get worse. He has to deal with the economic problems that Chavez’s system has created (price controls causing shortages, lack of critical investment in the oil industry) as well as a very high crime rate. There will be growing unrest over the next few years, and Maduro won’t be able to control it. What the final outcome will be is uncertain. He has powerful rivals among the Chavista movement, and they may find some way to ease him out before the end of his term. But I doubt any of them will be able to do much better. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venezuela-after-hugo-chavez/587506/70 "2013-06-28T19:42:23Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > It’s going to be a mess for at least the next few years. Maduro lacks the charisma and intelligence of Chavez, and has already demonstrated he’s unable to command the loyalty that Chavez was able to inspire. He squandered a double digit lead over Capriles in a few months, and things will only get worse. He has to deal with the economic problems that Chavez’s system has created (price controls causing shortages, lack of critical investment in the oil industry) as well as a very high crime rate. > > There will be growing unrest over the next few years, and Maduro won’t be able to control it. What the final outcome will be is uncertain. He has powerful rivals among the Chavista movement, and they may find some way to ease him out before the end of his term. But I doubt any of them will be able to do much better. But, what about the popularity of the Chavista movement as such? Rising or declining or neither? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venezuela-after-hugo-chavez/587506/71 "2013-06-28T20:04:06Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > But, what about the popularity of the Chavista movement as such? Rising or declining or neither? Without Chavez at the helm, undoubtedly declining. After all, Maduro was endorsed by Chavez personally to be his successor, but still was only able to squeak in by only 1.5% over Capriles. Chavismo is much much weaker without Chavez. The main beneficiaries, the poor, will continue to support it, but others will fall away as economic problems mount. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venezuela-after-hugo-chavez/587506.md?page=3)