It looks like a solid majority of Venezuelans who voted opted to retain a psychotic megalomaniac in office, on condition that he continue to loot the country and push it further and further into chaos and poverty. The recent rise in crude oil prices has allowed Hugo Chavez to spend wildly to buy votes and it’s worked. The country will have to descend further into chaos before the people decide to turn their backs on elective dictatorship and turn toward representative government based on democratic principles, the rule of law, and limited governmental powers.
Extremely sad what happened in Venezuela and it should serve as a warning call for the rest of Latin America. Is democracy the answer to our problems or is too much democracy part of our problems? This situation clearly shows that democracy is a mean and not an end in itself as so many classical liberals in Latin America have tried to present it. Venezuela now boasts a democratically elected dictator.