VenEconomy: The Darkest Hour is Just before the Dawn From the Editors of VenEconomy Latin American Herald Tribune March 4, 2016
VenEconomy started this window of opinion published on a daily basis since the dawn of the arrival of the late Hugo Chávez in power.
The everyday task of the editorial room of this publishing house was to analyze the most relevant facts of the day and write a few lines so that its faithful readers and listeners could have an idea on the events happening in Venezuela.
Unfortunately, nearly all the news developing in these more than fifteen years were rather gloomy. Only a few times a glimmer of hope was seen, but this did not take long in being extinguished by a painful blow delivered by the authors of the so-called "socialism of the 21st century."
During the years of Chávez in power, there was more than enough evidence that its policies made Venezuela walk the path of bitterness. That the civil, political and economic freedoms were constantly violated. That the rule of law was vanishing in the hands of a government clearly dictatorial in nature. A government whose aim was to destroy the country model that prevailed in Venezuela, in order to build the socialism of the 21st century.
First it went after agricultural lands, then after industries and companies, followed by rural and urban lands, until it managed to tear private property into pieces. While new evidence came up indicating that corruption was growing by leaps and bounds and going unpunished, that the economy would soon be torn to pieces and that international reserves would go down the drain, Chávez was making a move to obtain a "few billions of dollars" from the Central Bank of Venezuela, but ended up emptying the public coffers in a bottomless pit. A move aimed at ensuring that the system of controls would create serious inflationary pressures, which together with the attack on the private productive sector was not going to take long in generating scarcity and misery for the population.
Each policy he announced bore bad news for the country. Bad news that Chávez knew how to deal with a lot of efficiency and effectiveness, thanks to his communicational charisma and a "checkbook" full of money thanks to high oil prices.
But Chávez passed away. Nicolás Maduro took his place and based his administration on the harmful policies of his mentor, with several handicaps: zero charisma, less political preparation and knowledge on how to deal with critical situations, precarious political support and, above all, oil prices in free fall along with empty coffers, and an inefficient oil industry and crippled productive sector that, for being beset by the Government, prevents him from tackling the crisis.
Today it is perceived that Venezuela is in its darkest hour of the past two centuries. The economic, political and social chaos is widespread and unbearable.
But that same chaos can lead to the rebirth of a democratic society and move toward a new dynamic and market-oriented economy because, as the old saying goes, "the darkest hour is just before the dawn."
Since January 5 of this year, a new hope was awakened in Venezuela with the arrival of a strong democratic parliamentary majority hard won through the popular vote.
A National Assembly that today has the opportunity to firmly impose, and with the support of the population, the change required by Venezuela to turn away from the dictatorial path it walks today and lead the country to rebuild its democratic system, to restore the freedoms and independence of its public authorities and all the national media, and to impose the rule of law and justice.
But, just before this dawn takes place, the economic crisis that has forced thousands of companies to go out of business is closing this window of opinion, as well as the rest of the publications of this editorial group that started operations 34 years ago.
We say thanks to all our readers and listeners, and to all those who made this editorial dream possible!
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