One would have thought all the pomp and glitz of 1970’s Caracas
had gone away following the ascension of Venezuelan President Chavez, but
Dana Vachon’s piece in Salon suggests it
is still there, writhing and strutting in all its thonged glory. The rich are still very riich and the poor are still
very poor, and the middle class is, well, non-existent.
Vachon’s piece is a great snapshot of modern-day Venezuela, from the sybaritic excesses of its wealthy and political
leaders, to the sickening sprawl of the slums, not to mention the constant fear of kidnapping, which is a bona-fide
business there.I was there ten years ago and fell in love with Venezuela. It’s sad that such a great place has yet to
get its sh#% together.