Venezuela and the C’bean after Chavez

KINGSTON, Jamaica - Readers of these columns are well aware that we have always been critical of the undemocratic actions of late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. For we hold firmly to the view that democracy demands the co-existence of opposing views, and people should not be punished for dissent.
No one can deny that President Chavez is loved by Venezuela's poor and working class because his wealth redistribution policies have helped many of them.
The upshot, though, is that many of the rich have fled the country, triggering a deceleration of private sector economic activity.