Monday 8 August 2011

Black beans, black gold, black future: Productivity in Venezuela

Black beans

When my grandfather was young, Venezuela used to be one of the main coffee exporters on Earth. We were actually exporting a little bit of coffee when Chávez came to power, twelve years ago, even if we had become heavily dependent on oil for several decades already. 

Now we are importing coffee. We are even importing black beans, which - belive m- can grow like magic in the Land of Grace. Chavismo says we are importing those things "because we consume too much", "because now everybody can buy more". The question is: why can't we produce more now? What is happening with the much touted projects for Indepencia Alimentaria?


Black oil

El Universal tells us that the state oil company PDVSA has increased its staff by 86% since 2006, from some 52816 to 99867 workers, while dropping production by 8%. Canadian journalist and excentric blogger Sapito is one of the few keeping track of the amusing oil-related promises of the Revolution.

Chavismo honchos can be divided in two main groups: military men and their families on one side and old commies and their families on the other. The old Venezuelan commies say up to this day the Soviet Union collapsed because of bureaucracy and only because of that. What is Venezuela's economy collapsing from?

Black future

Only due to 26% of oil price increase a year were we able to have GDP growth again, even if less than other Latin American countries without oil. What will happen when we don't have similar oil price increases anymore?

"¿Quién, a quién? Alcanzar y superar": Those rusty Soviets were the summit of efficiency compared to our military Bolivarcracy

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