Op-ed by Venezuela's prez in NY Times

New York Times, just like CNN, will do anything to make a few pennies.  Not that I am against such op-eds.  I like reading or listening to all views.  Freedom of speech for one and all.  Bring it on. 

But, why is someone not questioning Nicolas Maduro what the government has been doing with all the money from the oil sales. Yes, we understand that they now have good health care for each and every citizen like he states ... but what about staple food to keep them alive and healthy?  Why is nobody interviewing him about why we have seen evidence of Venezuelans standing in never-ending queues at the grocery stores for the most  basic of items?  Why is Venezuela not able to set up their own factories for manufacturing the various items needed by its citizens instead of blaming others for holding up supplies?  Why is Venezuela not making use of its vast lands to grow wheat, rice or corn and have these staples on hand without relying on prompt supplies from other countries?  Why are Venezuelans not given the basic education in agriculture and in learning the most important language in the universe .... English?

Nicolas Maduro writes:
...The recent protests in Venezuela  have made international headlines. Much of the foreign media coverage has distorted the reality of my country and the facts surrounding the events.

Venezuelans are proud of our democracy. We have built a participatory democratic movement from the grass roots that has ensured that both power and resources are equitably distributed among our people.



According to the United Nations, Venezuela has consistently reduced inequality: It now has the lowest income inequality in the region. We have reduced poverty enormously — to 25.4 percent in 2012, on the World Bank’s data, from 49 percent in 1998; in the same period, according to government statistics, extreme poverty diminished to 6 percent from 21 percent.

We have created flagship universal health care and education programs, free to our citizens nationwide. We have achieved these feats in large part by using revenue from Venezuelan oil.

While our social policies have improved citizens’ lives over all, the government has also confronted serious economic challenges in the past 16 months, including inflation and shortages of basic goods. We continue to find solutions through measures like our new market-based foreign exchange system, which is designed to reduce the black market exchange rate. And we are monitoring businesses to ensure they are not gouging consumers or hoarding products. Venezuela has also struggled with a high crime rate. We are addressing this by building a new national police force, strengthening community-police cooperation and revamping our prison system.



Since 1998, the movement founded by Hugo Chávez has won more than a dozen presidential, parliamentary and local elections through an electoral process that former American President Jimmy Carter has called “the best in the world.” Recently, the United Socialist Party received an overwhelming mandate in mayoral elections in December 2013, winning 255 out of 337 municipalities.

Popular participation in politics in Venezuela has increased dramatically over the past decade. As a former union organizer, I believe profoundly in the right to association ........