http://www.nextbillion.net/blogs/2007/12/04/hugo-chavez-and-the-bottom-of-the-pyramid-can-utopia-be-overcome Comments for "Hugo Chavez and the Bottom of the Pyramid: Overcoming "Utopia"" en http://www.nextbillion.net/blogs/2007/12/04/hugo-chavez-and-the-bottom-of-the-pyramid-can-utopia-be-overcome#comment-19270 It is great to see this nuanced perspective on what has been a largely political discussion. It's an interesting question - how does Chavez's vision truly impact the potential for development in a country still racked by poverty? Having spent time in Venezuela, where my father was born, over the past few years, listening to the concerns and frustrations of people I know there from a young cousin looking for work, to a mesero in an areparia, I have seen a growing sense of anxiety about the direction Chavez is taking the country. While it's true that Venezuela has dealt with its share of oligarchies and corruption, the people I talk to are nore focused on their own opportunities to live in Venezuela and build something. When success is considered disloyal, and education is disdained as elitist; when the government assumes responsibility for redistributing wealth, with no thought to supporting the creation of wealth, then the basic desire to link work with reward is denied. Chaves has an opportunity, if he heeds the will of most Venezuelans, to foster more egalitarian systems while respecting the role of creative, hardworking and entreprenuerial Venezuelans to build strong local institutions that can help Venezuela move towards self-sufficiency. <br class="clear" /> Wed, 05 Dec 2007 01:04:35 -0500 Yasmina comment 19270 at http://www.nextbillion.net http://www.nextbillion.net/blogs/2007/12/04/hugo-chavez-and-the-bottom-of-the-pyramid-can-utopia-be-overcome <p style="padding: 5px; float: left;"><img src="http://www.nextbillion.net/files/images/chavezrevolutionary0508.img_assist_custom.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image img_assist_custom" width="175" height="136" /></p>Usually, I stand by the belief that bringing politics into development discussions is a recipe for disaster for anyone – be they journalist, blogger, development planner or, above all, the target &quot;beneficiary.&quot;<br /> <br /> Today, however, I can’t resist pointing to the political events in Venezuela (the extremely narrow 51-49% defeat of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Ch%C3%A1vez" target="_blank">Hugo Chavez</a>’s <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/03/world/americas/03venez-iht.html?n=Top/News/World/Countries%20and%20Territories/Venezuela" target="_blank">sweeping constitutional reform package</a> two days ago), with the hope that they will spark discussion on NextBillion about what this means for the BoP. (For worldwide news perspectives on these events, <a href="http://english.eluniversal.com/2007/12/03/en_refco_art_foreign-media-on-the_03A1242319.shtml" target="_blank">click here</a>).<br /><br /> What does the situation in Venezuela say about the state of the BoP and viability of market-based solutions to create sustainable development, especially where other traditional development mechanisms (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_direct_investment" target="_blank">FDI</a> and government-backed policies) have yet to succeed?<br /><br />(Click &quot;Read More&quot; to continue reading this post)<br /> <br class="clear" /><p><a href="http://www.nextbillion.net/blogs/2007/12/04/hugo-chavez-and-the-bottom-of-the-pyramid-can-utopia-be-overcome">read more</a></p> http://www.nextbillion.net/blogs/2007/12/04/hugo-chavez-and-the-bottom-of-the-pyramid-can-utopia-be-overcome#comment Business Development Education Energy Health Marketing Miscellaneous Strategy The Policy Agenda Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:54:07 -0500 Abigail Keene-Babcock 4916 at http://www.nextbillion.net