Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-02-11-Speech-4-201"
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"en.20100211.16.4-201"2
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"Mr President, we know that Venezuela is one of the most oil-rich countries in the world. We also know that this country has enormous hydroelectric power potential. Nonetheless, as we all know, the population of Venezuela is suffering the consequences of years of mismanagement. For decades, this country has not been able to invest its oil revenues in sustainable development or in developing infrastructure. The pegging of the national currency to the US dollar was probably another counterproductive move. Recently, President Chávez has tried to overcome this problem by depreciating the currency and getting public debt under control. However, the nationalisation of banks, expropriation and the temporary closure of food shops will probably not be sufficient to ward off the threat of runaway inflation for long.
President Chávez is pursuing a dirigistic economic policy, a centrally planned economy similar to those of other authoritarian regimes, which is undoubtedly and inevitably doomed to failure. The situation is likely to worsen even further, which will probably happen if food producers, who have been forced to produce food at fixed, non-market prices for years, attempt to rise up in protest at some point, wherever possible. I must also express my criticism of the fact that, in this precarious situation in which Venezuelans suffer from power cuts, water shortages and a deplorable economy, President Chávez has bought over USD 70 million worth of arms for the National Guard. This does not augur well, in particular in the context of the continued protests following the closure of a broadcaster critical of the government, in which students and opposition members have time and again clashed violently with the security forces.
Since, as we all agree, human rights are of particular concern to the European Union, we must make it our business to help. We must act, not only in cases involving violations of human rights, but also in exploring possibilities which could improve the conditions under which the population of Venezuela lives, without directly intervening in this country’s domestic affairs. Much diplomatic skill and sensitivity is required for this task. I hope that the European Union is in a position to do that."@en1
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