Every traveler that I meet provides me with some degree of education or new information.
Recently, however ,I met a young man from Venezuela who totally change my perspective of that country. I now see th president in a new light- the same old corrupt leader practicing croneyism
instead of the savior of his people.
Stringent capital controls have been implemented in the country to keep money from leaving the country.
I had had the feeling that a man who has been so demonetized by the American political machine must have some rather redeeming qualities but according to this young man that this is not the case.
It is so unsafe -thanks to the influx of the Columbian mafia- that when this young man and his friend go out to a party they call each other when they return home to see if everyone had safely arrived home from the party. People are routinely assaulted and kidnap on the streets.
It is difficult to establish a business a the government controls all material and products and doles it out to the party faithful first and if one is not in the inner circle one is at the mercy of this outrageous croneyism.
The vast amount of oil money is not distributed to benefit all the people.
Venezuela is no longer remotely on my list of countries to explore as a potential second home.
It is never listed in International living magazine as a Latin American to consider retiring to.
I have less than two weeks before I leave this paradise called ,”Chiang Mai, Thailand.”
It is not perfect but in the rather imperfect world we live in it is a breathe of fresh air to us foreigners who enjoy our stay here.
