About as much as the former governments did, maybe more as oil prices have risen.
He has diverted funds from the middle and upper class to the lower masses.
Buying 40 helicopters and 50 Mig 29's? That'll help the "lower masses" plenty.
Baloney - poverty has shot up since this thug got his hands on the oil. His oil benefits a few cronies on the ground and most of the billions are in Cayman island banks or safe with fidel who's suddenly gotten a bunch of billions no one knows how he managed to get. There are gonna be some big news stories out there coming soon about chavez's massive oil ripoff. By their results do you judge them and right now, despite record-high oil prices, venezuela's poor are poorer than ever.