[Alan Ford]

Even as oil prices have soared, filling Venezuela's coffers with billions of petrodollars, the country's economic fortunes have suffered. About 80 percent of 23 million Venezuelans remain impoverished, but Chávez has been spending inordinate time traveling abroad, undertaking trips to China, the Middle East, and Cuba. He plans to visit Argelia and several European countries on Oct. 8-24.

Little bit misleading, Chavez has been in power for 2 years while this endemic poverty in Venezuela has been rampant scince the late 80's thanks to the now (discredited) "democratic" 2 ruling parties who when they swapped power thought they inherited a licence to steal.

That the Venezualan poor (voters) got fed up with the status quo and voted in a charachter like Chavez should surprise nobody

[Cincinatus' Wife]

That the Venezualan poor (voters) got fed up with the status quo and voted in a charachter like Chavez should surprise nobody

What he's done since taking office has suprise everyone.