Venezuela in the abyss

THE EDITOR: Venezuela's descent into abysmal self-destruction did not happen overnight.

For many decades capable elites neglected to engage the less fortunate who were the great majority. It is not that there were too many lazy people and they would require fixed economic arrangements that ultimately were too expensive – that is the caricature by which they are kept to the margins.

Ten-year and fifteen-year policy cycles are typical bureaucratic methodology and practice and the corporate world has its own styles. But people who can not readily participate in the meritocracy can and will contribute nonetheless by their everyday work. It is their inherent right. It also obliges and dignifies. The provisions that need to be made for those types of activities require more imagination and flexibility not less; and they are tailored on this dignity to the limitations and potentials of the person.

The burdens of crafting and managing them is precisely on the more gifted. A more generous discretion about person, allocation, details, performance and reciprocal growth, is needed. So it is also accountable.

Instead, divisiveness and rigidity in Venezuela amounted to positive encouragement for radicalism to go over to Chavism – political conditions that also gave the upper hand to Chavez and his cohorts at home and outside. Elitists accepted for the worst to occur and some members of the clergy even fell in for liberationism. I hope this never comes to pass here.

ELIAS GALY via e-mail