August 19, 2016

In Venezuela there’s much human suffering because of lack of food and medicines; but petrol is 1 US$ CENT PER LITER!

Sir, I refer to your editorial "Venezuela’s problems can no longer be ignored" August 19.

Of course as a Venezuelan I pray for my country to get out of that tragic black hole into which crooks or naïve fools has submerged it controlling 97% of its export revenues. 

When we get out of it, which we will, we must see to never to fall into it again. And what we must do for that is to share out all oil revenues directly among the citizens, so to have our governments operate solely with the tax revenues provided by We the People.

But for the rest of the world, there also are important lessons to be learned. One is that stupid and irresponsible economic policies can cause just as much violation to human rights than any of those other sources usually identified. And when those economic crimes are especially grievous, those responsible for them should be prosecuted in international courts.

For instance, right now when there is huge human suffering in Venezuela, because of the lack of food and medicines; petrol (gas), even after it was raised a mindboggling 6.000 percent in February this year, is still being sold at less than ONE US$ CENT PER LITER - FOUR US$ CENTS PER GALLON.

That petrol should be sold, as a minimum, at its world price as a commodity. And the resulting revenues shared out equally to all, so that its citizens could be better positioned to deal with the de-facto state of emergency that exists; and petrol consumption would go down, and more petrol could be exported, and more food and medicines imported.

@PerKurowski ©