Chavismo and the Economy

Back before the collapse of the Soviet Union, there were plenty of examples of what happens once the price mechanism is suspended and decisions regarding resource allocations are assigned to the state. Fortunately, Venezuela provides us with some modern day examples. Here are a few quotes from an interesting piece by William Neuman in the NYT:

“The bottlenecks at a major port were so bad this year that Christmas trees from Canada were delayed for weeks, and when they did show up they cost hundreds of dollars. A government-run ice cream factory opened with great fanfare, only to shut down a day later because of a shortage of basic ingredients.  Foreign currency is so hard to come by that automakers cannot get parts and new cars are almost impossible to buy. And all this happened while the economy was growing…”

and

“Mr Chávez’s own record is mixed. After doing little to address a deep housing shortage, he has given away tens of thousands of homes, but the rush to build meant that many were plagued by construction flaws or other problems. He has used price controls to make food affordable for the poor, but that has contributed to shortages in basic goods. He created a popular program of neighborhood clinics often staffed by Cuban doctors, but hospitals frequently lack basic equipment.”

Venezuela stands at the intersection of socialism, crony capitalism, and the resource curse.  The future looks quite uncertain given the legacies of current policies, the impending recession, a stagnant oil industry, and  the intense power struggles that will arise post-Chávez.