New York, 19 ago. (TMNews) – Gli agricoltori statunitensi ringraziano
il socialismo venezuelano. Il paradosso è evidenziato dal Wall Street
Journal, che dedica un articolo ai profitti in rialzo per i produttori
di riso – e non solo – che stanno beneficiando delle politiche
socialiste adottate del presidente Hugo Chavez, grande critico del
capitalismo e “dell’imperialismo” statunitense. Un’eredità paradossale
della rivoluzione – ora sulle spalle del successore, Nicolas Maduro –
iniziata 14 anni fa, con la nazionalizzazione delle grandi aziende
agricole, la ridistribuzione dei terreni e il controllo sui prezzi
alimentari, come strategia per aiutare i più poveri.
Una politica, però, che ha trasformato il Venezuela da Paese
esportatore a importatore di riso. Lo stesso è avvenuto anche per
acciaio, zucchero e altri beni, la cui produzione è calata al di sotto
delle necessità nazionali. Fino a poco tempo fa, il Venezuela era
largamente autosufficiente per carne bovina e caffè; ora li importa
entrambi.
U.S. Rice Farmers Cash In On Venezuelan Socialism
by Sara Schaefer Munoz
STUTTGART, Ark.—Steve Orlicek, a rice farmer here, is living the
American dream. He owns a thriving business; he vacations in the
Bahamas.
His good fortune springs from many roots, including an unlikely one: He is a prime beneficiary of the socialist economic policies of Hugo Chávez, Venezuela's late president and critic of what he called U.S. "imperialism."
It is a paradoxical legacy of Mr. Chávez's self-styled socialist revolution that his policies became a moneymaker for the capitalist systems he deplored. During his 14 years in power, he nationalized large farms, redistributed land and controlled food prices as part of a strategy to help the poor.
But these policies turned Venezuela from a net exporter to a net importer of rice—from farmers like Mr. Orlicek. "The rice industry has been very good to us," Mr. Orlicek said, sitting in his newly renovated home, appointed with a baby grand piano played by his wife, Phyllis...
His good fortune springs from many roots, including an unlikely one: He is a prime beneficiary of the socialist economic policies of Hugo Chávez, Venezuela's late president and critic of what he called U.S. "imperialism."
It is a paradoxical legacy of Mr. Chávez's self-styled socialist revolution that his policies became a moneymaker for the capitalist systems he deplored. During his 14 years in power, he nationalized large farms, redistributed land and controlled food prices as part of a strategy to help the poor.
But these policies turned Venezuela from a net exporter to a net importer of rice—from farmers like Mr. Orlicek. "The rice industry has been very good to us," Mr. Orlicek said, sitting in his newly renovated home, appointed with a baby grand piano played by his wife, Phyllis...
