Reading about this makes me so sad. I wonder if the people who supported Chavez back then still support him now? My fear is that they, even now, still don't blame him because they don't want to admit that they were so horribly, terribly wrong and instead still think he had the right heart but other factors like "the enemy party" dragged him down in secret despite him basically having total control of the government and economy.

Being able to speak to people's hearts is a very deadly skill, on the one hand you make people feel that you understand them (and it helps when you look like them), that way you make yourself look like the leader of the "tribe". Then your tribe looks up to you as a hero and savior, and becomes irrationally devoted to you, and the scariest part is that you don't even have to keep your promises anymore?

Hollywood stars definitely deserve to be denounced for meeting with the architect of one of the world's worst crises. Maybe they also were seduced by his words without bothering to check for accountability. A warning for celebrities to look both ways before meeting...

From what I understand, there's still no end in sight and Chavez's party is still in control, is that right? Probably still making out like bandits on the oil sales even as society implodes around them...