How has Venezuela changed since Hugo Chavez took power?

Indicator 1999 2010 2011 Source Population growth (annual%) 1.9 1.5 World Bank Population, total 23,867,000 29,278,000 World Bank GDP per capita (current US$) 4,105 10,810 World Bank Unemployment, total (% of total labor force)        14.5 World Bank Colombian refugees (and people in refugee-like situations) in Venezuela 50 201,941 UNHCR Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births)        20 13 World Bank Households (% of total declared) Extreme poverty - second half 19.3 7 Instituto Nacional de Estadística, INE Population (% of total declared) Extreme poverty-second half 23.4 8.5 Instituto Nacional de Estadística, INE OPEC Net Oil Export Revenues, Nominal (billion $) 14.4 60 OPEC, EIA Inflation, average consumer prices (Percent change) 23.57 28.187 26.09 IMF Intentional homicide, number per 100,000 5,968 13,080 UNODC Intentional homicide, rate per 100,000 25 45.1 UNODC

It has been 14 years since Venezuela's president won his first election. How has the country changed since Hugo Chavez took power? • Explore the interactive • More data journalism and data visualisations from the Guardian Key indicators that show how Venezuela has changed since Hugo Chavez first assumed office. Click on the image for the full size graphic Venezuela is getting ready for Sunday's elections when current President Hugo Chavez will face his main challenger, Henrique Capriles. If Chavez wins the vote he will gain another six years in office. The election also brings a variety of issues to light that have caused unease for Venezuela. Jonathan Watts in Caracas writes:     On a global level, Sunday's election is about who controls and distributes one of the world's biggest recoverable oil reserves. For ideologues, it is a frontline battle between Bolivarian socialism and neoliberalism. But for most Venezuelan voters, it is about safety, fairness and a character who arguably inspires more love and hate than almost any other politician in the world. But how have things changed since Hugo Chavez won his first election 14 years ago? By looking at key indicators we can see that poverty levels and illiteracy have fallen but violent crime and inflation has increased.

The rigid taining of Chinese athletes

By MATT BLAKE

PUBLISHED: 14:44 GMT, 1 August 2012 | UPDATED: 16:41 GMT, 1 August 2012

Her face etched with pain, a child trains for Olympic glory while her gymnastics trainer stands on her legs.

Hard training: Her face etched with pain, a child trains for Olympic glory while her gymnastics trainer stands on her legs.

The cartoon space rockets and animal astronauts on her tiny red leotard are a stark and powerful reminder of this little girl's tender age as she trains as hard as any adult athlete in the Western world.

Unhappy Muslims.....interesting observation

Now we know why they go around killing, bombing, burning and destroying indiscriminately ! "forgive them father for they know not what they do !"

Why are Muslims so backward and powerless?

Dr Farrukh Saleem

The writer is the Pakistani Executive Director of the Centre for Research and Security Studies, a think tank established in 2007 and an Islamabad-based freelance columnist.

We Muslims must wonder why is that only Muslim States like Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya are being attacked by the Christian West.

Why do we get pushed around by them with the former President of the US George Bush calling it a crusade?

Kurup feeling the heat in Pensiangan

PBRS president Joseph Kurup is desperately trying to
counter claims that the BN government had ignored
his constituency.

KENINGAU: Pensiangan MP Joseph Kurup, worried that his time in power is nearing an end, is doing his best to argue that he has brought development to his rural constituency.

With dissatisfaction growing over the slow pace of development in a state listed as among the poorest in the nation, Sabah Barisan Nasional government leaders are watching their backs as the general election approaches.

Kurup, who is also president of BN component Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS), is no exception.

Do you want the devil you know?

Source

BN happens to have been in federal government for so long that people tend to automatically assume they have the required leadership. 

Kee Thuan Chye

I’m finding this frequent comment by people rather irksome: “But does Pakatan Rakyat (PR) have leadership? Can it take over the federal government?”

I’m prompted to ask: What do they mean by “leadership”? Is the Barisan Nasional (BN) leadership the kind we want?

I’d take it further: Does BN have leaders? I mean, real leaders?