Foda of Venezuela
Francisco Javier Vargas G

Tuesday, 12 2008


The intention to bring in a non-exhaustive strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and threats to our beloved Venezuela is with the object of inviting readers to discuss this issue, complement, in order to create awareness in the community of the actual situation country and what we can do to correct the weaknesses and threats as also boost our strengths and realize our opportunities.

Strengths:

The availability of natural resources such as oil, gas, iron, bauxite, water, gold, diamonds, forests, accompanied by an enviable location for access to markets such as the US and EU. And cultural homogeneity, without racial prejudice. It is a powerful energy in Latin America, only in the area of San Juan de los Morros in the pit of Cariaco Guiria, there is more that geothermal energy reserves throughout Europe. Additionally, the country has abundant power.

Venezuela is a country relatively easy for success, for two reasons: it is a country that is growing, there is more room for the talent and creativity in other countries; second, the Venezuelan is excited about the projects he is involved easily.

Venezuela is a country open like few of any nationality can work without anyone bother, accepts their culture abroad.

It is a tolerant country like few and no discrimination between the sexes in professional work.

Opportunities:

It must seize the natural beauty tourism: hotel construction and related services.

Exploiting consistently mining, energy resources, agro-forestry and food items such as cocoa or rice.

Increasing non-traditional exports, such as soap operas, and the industry "Misses."

Projects of the oil opening.

Installing industries to add value to raw materials and can become exporter in the short term.

Concessions for highways and infrastructure in general.

Weaknesses:

There are many factors that increase the cost Venezuela. " Although not available until parameters defined and precise measurement is used rather to cover the entire cost and obstacles that hinder, expensive and in some cases, discarded the possibility of doing business in the country. These include:


Insecurity legal.

Insecurity personnel High interest rates, exchange control and price control: prelude to an economic crisis / social announced, with unpredictable consequences.

Weak infrastructure.

Inadequate preparation of human resources.

Fiscal policies that obstruct investment and technological backwardness.

Corruption, difficulty and obstacles in administrative procedures; Customs ineffective, arbitrary and corrupt.

The central government and state enterprises bad payers.

Voracidad tax Municipalities, which reached levels averaged 4.5% on Sales Gross.

Excesses of holidays, about 16 days a year.

The general attitude of Venezuelans. It seems that lacking conviction about what is possible for the country. There is no mystique or passion for the country.

Financial System weak and small.

Threats:

The radicalization of the political conflict, it will aggravate the ungovernability of the country. Uncertainty political, economic, on the ability of the current government to handle the problems that have on hand, especially overwhelmed shortages of products from the daily diet. You have a Congress that is not in tune with the situation, and unless the Judiciary.

Worsening international relations with its neighbor, Colombia, to divert attention to the serious internal problems.

Exagerada dependence on oil, which puts Venezuela in a position of vulnerability to fluctuations in the market. Insufficient investment and professionalism in the oil industry.

There is stability in the rules of the game. The policies are changing, incentives are few.

Emergence of a source of economic energy alternative to oil.

Increased crime at the deterioration in the quality of life, widespread poverty, declining opportunities, decentralization anarchic, fractionation of the Armed Forces and social disintegration.

The fundamental challenge in the country is to learn to govern. They are unable to assess efforts to generate and manage statistics, to identify the citizens of counting votes.

Damage / destruction of the fundamental institutions of the country.

(*) Former professor at the UCAB.