You are just as much of an expert as I am. I just look for solid facts and work backwards. Since I know debt very well, i can see through all this BS. Still you don't have to be an expert to see what I see. It's common sense.

Percentages don't mean anything.

$70 billion in debt means a lot.

$25 billion in reserves means a lot.

The highest death crime rate on Latam means a lot. Is this a sign of prosperity?

A shrinking population means a lot.

ALL and I mean ALL of the nationalized industries in Vz are decreasing in productivity substantially.

These are all fundamentals that cannot be swept under the rug. Forget about percentages and go find solid fundamental facts. Since engineering is your training treat this as an engineering exercise. If you are building a bridge do you go look for solid facts or do you rely on the beauty of the scenery to determine whether the bridge is buildable.

Those figures in that article are all beauty and unverifiable.

I wonder why Chavez after being defeated in the referendum is trying to go against the people and getting his way by decree. Does that imply that he is getting more support or less?

Build your bridge carefully!