Hugo Chávez
PER
Hugo Chávez Chávez
Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez has been spending billions of dollars in annual oil profits to provide education, health, and social services to millions of poor Venezuelans. Mr. Chávez insists that previous governments are equally responsible for the declining state of the country's roads and that opposition leaders exaggerate the extent of the problem. Mr. Chávez has approved a $24 million tax exemption for coastal businesses, offered subsidies of up to $68 a day to public transit vehicles, and has promised that an alternate route around the bridge will be completed by February. President Hugo Chávez has been spending the billions of dollars in annual oil profits to provide education, health and social services to millions of poor Venezuelans. Mr. Chávez insists that previous governments are equally responsible for the declining state of the country's roads and that opposition leaders exaggerate the extent of the problem. Mr. Chávez approved a $24 million tax exemption for coastal businesses, offered subsidies of up to $68 a day to public transit vehicles and promised that an alternate route around the bridge will be completed by February.