People sometimes wonder, what did Venezuela’s leaders do that is or was so terrible that brought the once richest nation in South America to ruins. At the turn of the century, year 2000, Venezuela was the richest country in South America and the fourth richest in the world. Around that same time, the first Chavista government, Hugo Chavez, took office and remained there through tyrannical means until his death in the year 2013.

I will bless those who bless you (Israel), and I will curse those who curse you (Israel), and through you all nations will be blessed. – God.

After hearing a rumor that former (now deceased) President Hugo Chavez had cursed the State of Israel (God’s Holy Land and Chosen People), I did some research and found the video below which gives a great insight into the matter.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; And the knowledge of the Holy one is understanding. Proverbs 9:10

Editor’s Note: The timeline of the video above appears to contain an inaccuracy. Hugo Chavez died in 2013, not 2012.

As you can see from the video above, Hugo Chavez hated Israel. He even went as far as cursing Israel. God promised the descendants of Israel that He would bless those who bless them and curse those who curse them, and that all nations of the earth will be blessed through them. (Genesis 12:3).

Disclaimer: The video posted above was gleaned from the Facebook Page of Marco Picon. Marco Picon is not the author of this article, but he is the author of the book, “As Venezuela Has Done to Israel: Suffering the Consequences of mistreating the Hebrew People.”

Just about three years after that recorded instance of cursing Israel (there may have been others in other videos or unrecorded), Hugo Chavez died of cancer. It is important to note that cancer is a sickness that has happened to a lot of people, and to which many people are vulnerable, so whether this is simply a coincidence or an act of God is a matter of speculation and personal viewpoints. Those who are believers in the Christian and Jewish scriptures would be more inclined to think it is more than just a coincidence.

But that’s not all, Venezuela started to suffer from hyperinflation around 2012. That intensified throughout 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016, and led to food shortages, hunger, medicine shortage, and general deterioration of Venezuelan infrastructure. By 2020, more than 7 million Venezuelans had fled the country seeking refuge on foreign shores, many of them sleeping on the sidewalks and pavements of foreign countries. Venezuela and Venezuelans became a byword for contempt and poverty. People the world over couldn’t believe their eyes when they looked at Venezuela…a country with the world’s highest oil reserves on top of an abundance of gold, minerals, natural gas, timber, and a plethora of other resources. People keep asking, “what did Venezuelan leaders do that was so terrible that could have brought the country to these depths of despair?”

I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you. Genesis 12:3

Chavez Wanted to Become God-Like

Like the Pharaoh of Egypt who once enslaved the children of Israel, Hugo Chavez committed a wide range of atrocities against the Jewish people. He also closed the Israeli embassy in Caracas. Hugo Chavez obviously wanted to be seen as a God-Like savior of Venezuela. He projected the image of a strong, anti-imperialist freedom fighter fighting against white supremacy, and someone who also hated Jews, perhaps not realizing that in doing so he is crafting the glaring image of a racist for himself.

Hugo Chavez wanted to be God-like. He tried to stamp his name and image all across Venezuela and around the world. He tried to impress his name and status on peoples across Latin America by building health centers and other facilities named after him. There are statues of him erected all across Venezuela, either by him or his successor, Nicolas Maduro, who is a spitting image of the late dictator.

The video below shows Venezuelans pulling down a statue of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela on the 29th of July, 2024 during protests demanding that Nicolas Maduro steps down after losing the July 2024 national elections.

Since its re-formation around the year 1948, the Jewish State of Israel has been under constant bombardments by its Muslim neighbors. It seems from an outside perspective that Jews and Muslims are “fighting for the same God.” Muslims believe that God, whom they referred to as Allah, took the covenant away from the Jews and gave it to them through prophet Muhammad. Practicing Jews believe that God will never break His covenant with the children of Israel. What does the scripture say?

The Jewish Torah, some or all of which compose the old testament part of the Holy Bible, makes several strong references to God’s commitment to His chosen people. Here are some examples:

Can a woman forget her nursing child,
And not have compassion on the son of her womb?
Surely they may forget,
Yet I will not forget you. – Isaiah 49:15

In the above verses, God compares His love for Israel with the love of a mother for her young child. We all know of the strong, almost unfathomable, and mysterious love a mother develops for her child. But God says that His love for Israel is greater than a mother’s love for her child! He says that even though a mother may forget her child, He will not forget or abandon the children of Israel.

For I will contend with him who contends with you,
And I will save your children.
I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh,
And they shall be drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine.
All flesh shall know
That I, the Lord, am your Savior,
And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” – Isaiah 49:25-26

The Anti-Zionist Chavista Government

Chavismo is a political leadership model founded by and named after the late Hugo Chavez, the man who disregarded the warnings of God when he cursed Israel. Chavez, an otherwise strong and healthy man, got sick “mysteriously” with cancer and died after cursing Israel. His last words on his dying bed to his doctors were, “please don’t let me die.” But doctors do not have much power over life and death. Their role is very limited. It is the Supreme Creator of the Worlds, God, who has the final say.

Before dying, Hugo Chavez appointed Nicolas Maduro, a former bus driver, to be his successor and uphold the Chavismo business model.

It is very possible that Hugo Chavez brought a curse on Venezuela when he cursed God’s people, Israel. But will this curse ever be broken? In my opinion and understanding, taking into account several biblical stories, the curse can be broken when the Chavista government is defeated and banished from Venezuela. As long as Venezuela is being ruled by the Chavista government model, founded by Hugo Chavez, it would be under the same curse brought by Hugo Chavez when he cursed Israel.

The Chavista government has committed terrible atrocities on the people of Venezuela. It has overseen food and medicine shortages and mass migration in the millions. It is estimated that by 2025, about 10 million Venezuelans will have migrated to foreign shores, many of them sleeping on the sidewalks and pavements of foreign countries. Countless Venezuelan women have become victims of human trafficking, prostitution, rape, extortion, and violent crimes because of Hugo Chavez, Nicolas Maduro and their illegitimate Chavista government.

Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro are also guilty of a wide range of human rights abuses committed on the people of Venezuela, including but not limited to, the deaths and imprisonment of protestors, kidnappings, murders, disappearances of people, theft and misuse of state funds, and much more. Nicolas Maduro is currently hanging on by a thread, holding the Venezuelan people hostage through the corrupted use of the armed forces.

Today, a brave, strong woman, Maria Corina Machado, is trying to defeat the Chavista government and banish it from Venezuela forever. Maria Corina Machado, a right-wing capitalist, has promised to reopen the Israeli Embassy in Venezuela, and renew friendship with Israel. All well-meaning and right thinking people around the world, in and out of Venezuela, should join forces and lend strength to the Main Opposition party led by Edmundo Gonzalez and Maria Corina, and help to eradicate the curse of Nicolas Maduro and Chavismo from Venezuela.