The moral of the story in Venezuela is the same as for the Cuban Revolution. Never underestimate how much people enjoy being sadistic toward one another once the politics of vengeance has given them a taste of it.

◼ What the Left Doesn’t Know about Hugo Chávez’s Venezuelan Supporters - Mario Loyola/National Review Online

As was the case with Fidel Castro, there are basically two kinds of people who supported Hugo Chávez. The kind that predominated outside of Venezuela liked him because (a) he was anti-American like them, and (b) they don’t know anything. The kind that predominated inside Venezuela supported him because (a) he was lower class like them, and (b) he gave the upper classes their long-overdue comeuppance, by whatever means necessary.