"He is supporting social programs by bleeding the state oil company PDVSA, which accounts for 95% of export revenues and 12% of the GDP, " William Ratliff, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, recently wrote.

CNN: Chavez leaves Venezuelan economy more equal, less stable

"Today Europe is suffering an economic crisis, and its export reputation doesn't hold true anymore, while America is bleeding economically because of all the wars it is involved in, " his last message said.

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