Sunday, March 31, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
While Recruiting Time Kills All Deals
From a recruiter’s standpoint, a delay in the hiring process is the most common factor that prevents a successful hire. A delay can range from too much time between interviews, to postponement of getting an offer together, to putting a position “on hold”, etc. Below are a few things to avoid during the hiring process…
Extended time between interviews
If you have one interview with a person and you interested in moving forward, you should schedule the second interview within 48 hours. I am not saying the interview needs to take place within 48 hours, but it should be scheduled. Every day that goes by between a first interview and the scheduling of the second, a candidate will second guess how well things went. Their friends and family will ask if they have heard back, and the more time that goes by that they haven’t, they will start to convince themselves that they really weren’t that interested anyway… they will go into protection mode so to speak. And even if the company does finally call back, it shows a level of indecisiveness and disorganization on their part, so the candidate may decide this is not a company they want to work for in the first place.
Delay in making an offer
Depending on the position and situation, if the interview process is complete and you are interested in making an offer, a verbal offer should be extended within 5 days of the final interview. Should there be other candidates involved in the process causing the offer to take longer than the 5 day window, there should be clear communication and continued conversations with the candidate to keep the interest alive. Similarly to the interview example, the longer time that goes by after completing the process that a candidate does not receive an offer, the more chance of the “protection” mode kicking in and them deciding that they weren’t really that interested in the opportunity after all.
Lack of keeping in touch with a candidate throughout process as well as if the position is put on hold
As stated above, if there is going to be a delay between interviews due to uncontrollable circumstances, this should be something that is overly communicated with the candidate. Don’t assume that you can tell them initially that you won’t be making decisions for a couple of weeks and without further communication expect them to be interested and available at that time. You need to stay in contact with them throughout this time to reassure them that you are still interested. A quick phone call and/or email will go a long way. On the same note, if a position gets put on hold, remain in regular contact with any candidates that you had interest in. They may still be available when the position re-opens and you will have established some rapport with them. If they are not available, you will have left a good impression of the company and they may have referrals.
The bottom line, the more time that takes a company to move through the interview process, extend an offer, and set a start date, the less chance they have of landing their ideal candidate.
Time Kills All Deals Posted on March 21, 2013 by Allison Harrison
Extended time between interviews
If you have one interview with a person and you interested in moving forward, you should schedule the second interview within 48 hours. I am not saying the interview needs to take place within 48 hours, but it should be scheduled. Every day that goes by between a first interview and the scheduling of the second, a candidate will second guess how well things went. Their friends and family will ask if they have heard back, and the more time that goes by that they haven’t, they will start to convince themselves that they really weren’t that interested anyway… they will go into protection mode so to speak. And even if the company does finally call back, it shows a level of indecisiveness and disorganization on their part, so the candidate may decide this is not a company they want to work for in the first place.
Delay in making an offer
Depending on the position and situation, if the interview process is complete and you are interested in making an offer, a verbal offer should be extended within 5 days of the final interview. Should there be other candidates involved in the process causing the offer to take longer than the 5 day window, there should be clear communication and continued conversations with the candidate to keep the interest alive. Similarly to the interview example, the longer time that goes by after completing the process that a candidate does not receive an offer, the more chance of the “protection” mode kicking in and them deciding that they weren’t really that interested in the opportunity after all.
Lack of keeping in touch with a candidate throughout process as well as if the position is put on hold
As stated above, if there is going to be a delay between interviews due to uncontrollable circumstances, this should be something that is overly communicated with the candidate. Don’t assume that you can tell them initially that you won’t be making decisions for a couple of weeks and without further communication expect them to be interested and available at that time. You need to stay in contact with them throughout this time to reassure them that you are still interested. A quick phone call and/or email will go a long way. On the same note, if a position gets put on hold, remain in regular contact with any candidates that you had interest in. They may still be available when the position re-opens and you will have established some rapport with them. If they are not available, you will have left a good impression of the company and they may have referrals.
The bottom line, the more time that takes a company to move through the interview process, extend an offer, and set a start date, the less chance they have of landing their ideal candidate.
Time Kills All Deals Posted on March 21, 2013 by Allison Harrison
Friday, March 15, 2013
How the White House thinks about climate change, in 7 charts
Posted by Brad Plumer on March 15, 2013 at 11:22 am
The latest Economic Report of the President has a whole chapter on energy and climate change that’s worth reading as a window into how the White House thinks about the topic. Here’s the basic story in chart form:
1) If the world doesn’t tackle global warming soon, the United States will get uncomfortably hot. “For example, according to the USGCRP estimates, under a high-emissions scenario, areas of the Southeast and Southwest that currently experience an average of 60 days a year with a high temperature above 90°F will experience 150 or more such days by the end of the century.”
2) U.S. carbon-dioxide emissions are falling, but the country’s nowhere near on pace to meet its climate goals. Under the Copenhagen Accord, President Obama promised a 17 percent cut in emissions below 2005 levels by 2020. We’re not quite there.
3) Most of the recent drop in emissions has been due to the recession. That said, improved energy efficiency and a shift from coal to renewable energy and natural gas have also played a big role.
4) The U.S. economy is still heavily dependent on fossil fuels. And note that even when it comes to renewable energy, wind and solar still play a small role comparedi to biomass, biofuels, and hydropower:
5) Natural gas is going to continue to dominate for years to come. The White House is bullish on the shale-gas boom. Natural gas competes with coal and is a lot cleaner —producing fewer carbon emissions and other pollutants. But there are still concerns about planet-warming methane leaks.
6) Wind power has also seen rapid growth over the past decade. And the White House wants it to continue: “President Obama has set a goal of once again doubling generation from wind, solar, and geothermal sources by 2020, and has called on Congress to make the renewable energy Production Tax Credit permanent and refundable.”
7) The United States is getting more efficient in using energy, but it’s not quite as efficient as Germany or Japan. The White House argues that the latter two countries have stricter building codes and fuel-efficiency standards, as well as denser development.
So that’s the basic situation, although there’s much, much more detail in the report. Here’s how the White House sums things up:
The scientific consensus is that the anthropogenic emission of greenhouse gases is causing climate change. The results can be seen already in higher temperatures and extreme weather, and these are but precursors of what lies ahead. Although greenhouse gas emissions and climate change are global problems, the United States is in a unique position to tackle these challenges and to provide global leadership.
The Nation has made substantial progress toward the Administration’s ambitious short-term Copenhagen targets for reducing emissions of carbon dioxide, but much difficult work lies ahead. Undertaking this work, which reflects the Administration’s commitment to future generations, entails many policy steps that are economically justified by the negative externalities imposed by greenhouse gas emissions.
Policies to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases include market-based policies; encouraging energy efficiency; direct regulation; encouraging fuel switching to reduced-emissions fuels; and supporting the development and widespread adoption of zero-emissions energy sources such as wind and solar. And, as the country reduces emissions along this path, it also needs to prepare for the climate change that is occurring and will continue to occur.
The latest Economic Report of the President has a whole chapter on energy and climate change that’s worth reading as a window into how the White House thinks about the topic. Here’s the basic story in chart form:
1) If the world doesn’t tackle global warming soon, the United States will get uncomfortably hot. “For example, according to the USGCRP estimates, under a high-emissions scenario, areas of the Southeast and Southwest that currently experience an average of 60 days a year with a high temperature above 90°F will experience 150 or more such days by the end of the century.”
2) U.S. carbon-dioxide emissions are falling, but the country’s nowhere near on pace to meet its climate goals. Under the Copenhagen Accord, President Obama promised a 17 percent cut in emissions below 2005 levels by 2020. We’re not quite there.
3) Most of the recent drop in emissions has been due to the recession. That said, improved energy efficiency and a shift from coal to renewable energy and natural gas have also played a big role.
4) The U.S. economy is still heavily dependent on fossil fuels. And note that even when it comes to renewable energy, wind and solar still play a small role comparedi to biomass, biofuels, and hydropower:
5) Natural gas is going to continue to dominate for years to come. The White House is bullish on the shale-gas boom. Natural gas competes with coal and is a lot cleaner —producing fewer carbon emissions and other pollutants. But there are still concerns about planet-warming methane leaks.
6) Wind power has also seen rapid growth over the past decade. And the White House wants it to continue: “President Obama has set a goal of once again doubling generation from wind, solar, and geothermal sources by 2020, and has called on Congress to make the renewable energy Production Tax Credit permanent and refundable.”
7) The United States is getting more efficient in using energy, but it’s not quite as efficient as Germany or Japan. The White House argues that the latter two countries have stricter building codes and fuel-efficiency standards, as well as denser development.
So that’s the basic situation, although there’s much, much more detail in the report. Here’s how the White House sums things up:
The scientific consensus is that the anthropogenic emission of greenhouse gases is causing climate change. The results can be seen already in higher temperatures and extreme weather, and these are but precursors of what lies ahead. Although greenhouse gas emissions and climate change are global problems, the United States is in a unique position to tackle these challenges and to provide global leadership.
The Nation has made substantial progress toward the Administration’s ambitious short-term Copenhagen targets for reducing emissions of carbon dioxide, but much difficult work lies ahead. Undertaking this work, which reflects the Administration’s commitment to future generations, entails many policy steps that are economically justified by the negative externalities imposed by greenhouse gas emissions.
Policies to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases include market-based policies; encouraging energy efficiency; direct regulation; encouraging fuel switching to reduced-emissions fuels; and supporting the development and widespread adoption of zero-emissions energy sources such as wind and solar. And, as the country reduces emissions along this path, it also needs to prepare for the climate change that is occurring and will continue to occur.
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
Buda semirip iktidar degisince musluklari tikanmis salon adaminin isyan oykusu!
Isine gelmeyince nasilda igneliyor... Tansu, Yilmaz, Deniz senelerce beslemis simdi 5 rekat zor geliyor. Madem bu kadar hassastin bu kuklalarin iktidara gelmesine canak tutan obur gotlere neden telgraf cekmedin hocam???
Yayın tarihi 17 Şubat 2008.
O tarihte Mektubu yazan 77 yaşında olan Pet Holding Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı Güntekin Köksal...
Başbakan Recep Tayyip Erdoğan'a yazılıyor. Serpil Yılmaz da bu mektubu köşesinde "Açık mektup" olarak yayımlanıyor.
Ve bugün...
Aradan 4 yıl geçmiş...
Bugün bakıyoruz aynı mektup tekrar tekrar yayımlanıyor.
MEKTUB Ankara'ya Başbakanlık adresine postalanmis. Sizinle paylaşıyorum. İşte o mektup, "Sayın Başbakan, Ben müsaadenizle önce kısaca kendimi tanıtayım.
77 yaşında bir işadamıyım.
Devlet bursu ile Avrupa'da okudum.
Maden ve petrol konulannda 2 master yaptım. Yurda döndükten sonra 10 senesi Batman'da olmak üzere 17 sene TPAO'da çalıştım. 34 senedir de 1974'te kurduğum Pet Holding şirketlerini yönetiyorum.
SSCB, Almanya, Rusya, Kazakistan, Azerbaycan ve Yemen'de başanlı yatınmlar yaptım. Halen Türkiye, Kuzey Irak ve Yemen'de çok değerli sahalarda petrol üretimi yatınmlanm var. Çeşitli konularda ilklere imza atan, girişken bir müteşebbisim.
Sigortasız adam çalıştırmam.
Vergi kaçırmam...
Köklü bir aileden geliyorum.
Dedelerim, sadrazam, vezir, asker olarak ülkemize hizmet etmiştir. Atatürk ve devrimlerine çok bağlıyım. Atatürk olmasaydı ve bu devrimleri yapmasaydı bugün bizim dinimiz ve ismimizin de aynı kalması imkânı olmadığına inanırım.
Kısacası yüzde yüz bir Atatürk çocuğuyum.
Allah'a inancım tamdır..
Allah'ın dürüst, çalışkan, doğru insanların daima yanında olduğuna tecrübelerimle de inanınm. Türkiye'den kolay kolay vatan haini çıkmaz. Sizin ülkenizi sevdiğinize ve kendi stilinizde ülkemizi kalkındırmaya çalıştığınıza inanıyorum.
Zeki, çalışkan ve çok karizmatik bir karaktere sahip olduğunuzu da biliyorum. Ancak ülkenin bugünkü durumunu üzülerek söyleyeyim ki hiç iyi görmüyorum. Hemen sinirlendiğinizi, kızdığınızı ve söylendiğinizi görüyorum.
Medyaya sinirli, sert, kinci beyanatlar veriyorsunuz. Bir başbakanın her dakika sinirlenmeye hakkı yoktur.
Ülke bölünüyor...
Biz ve onlar diyorsunuz.
Bu ne demek?
Tarihimizde hiçbir başbakan halka böyle hitap etmemiştir.
Kendinize hâkim olun!
Senelerce üniversitelerde hocalık yaptım. Konferanslar verdim.
Babanız yaşındayım.
Üniversitede hocayım.
Bu yüzden hiçbir işadamının yapamadığı bu ikazlan yapmaya hakkım var.
Sayın Başbakan! Müsaadenizle size birtakım tavsiyelerde bulunuyorum: Bugün çok güçlüsünüz.
Ya yann? Allah bilir!!! İnsanlar kendilerini en güçlü hissettikleri zamanlarda en büyük hatalan yaparlar. Tarihte bu husus defaatla sabittir.
Ancak şu atasözünü hiç unutmayın! "Böbürlenme padişahım, senden büyük Allah var" "Keskin sirke küpüne zarar verir!" Sinirlerinize hâkim olun! Bağınp çağınp kötü konuşmayın.
İnsan kalbi sırça gibidir.
Kırdığınızda tamiri imkânsızdır.
Çok ağır konuşuyorsunuz.
Aydınlara, medyaya, yargıya, üniversitelere değer verin, görüşün, fikirlerini alın! Onlar da bu memleketin çocuklanü! Onlann fikirleri, görüşleri, bilgileri, tavsiyeleri etrafınızdaki çok kişiden daha değerli olabilir. Her güçlü kişinin etrafının "evet efendimciler", "dalkavuklar" tarafından sanlmış olduğunu bilmeniz lazım.
Etrafınızdaki]erin çoğunluğu her şeyi size soruyorlar. Her şeyi hiç kimse bilemeyeceği gibi siz de bilemezsiniz.
Bilmediklerinizi açıkça söyleyin. Her hususta fikir beyan etmeyin, danışın, öğrenin. Monolog yapıyorsunuz. Diyalog yapmaya çalışın! Hayvanlar koklaşarak, insanlar konuşarak anlaşırlar.
Sadece sizin gibi düşünenleri işlerin başına getirmeyin! Bugün birçok kamu müessesemizin işi bilmeyenler tarafından yönetildiğini görüyorum.
Kadro laşmayın! Sadece sempatizanlarınızı veya öyle görünenleri kadrolara yerleştirmeyin.
"Hayır! Yapmıyorum!" demeyin.
Ben Ankara'da yaşıyorum.
Duyuyor, kontrol ediyor ve görüyorum. Kapasitesiz, bilgisiz insanlar önce memlekete, sonra size zarar verir. ( Gercekden bu tiplerin sayısı her gün artıyor , zaran RTE'na da olacak..)
Diktatörleşmeyin! Milletvekillerinize dahi beyanat vermeyi yasaklamayın! Medyayla, aydınlarla, yargıyla, askerle, üniversitelerle inatlaşmayın. Sadece türban serbestliğini Anayasa'mızda değiştirmek dahi AB'ye girmemize büyük bir engel olacaktır.
Laikliğe, sizin tabiriniz ile ciğerden inanın, güvenin. Laiklik dini özgürlüklerin değişmez kanunudur.
Bir hadis i şerif diyor ki: "CenatH Hak sevdiği yöneticilerin yanına açık sözlü danışmanlar nasip eder, sevmediklerine de dalkavuklar musallat eder." Sıkça bahsettiğiniz büyük Türk düşünürü Edebali Hazretleri'nin öğütlerini bir kez daha okumanızı, içtenlikle tavsiye ediyonım.
Saygılarımla...
Prof. Dr. H. Güntekin Köksal Pet Holding Yönetim Kunılıı Başkanı
Bir diger adiyla Kizil Milyarder!
Yayın tarihi 17 Şubat 2008.
O tarihte Mektubu yazan 77 yaşında olan Pet Holding Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı Güntekin Köksal...
Başbakan Recep Tayyip Erdoğan'a yazılıyor. Serpil Yılmaz da bu mektubu köşesinde "Açık mektup" olarak yayımlanıyor.
Ve bugün...
Aradan 4 yıl geçmiş...
Bugün bakıyoruz aynı mektup tekrar tekrar yayımlanıyor.
MEKTUB Ankara'ya Başbakanlık adresine postalanmis. Sizinle paylaşıyorum. İşte o mektup, "Sayın Başbakan, Ben müsaadenizle önce kısaca kendimi tanıtayım.
77 yaşında bir işadamıyım.
Devlet bursu ile Avrupa'da okudum.
Maden ve petrol konulannda 2 master yaptım. Yurda döndükten sonra 10 senesi Batman'da olmak üzere 17 sene TPAO'da çalıştım. 34 senedir de 1974'te kurduğum Pet Holding şirketlerini yönetiyorum.
SSCB, Almanya, Rusya, Kazakistan, Azerbaycan ve Yemen'de başanlı yatınmlar yaptım. Halen Türkiye, Kuzey Irak ve Yemen'de çok değerli sahalarda petrol üretimi yatınmlanm var. Çeşitli konularda ilklere imza atan, girişken bir müteşebbisim.
Sigortasız adam çalıştırmam.
Vergi kaçırmam...
Köklü bir aileden geliyorum.
Dedelerim, sadrazam, vezir, asker olarak ülkemize hizmet etmiştir. Atatürk ve devrimlerine çok bağlıyım. Atatürk olmasaydı ve bu devrimleri yapmasaydı bugün bizim dinimiz ve ismimizin de aynı kalması imkânı olmadığına inanırım.
Kısacası yüzde yüz bir Atatürk çocuğuyum.
Allah'a inancım tamdır..
Allah'ın dürüst, çalışkan, doğru insanların daima yanında olduğuna tecrübelerimle de inanınm. Türkiye'den kolay kolay vatan haini çıkmaz. Sizin ülkenizi sevdiğinize ve kendi stilinizde ülkemizi kalkındırmaya çalıştığınıza inanıyorum.
Zeki, çalışkan ve çok karizmatik bir karaktere sahip olduğunuzu da biliyorum. Ancak ülkenin bugünkü durumunu üzülerek söyleyeyim ki hiç iyi görmüyorum. Hemen sinirlendiğinizi, kızdığınızı ve söylendiğinizi görüyorum.
Medyaya sinirli, sert, kinci beyanatlar veriyorsunuz. Bir başbakanın her dakika sinirlenmeye hakkı yoktur.
Ülke bölünüyor...
Biz ve onlar diyorsunuz.
Bu ne demek?
Tarihimizde hiçbir başbakan halka böyle hitap etmemiştir.
Kendinize hâkim olun!
Senelerce üniversitelerde hocalık yaptım. Konferanslar verdim.
Babanız yaşındayım.
Üniversitede hocayım.
Bu yüzden hiçbir işadamının yapamadığı bu ikazlan yapmaya hakkım var.
Sayın Başbakan! Müsaadenizle size birtakım tavsiyelerde bulunuyorum: Bugün çok güçlüsünüz.
Ya yann? Allah bilir!!! İnsanlar kendilerini en güçlü hissettikleri zamanlarda en büyük hatalan yaparlar. Tarihte bu husus defaatla sabittir.
Ancak şu atasözünü hiç unutmayın! "Böbürlenme padişahım, senden büyük Allah var" "Keskin sirke küpüne zarar verir!" Sinirlerinize hâkim olun! Bağınp çağınp kötü konuşmayın.
İnsan kalbi sırça gibidir.
Kırdığınızda tamiri imkânsızdır.
Çok ağır konuşuyorsunuz.
Aydınlara, medyaya, yargıya, üniversitelere değer verin, görüşün, fikirlerini alın! Onlar da bu memleketin çocuklanü! Onlann fikirleri, görüşleri, bilgileri, tavsiyeleri etrafınızdaki çok kişiden daha değerli olabilir. Her güçlü kişinin etrafının "evet efendimciler", "dalkavuklar" tarafından sanlmış olduğunu bilmeniz lazım.
Etrafınızdaki]erin çoğunluğu her şeyi size soruyorlar. Her şeyi hiç kimse bilemeyeceği gibi siz de bilemezsiniz.
Bilmediklerinizi açıkça söyleyin. Her hususta fikir beyan etmeyin, danışın, öğrenin. Monolog yapıyorsunuz. Diyalog yapmaya çalışın! Hayvanlar koklaşarak, insanlar konuşarak anlaşırlar.
Sadece sizin gibi düşünenleri işlerin başına getirmeyin! Bugün birçok kamu müessesemizin işi bilmeyenler tarafından yönetildiğini görüyorum.
Kadro laşmayın! Sadece sempatizanlarınızı veya öyle görünenleri kadrolara yerleştirmeyin.
"Hayır! Yapmıyorum!" demeyin.
Ben Ankara'da yaşıyorum.
Duyuyor, kontrol ediyor ve görüyorum. Kapasitesiz, bilgisiz insanlar önce memlekete, sonra size zarar verir. ( Gercekden bu tiplerin sayısı her gün artıyor , zaran RTE'na da olacak..)
Diktatörleşmeyin! Milletvekillerinize dahi beyanat vermeyi yasaklamayın! Medyayla, aydınlarla, yargıyla, askerle, üniversitelerle inatlaşmayın. Sadece türban serbestliğini Anayasa'mızda değiştirmek dahi AB'ye girmemize büyük bir engel olacaktır.
Laikliğe, sizin tabiriniz ile ciğerden inanın, güvenin. Laiklik dini özgürlüklerin değişmez kanunudur.
Bir hadis i şerif diyor ki: "CenatH Hak sevdiği yöneticilerin yanına açık sözlü danışmanlar nasip eder, sevmediklerine de dalkavuklar musallat eder." Sıkça bahsettiğiniz büyük Türk düşünürü Edebali Hazretleri'nin öğütlerini bir kez daha okumanızı, içtenlikle tavsiye ediyonım.
Saygılarımla...
Prof. Dr. H. Güntekin Köksal Pet Holding Yönetim Kunılıı Başkanı
Bir diger adiyla Kizil Milyarder!
Tuesday, March 05, 2013
President Hugo Chavez dies at 58; hero to Venezuela's poor
The charismatic leader won the loyalty of the impoverished with his socialist revolution, but he left the nation deeply divided and did little to help it develop, analysts say.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the charismatic socialist whose Bolivarian Revolution reduced poverty and galvanized anti-American sentiment across Latin America but left his nation deeply polarized and ever more dependent on oil dollars, died Tuesday in Caracas after a nearly-two-year battle with cancer. He was 58.
Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced the passing on national television, saying that Chavez had died at 4:25 p.m.
His death followed repeated treatments for pelvic cancer in Cuba, the country of his idol Fidel Castro, where his condition was first diagnosed in June 2011.
Although Chavez finally disclosed the gravity of his illness in December after months of insisting he was cancer-free, news of his death was expected to shake his bedrock supporters, Venezuela's poor. They were the biggest beneficiaries of his 14 years in power, a period in which opponents in the country's middle class and elite said he grew increasingly iron-fisted and autocratic.
Chavez returned home from Cuba on Feb. 18 following his most recent surgery and remained out of sight at a military hospital in Caracas. Though he had been scheduled to be sworn in for a fourth term on Jan. 10, the Venezuelan Supreme Court ruled he did not need to take the oath of office to remain president, a decision questioned by legal scholars.
His popularity with the poor helped propel him to victory in October balloting, gaining 55% of the vote despite rising crime, persistent scarcities of basic food items, double-digit inflation and unpopular foreign aid programs. His reelection was a testament to the near-religious devotion of Venezuela's impoverished to their comandante.
Chavez won the lower classes' support by redistributing the nation's vast oil wealth through welfare programs called missions, which set up medical clinics and schools, operated a chain of cut-rate grocery stores, and divvied up nationalized farms and ranches among cooperatives of the impoverished.
Daniel Hellinger, a political science professor at Webster University in St. Louis, said the welfare programs reduced Venezuela's poverty rate from close to 80% in the 1990s to about 20%, and wiped out illiteracy.
"To millions of poor Venezuelans excluded from meaningful participation in politics, Chavez offered hope for a new kind of democracy that would open doors of government to them," Hellinger said. "However much the system fell short of that aspiration, it was Chavez who gave voice to it."
Chavez maintained his link to the poor partly through his weekly "Alo Presidente" television show, during which he performed much like a televangelist spreading the gospel of his revolution.
But opponents criticized Chavez for concentrating power in the style of a classic Latin American caudillo, or military dictator. Although he was democratically elected four times, and won several nationwide referendums, he closed TV and radio stations critical of him, armed a civilian militia and brought the bureaucracy under close control, detractors said.
Chavez nationalized scores of energy, banking and telecommunications companies in addition to more than 1 million acres of farmland. That caused a steep decline in Venezuelan investment and productivity and made the nation ever more dependent on oil sales.
Despite the vast sums Venezuela collected over the last decade from its energy reserves, Chavez was forced to borrow more than $38 billion from the Chinese in the final years of his presidency to finance his domestic welfare and foreign aid programs. The loans are secured by future commitments to sell oil to Beijing.
"The poor have had more money to spend, but it's come at a great price," said Jeffrey Davidow, a former U.S. ambassador to Venezuela. "The money should have been put to productive use in industry, housing or education. So, in the long run, it hasn't been of much help to Venezuelans."
Chavez's influence extended far beyond Venezuela's borders. He roused Latin American opposition to the so-called Washington Consensus that developing nations should open their markets to free trade and foreign investors. He called President George W. Bush a terrorist for invading Afghanistan and the "devil" during a United Nations speech. He forged close links with other leftist leaders in the hemisphere, including Bolivia's Evo Morales and Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega.
That Chavez sought cancer treatment in Cuba was no coincidence. Chavez revered Castro and saw the Cuban revolution as a model for Venezuela. He gave generously to Cuba's shaky socialist state, reportedly supplying the nation with 100,000 barrels of crude per day at cut-rate prices. In exchange, Cuba sent 12,000 doctors, athletic trainers and security personnel to Venezuela.
Before leaving for Cuba in December, Chavez named Maduro as his successor. However, the vice president does not automatically serve the rest of Chavez's term. The Venezuelan Constitution requires that a new election be called within 30 days of the death or resignation of the incumbent. The ruling party is riven with factions and Maduro's nomination is not a sure thing, with National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello seen as his chief rival.