It seems, like others who try to follow his ideology in a democratic set up, Hugo Chávez's run of popularity is slowly coming to an end. According to The Economist, during the last 5 years of the Chávez presidency, the proportion of households below the poverty line increased by 11 percent, despite the increased "social spending". It's a sad day for Sri Lankan quasi-socialists, who used to sing his praises. Micheal Moynihan has more to say at Reason.