Fortunately, Venezuelans are quite adaptable, and have even taken in their stride the sharp increase in kidnappings, currently quadruple those in Medellín, Colombia. Kidnappings here fall into two categories. There are the high-ransom, well-organised ones, plotted with the aid of Facebook pages, which reveal where the wealthy go, with whom and in what car.

Then there's the quick, opportunistic ones for small amounts of money, known as "kidnap express," which recently happened to a friend of mine. As she left her Las Mercedes (think Mayfair) hairdresser and put her key in the door of her Mercedes, a Jeep full of young thugs pulled up behind her and they drew their guns. "Get in," they said. "And phone your husband and tell him you won't be coming home unless he gets us $50,000 tonight." She phoned him, he paid, and then she found a hairdresser with valet parking.

Besides the endemic fear of violence, there are the food shortages. For months, Chávez's price controls meant that food staples such as beans, corn flour, milk and eggs could rarely be found. When they were, three-hour Soviet-style queues ensued. When Chávez handed out packets of powdered milk to compensate, the bellies of recipients were painted Chávez red, though branding them like cattle might have been more effective.

While Venezuelans go hungry, Chávez sees himself as a global player, spreading his influence throughout the region, funding and aiding Raul Castro in Cuba, Evo Morales in Bolivia, Rafael Correa in Ecuador, Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua, Michelle Bachelet in Chile, Cristina de Kirchner in Argentina and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brazil. The last three, despite their lip-service to Chávez, have pursued moderate, practical policies. Chávez's coziness with Farc terrorists in Colombia has also irked many Venezuelans, particularly those who live along the porous border, which the Farc routinely cross to hide and to kidnap Venezuelans. "No more FARC" read giant banners at a Caracas demonstration in early 2008.

Now the Russians have arrived, with their oil deals and warships, following China to make new friends in Latin America. Venezuelans are unimpressed. They have, they say, already helped Russia enough by buying $5.4 billion of their weapons. Venezuela does not want to be like Cuba. That's Chávez's ambition, not the people's. Now it might not happen.