After all, these counties are as rich in resources as any Western country you can name.
This is a major probelm. The countries largely produce primary goods, which developed countries add value to and return at a profit. Returning oil as petroleum, for instance. Furthermore, large supplies of easily-mined goods lying around are just screaming out to be stolen. Either by government or foreigners. This has happened in countries like Congo, Angola, Indonesia and Sierra Leone. Another major problem has been the United States' rule over both the country's and their economic policies.
Furthermore, Venezuela and Cuba in particular are doing fantastically well according to GDP growth (the only figure that matters to Bush economists). Cuba has a 9% growth rate, and Venezuela has a similar one. Cuba is now beating Mexico in Human Development Index rating, due to the NAFTA, despite not trading with it's closest and most powerful neighbour, and Venezuela has defeated illiteracy- the disease that still effects over 20% of United States citizens.
Not really racist, blames things on culture rather than genetics.
Which is just a cowardly way of implying the same thing.
Bolivia has a coup ever 18 months I think (don't quote me). Maybe that has something to do with it?
The US-armed opposition has taken to shooting members of the Morales government, but it reamins the second most (after Chavez in Venezuela) popular democratic rule in the hemisphere, perhaps the world.
