What's a demagogue to do?

How does a country that relies so much on energy exports suffer rolling blackouts due to an energy shortage? This paradox is playing right now in Venezuela where socialist big mouth, Hugo Chavez, has gone a long way to crush the private economy for the sake of a larger role for his left leaning regime. Now Mr. Chavez, whose popularity has hit new lows because his many promises have failed to materialize, has new friends in China who will throw $20 billion into the sparse Venezuelan coffers, so that Chavez can go on a public relations spree fixing up highways and various other languishing public works projects. Hmmm...this whole thing sounds kinda familiar.