This post really comes off like you're excusing Venezuela of their economic mismanagement, and I hope that's not what you meant.
There's no requirement that a failing economy print money to pay for things. Currency markets aren't stupid; they know it's being printed and price accordingly. And even if they didn't, money is just an instrument of trade anyway, and the market will find its balance.
Anyway, the change in price is at least equivalent to taking money out of the hands of money-holders and putting it in the pockets of the government. So in a sane economic theory, it's always better to tax. The advantage of money printing is that, in a system where the dictatorial elites subscribe to alternative theories of economics, money-printing allows you to blame other forces (in particular, imperialists) for what's happening.
There's no requirement that a failing economy print money to pay for things. Currency markets aren't stupid; they know it's being printed and price accordingly. And even if they didn't, money is just an instrument of trade anyway, and the market will find its balance.
Anyway, the change in price is at least equivalent to taking money out of the hands of money-holders and putting it in the pockets of the government. So in a sane economic theory, it's always better to tax. The advantage of money printing is that, in a system where the dictatorial elites subscribe to alternative theories of economics, money-printing allows you to blame other forces (in particular, imperialists) for what's happening.