Hugo
Chavez, former Venezuela President who died last week after more than a year
battle with cancer is no ordinary leader. His country of about 27 million
people is not even reckoned as a heavyweight in the region, where Brazil and
Argentina are considered regional power houses.
Chavez, former Venezuela President who died last week after more than a year
battle with cancer is no ordinary leader. His country of about 27 million
people is not even reckoned as a heavyweight in the region, where Brazil and
Argentina are considered regional power houses.
However, Hugo Chavez took his country from relative obscurity to
international stardom. The former military paratrooper, whose parents were
teachers, was agitated at the misery of the majority of Venezuelans even when
the country is hugely endowed with oil wealth. While in the army, Colonel
Chavez was studious, reading materials on Argentine-born Marxist revolutionary,
Ernesto Che Guevara and the 19th century South American liberator, the
Venezuelan-born Simon Bolivar.
international stardom. The former military paratrooper, whose parents were
teachers, was agitated at the misery of the majority of Venezuelans even when
the country is hugely endowed with oil wealth. While in the army, Colonel
Chavez was studious, reading materials on Argentine-born Marxist revolutionary,
Ernesto Che Guevara and the 19th century South American liberator, the
Venezuelan-born Simon Bolivar.
Within the army, Chavez founded the
revolutionary Bolivarian movement and following the nation-wide protests at a
severe austerity measures imposed by president Carlos Andre Perez, he launched
a coup in February 1992, which failed after 18 lives have been lost with about
60 persons injured before the coup was put down.
Colonel Chavez was sentenced to two years in jail and when he
came out he founded the movement for the fifth republic. Earlier while he was
in the military academy, senior officers in the army hierarchy has been alarmed
at how he has embellished his course content which he teaches with
revolutionary exhortation and then sent him off to one of the most interior
areas in the country, Apure state. There, Chavez activism did not cease, as he
sought out the indigenous tribes and began linking them in organizational chain
with other marginalized groups.
came out he founded the movement for the fifth republic. Earlier while he was
in the military academy, senior officers in the army hierarchy has been alarmed
at how he has embellished his course content which he teaches with
revolutionary exhortation and then sent him off to one of the most interior
areas in the country, Apure state. There, Chavez activism did not cease, as he
sought out the indigenous tribes and began linking them in organizational chain
with other marginalized groups.
Having been freed from military duty after completion of his
jail term, Chavez launched headlong into politics. In 1998, he was elected the
president of the Venezuelan Republic. After taking office in 1999, he launched
massive social and political reforms and efforts by his government to take over
the country’s national oil company (PDVSA), which was held by the former ruling
establishment and their international partners drew their ire,
resulting in 2002 military coup, which saw president Chavez briefly kidnapped.
The massive denunciation of the coup and popular protest for his restoration to
power led to his been returned to office two days after he was abducted from
the presidential palace and taken to an island. The U.S then, under the
extremist neo-conservative clique led by the trio of George W. Bush, his vice
president, Mr Dick Cheney and defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld openly backed
the coup against Chavez.
jail term, Chavez launched headlong into politics. In 1998, he was elected the
president of the Venezuelan Republic. After taking office in 1999, he launched
massive social and political reforms and efforts by his government to take over
the country’s national oil company (PDVSA), which was held by the former ruling
establishment and their international partners drew their ire,
resulting in 2002 military coup, which saw president Chavez briefly kidnapped.
The massive denunciation of the coup and popular protest for his restoration to
power led to his been returned to office two days after he was abducted from
the presidential palace and taken to an island. The U.S then, under the
extremist neo-conservative clique led by the trio of George W. Bush, his vice
president, Mr Dick Cheney and defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld openly backed
the coup against Chavez.
Many conspiracy theorists believed that while Chavez was held by
the enemy for that period, he was infected by the deadly cancer virus, when it
was considered inauspicious and too dangerous to liquidate him then. However, from
the 2002, president Chavez took drastic measures to deepen his social reform,
which he dubbed the Bolivarian revolution named after the South American 19th
century independent hero Simon Bolivar. The government took total control of
the national oil company using its huge revenue to finance the social missions
which includes new hospital, schools, affordable housing for the poor and
marginalized groups, including the minority African-Venezuelans.
the enemy for that period, he was infected by the deadly cancer virus, when it
was considered inauspicious and too dangerous to liquidate him then. However, from
the 2002, president Chavez took drastic measures to deepen his social reform,
which he dubbed the Bolivarian revolution named after the South American 19th
century independent hero Simon Bolivar. The government took total control of
the national oil company using its huge revenue to finance the social missions
which includes new hospital, schools, affordable housing for the poor and
marginalized groups, including the minority African-Venezuelans.
The core of his social and political reform at home was the
integration of the marginalized groups into the mainstream of society through
vast spending on education, health, housing and infrastructure linking formerly
inaccessible interiors to the central cities. According to a BBC obituary,
under Chavez, “Venezuela has the fairest income distribution in Latin America.”
Basic essentials were heavily subsidized as a litre of petrol is sold cheaper
than a bottle of coca cola. The Venezuelan ambassador to Nigeria nearly caused
a diplomatic foure, when he visited the ministry of information in 2009 and
reportedly wondered aloud why the price of petroleum product is so high and why
the exploration and production of Nigeria’s oil is still in foreign hands.
President Chavez brought the full benefit of the Venezuelan natural resources
to its people.
integration of the marginalized groups into the mainstream of society through
vast spending on education, health, housing and infrastructure linking formerly
inaccessible interiors to the central cities. According to a BBC obituary,
under Chavez, “Venezuela has the fairest income distribution in Latin America.”
Basic essentials were heavily subsidized as a litre of petrol is sold cheaper
than a bottle of coca cola. The Venezuelan ambassador to Nigeria nearly caused
a diplomatic foure, when he visited the ministry of information in 2009 and
reportedly wondered aloud why the price of petroleum product is so high and why
the exploration and production of Nigeria’s oil is still in foreign hands.
President Chavez brought the full benefit of the Venezuelan natural resources
to its people.
However, if Chavez has limited his Bolivarian revolution to the
deep and profound domestic reforms, perhaps he would be known as mere honest
leader to his people. President Chavez took on, the Mr Bush White House;
denouncing him at a time he launched the U.S infamous war against terror,
wondering aloud “how terror could be used to fight terror”. From his
denunciation of the U.S Empire to a clarion call for the unity of south
Americans, president Chavez shot to global spotlight.
deep and profound domestic reforms, perhaps he would be known as mere honest
leader to his people. President Chavez took on, the Mr Bush White House;
denouncing him at a time he launched the U.S infamous war against terror,
wondering aloud “how terror could be used to fight terror”. From his
denunciation of the U.S Empire to a clarion call for the unity of south
Americans, president Chavez shot to global spotlight.
He was unsparing in attacking U.S bully tactics against
countries of strong independent position, like Iran. Chavez would chastised the
U.S openly for leading the campaign against Iran’s nuclear programme, while
condoning the only well-known but undeclared nuclear armed state in the region,
Israel. At Chavez’s funeral in Caracas last week, president Ahmadinejad, the
only non-South American leader to attend the funeral made a dramatic move of
kissing the coffin of Chavez, which was massively applauded. Chavez did not
just rally South American unity, but bankrolled most of its institutional
building blocks.
countries of strong independent position, like Iran. Chavez would chastised the
U.S openly for leading the campaign against Iran’s nuclear programme, while
condoning the only well-known but undeclared nuclear armed state in the region,
Israel. At Chavez’s funeral in Caracas last week, president Ahmadinejad, the
only non-South American leader to attend the funeral made a dramatic move of
kissing the coffin of Chavez, which was massively applauded. Chavez did not
just rally South American unity, but bankrolled most of its institutional
building blocks.
And from the example of Hugo Chavez, most countries in the
region plucked in for reformist and revolutionary leaders breaking the
stranglehold of Washington in the region. Immediately after Chavez’s victory in
1998, Bolivia elected its first ethnic Indian leader, the socialist Evo Morales
and former shoe shine boy and previously perpetual presidential candidate, Mr.
Inacio De Lula and his formerly fringe workers party (PT) was elected in a
landslide in Brazil, the region’s most populated country. Taking cue,
Argentina, another regional heavyweight elected the late Nestor Kirchner who
was succeeded by his wife, Christine, Ecuador elected the formidable former economics
professor Rafael Correa, Nicaragua returned the revolutionary Sandinistas to
power, Paraguay, Uruguay, Honduras, Peru also returned moderate reformist and
revolutionary parties to office. Cuba which has previously stood alone in the
revolutionary defiance of Washington found itself among regional dependable,
chief among them, was Chavez’s Venezuela. The acting president of Venezuela,
Mr. Nicholas Maduro, who Chavez has appointed the vice president while on sick
bed and had exhorted Venezuelans to rally behind in case he did not survive as
has happened now, was a Cuban trained trade unionist. MrMaduro, former foreign
minister, who is 50 years old, was also former bus driver, and well-honed in
the socialist paradigm.
region plucked in for reformist and revolutionary leaders breaking the
stranglehold of Washington in the region. Immediately after Chavez’s victory in
1998, Bolivia elected its first ethnic Indian leader, the socialist Evo Morales
and former shoe shine boy and previously perpetual presidential candidate, Mr.
Inacio De Lula and his formerly fringe workers party (PT) was elected in a
landslide in Brazil, the region’s most populated country. Taking cue,
Argentina, another regional heavyweight elected the late Nestor Kirchner who
was succeeded by his wife, Christine, Ecuador elected the formidable former economics
professor Rafael Correa, Nicaragua returned the revolutionary Sandinistas to
power, Paraguay, Uruguay, Honduras, Peru also returned moderate reformist and
revolutionary parties to office. Cuba which has previously stood alone in the
revolutionary defiance of Washington found itself among regional dependable,
chief among them, was Chavez’s Venezuela. The acting president of Venezuela,
Mr. Nicholas Maduro, who Chavez has appointed the vice president while on sick
bed and had exhorted Venezuelans to rally behind in case he did not survive as
has happened now, was a Cuban trained trade unionist. MrMaduro, former foreign
minister, who is 50 years old, was also former bus driver, and well-honed in
the socialist paradigm.
Mr Hugo Chavez electrified the region and beyond with fiery
revolutionary exhortations of unity of all developing nations. He placed
Venezuela in the vanguard of developing nations seeking a more equitable fairer
and just international economic order. He sought to establish a Bank of the south
as an alternative to the stringent conditions imposed by the western controlled
Bretton Woods institutions of World Bank and international Monetary Fund (IMF).
He actively promoted Venezuelan engagement in Africa, opening new embassies and
strengthening the existing ones. As part of active co-operation with Africa,
Venezuela under Chavez provided scholarships and other training and capacity
building measures for African countries. When the first Africa South America
summit was held in Abuja in 2008, constrained by a general election, he was
candidate at that time to attend; he sent a high powered delegation led by the
foreign minister, Nicholas Maduro. His most dependable regional ally, the
Bolivian leader Evo Morales attended the Abuja meeting.
revolutionary exhortations of unity of all developing nations. He placed
Venezuela in the vanguard of developing nations seeking a more equitable fairer
and just international economic order. He sought to establish a Bank of the south
as an alternative to the stringent conditions imposed by the western controlled
Bretton Woods institutions of World Bank and international Monetary Fund (IMF).
He actively promoted Venezuelan engagement in Africa, opening new embassies and
strengthening the existing ones. As part of active co-operation with Africa,
Venezuela under Chavez provided scholarships and other training and capacity
building measures for African countries. When the first Africa South America
summit was held in Abuja in 2008, constrained by a general election, he was
candidate at that time to attend; he sent a high powered delegation led by the
foreign minister, Nicholas Maduro. His most dependable regional ally, the
Bolivian leader Evo Morales attended the Abuja meeting.
Earlier in 2007, he hosted the elaborate Venezuela Africa
cultural fiesta which brought several cultural groups, Intellectuals and
artists from across Africa including Nigeria. Under President Hugo Chavez,
Venezuela became a global force not in the realm of rhetoric as the west
claims, but a critical builder of third world solidarity, effectively seeking
alternative institutional platform to foster mutual co-operations other than
ones created and dominated by the west. With the death of Hugo Chavez, a key
chain in the resistance to imperialist hegemony has broken. At the collapse of
the Soviet Union, the world was nearly ensnared to the seemingly humble and
victorious west determined to establish a global détente equality, freedom and
fairness.
cultural fiesta which brought several cultural groups, Intellectuals and
artists from across Africa including Nigeria. Under President Hugo Chavez,
Venezuela became a global force not in the realm of rhetoric as the west
claims, but a critical builder of third world solidarity, effectively seeking
alternative institutional platform to foster mutual co-operations other than
ones created and dominated by the west. With the death of Hugo Chavez, a key
chain in the resistance to imperialist hegemony has broken. At the collapse of
the Soviet Union, the world was nearly ensnared to the seemingly humble and
victorious west determined to establish a global détente equality, freedom and
fairness.
It took the Hugo Chavez to alert to the new insidious
imperialist machination at world domination which was no less pernicious to the
era of super power rivalry. From his election to the presidency in 1998, Hugo
Chavez was an indomitable social reformer at home as a formidable whistle
blower on the world stage, regarding the Washington machinations and exposing
the several levers and strands of western manipulation and domination for which
he was heavily paid by demonization and ridicule in the western press.
imperialist machination at world domination which was no less pernicious to the
era of super power rivalry. From his election to the presidency in 1998, Hugo
Chavez was an indomitable social reformer at home as a formidable whistle
blower on the world stage, regarding the Washington machinations and exposing
the several levers and strands of western manipulation and domination for which
he was heavily paid by demonization and ridicule in the western press.
In the death of President Chavez, the world’s marginalized
people have lost a bold spokesman and for the Venezuelans, an irreplaceable
social crusader and ardent visionary have exited.
people have lost a bold spokesman and for the Venezuelans, an irreplaceable
social crusader and ardent visionary have exited.
By Charles Onunaiju
