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By Adam Shank and Marisa Clymer Shank. MCC Nicaragua
Hugo Chavez was buried this weekend in Venezuela. Chavez leaves behind a complex legacy of standing up for what he thought was right, not caring about who he offended. He led Latin America away from neo-liberal economic policies and therefore was often pegged as an “enemy” of the United States. He called George W. Bush the devil, cursed Israel, and often denounced what he saw as the hypocrisy of these two nations who decry terrorism when done by people they don’t agree with and support terrorism when committed by “legitimate” actors.
What does his death mean for Nicaragua? Venezuela has developed a oil-sharing relationship with various Latin American countries. Chavez was seen by Nicaraguans as a kind of “godfather” whose goodwill allowed the Ortega government to continue social programs and keep subsidizing transportation costs. Many Nicaraguans who support the Sandinista government are mourning Chavez’s death, but we’ve also encountered other Nicaraguans who, although they don’t support the current Nicaraguan government, feel like Chavez did a lot to support Nicaragua through trade agreements that are mutually beneficial to both countries. It will be interesting to see what will happen when Venezuela elects a new president next month and how that election will affect Nicaraguans.
On the other hand, many question whether the positive changes that Chavez made in Venezuela and the positive cooperation he fomented between Latin American countries will outlive the man himself. Chavez had a huge personality and people saw him as a benevolent father who single handedly changed the fate of many struggling Venezuelan people. Can this “godfather” or “strong-man” style of leadership be a positive one if the “godfather” is just and does more good than harm? Hugo Chavez’s legacy and the future path that Venezuela takes now that he’s gone should be a good indicator.
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For more on the subject:
Democracy Now – Hugo Chávez Dead: Transformed Venezuela & Survived U.S.-Backed Coup, Now Leaves Uncertainty Behind
The Onion – Area Man Unsure If He’s Supposed To Want Hugo Chavez To Die Or Not
Venezuela Analysis – Yo Soy Chavez, Tu Eres Chavez, Todos Somos Chavez (IN ENGLISH)
The Good Ones
©2013 A poem by Alice Walker, For Hugo Chavez,
March 5, 2013
The good ones who listen to women to children and the poor die too soon, their lives bedeviled by opposition: our hearts grieve for them. This was the world my father knew. A poor man he saw good men come and mostly go; leaving behind the stranded and bereft. People of hopes, dreams, and so much hard work! Yearning for a future suddenly foreclosed. But today you write me all is well even though the admirable Hugo Chavez has died this afternoon. Never again will we hear that voice of reasoned anger and disgust of passionate vision and of triumph. This is true. But what a lot he did in his 58 years! You say. What a mighty ruckus Hugo Chavez made! This is also true. Thank you for reminding me. That though life – this never-ending loop- has passed us by today but carried off in death a hero of the masses it is his spirit of fiercely outspoken cariño that is not lost. That inheritance has gone instantly into the people to whom he listened and it is there that we will expect it to rise as early as tomorrow; and there that we will encounter it always soon again.Blog originally posted on http://theclanks.wordpress.com/2013/03/08/hugo-chavez-presente/
Picture of Chavez from USA Today, March 5, 2013: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/03/05/hugo-chavez-obit/1956067/
I would add a few other references as well, including these excerpts:
First, from a fellow Northerner living and working here in Bolivia (http://bit.ly/Y75Car):
“U.S. media in particular has generally been unbelievably, inexcusably lazy, biased, and downright stupid in covering Chavez’s presidency. He was regularly, matter-of-factly referred to as a dictator in mainstream press reports. But the man was elected in hotly contested, internationally monitored elections, multiple times. Friends who’ve lived in Venezuela confirm that he enjoyed huge support among a majority of Venezuelans, especially the poor, whom he helped – imperfectly, but in ways no previous government had even attempted. He was also called a dictator for going after opponents in ways that understandably rub many of us wrong – shutting down a prominent opposition-run TV station, for example. But U.S. news sources regularly failed to explain pertinent details, like the fact that said TV station had directly supported the failed coup attempt against Chavez’s government. If Obama moved to shut down Fox News today, many on the left as well as the right in the U.S. would be concerned. But if Fox News participated in staging a military takeover of the White House, I think most U.S. Americans would find taking away their FCC license an understandable response.”
Second, from Foreign Policy in Focus (http://bit.ly/XDO4nx):
“But comparing the man’s accomplishments to his U.S. obits was like taking a trip through Alice’s looking glass. Virtually none of the information about poverty and illiteracy was included, and when it was grudgingly admitted that he did have programs for the poor, it was “balanced” with claims of soaring debts, widespread shortages, rampant crime, economic chaos, and “authoritarianism.”
“Venezuela’s debt as a percentage of gross domestic product is lower than that of the United States or Europe. Inflation has fallen to a four-year low. There is crime, but neighboring Colombia is far more dangerous, particularly if you happen to be a trade unionist. And more people in Venezuela are eating better than they have ever eaten in the history of the country. Over the past decade growth has averaged 4. 3 percent, and joblessness dropped from 11.3 percent to 7.7 percent. Americans would kill for those figures.”
Third, from Counterpunch (http://bit.ly/UsqmpB):
“Some of the most important available data on health care and public health are as following:
*infant mortality dropped from 25 per 1000 (1990) to only 13/1000 (2010);
*An outstanding 96% of the population has now access to clean water (one of the goals of the revolution);
*In 1998, there were 18 doctors per 10,000 inhabitants, currently there are 58, and the public health system has about 95,000 physicians;
*It took four decades for previous governments to build 5,081 clinics, but in just 13 years the Bolivarian government built 13,721 (a 169.6% increase);
The list goes on, but the salient point is that even if a government builds clinics it guarantees nothing unless staffed–and the 169.9% increase in clinics was accompanied by a 222% increase in the rate of doctors per inhabitants.
In the midst of a Northern media focus on Chavez’s many downsides, it’s important to see a more whole picture. Chavez’s choice of rhetorical approach means he was quickly and easily written off by the Northern status quo (and historical baggage) that tends to stigmatize the vocabulary of socialism.