Venezuela Stays The Course

President Hugo Chavez was extremely popular in Venezuela, and I feared that after his death that country might once again be seized by right-wing forces -- who would undo all the reforms Chavez had done and create a plutocracy (where the rich would rule and the poor would be left out in the cold once again). But while the election was closer than when Chavez ran, the right-wing was beaten back.

The man in the picture above is Nicolas Maduro, who has been the acting president since the death of Hugo Chavez. He was also the person recommend by Chavez to be his successor. And a couple of days ago, he was the winner in Venezuela's presidential race. It was a squeaker, but he won and will now start a full term as president. Here are the official results:

Nicolas Maduro...............7,563,747 (50.75%)
Henrique Capriles...............7,298,491 (48.97%)

Capriles is of course complaining that the election was unfair, but that is normal (and he complained just as hard when defeated by a much larger margin by Chavez). But the truth is that the people of Venezuela voted (79.17% of them) and he lost in a fair election.

I congratulate the people of Venezuela on their choice for president, and I hope he can continue the reforms that Hugo Chavez started.

Hugo Chavez Was Good For Venezuela

There has been a lot of pretty bad press regarding President Hugo Chavez in this country since his death. In fact, far too many in the United States seem to be celebrating his death. That is primarily because the U.S. government has been demonizing President Chavez for many years. They have done this because U.S. foreign policy is driven by what is good for the giant corporations -- and Chavez made the U.S. corporations mad by seizing control of Venezuela's huge oil reserves from the corporations.

But while U.S. corporate moguls didn't like President Chavez, he was very good for the people of Venezuela. His policies reduced poverty, made education more available to more people, reduced child malnutrition, increased GDP, and generally helped more Venezuelans to participate in the economic success of their country. The following charts show just how good President Hugo Chavez was for the people of Venezuela:

The charts represent, from top to bottom -- GDP growth, inflation, unemployment, poverty, child malnutrition, growth of number getting pensions, growth in pre-primary and primary and secondary education, and growth in number of college graduates. I can understand why corporate America did not like President Chavez (although I disagree with them), but it cannot be denied that he was good for the nation of Venezuela and its people.

Jimmy Carter Speaks About Hugo Chavez

Ex-President Jimmy Carter has released a statement regarding the death of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. The statement was released on 3/5/2013 through the Carter Center. Here is what Mr. Carter had to say:

Rosalynn and I extend our condolences to the family of Hugo Chávez Frías.  We met Hugo Chávez when he was campaigning for president in 1998 and The Carter Center was invited to observe elections for the first time in Venezuela.  We returned often, for the 2000 elections, and then to facilitate dialogue during the political conflict of 2002-2004.  We came to know a man who expressed a vision to bring profound changes to his country to benefit especially those people who had felt neglected and marginalized.  Although we have not agreed with all of the methods followed by his government, we have never doubted Hugo Chávez's commitment to improving the lives of millions of his fellow countrymen.

President Chávez will be remembered for his bold assertion of autonomy and independence for Latin American governments and for his formidable communication skills and personal connection with supporters in his country and abroad to whom he gave hope and empowerment.  During his 14-year tenure, Chávez joined other leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean to create new forms of integration.  Venezuelan poverty rates were cut in half, and millions received identification documents for the first time allowing them to participate more effectively in their country's economic and political life.

At the same time, we recognize the divisions created in the drive towards change in Venezuela and the need for national healing.  We hope that as Venezuelans mourn the passing of President Chávez and recall his positive legacies — especially the gains made for the poor and vulnerable — the political leaders will move the country forward by building a new consensus that ensures equal opportunities for all Venezuelans to participate in every aspect of national life.

Millions Mourn Death Of Hugo Chavez

I join the people of Venezuela today in mourning the death of their President, Hugo Chavez (lovingly known as "El Comandante"). On Tuesday evening, Vice-President Nicola Madura announced to the nation in a televised broadcast that President Chavez had died at 4:35pm. He had been fighting a battle with cancer for several years, and although re-elected to a new term as president, had been unable to publicly take his oath of office due to his illness. President Chavez had held office since 1999.

He was elected, and re-elected by large margins. The U.S. government has repeatedly referred to President Chavez as a dictator or an autocrat. That is (and always was) a vicious lie. The truth is that he was a popularly elected president in elections that were monitored by international organizations, and found to be free and fair. And his electoral margins were larger than for any recent American president (the closest election being the most recent, where he won 54% of the vote to 39% for his opponent).

The truth is that the U.S. government was just mad because President Chavez nationalized the oil of Venezuela (one of the largest oil reserves in the world). They were just bowing to the wishes of the big oil companies, and in fact, even funded and coordinated a coup attempt in 2002 to unseat President Chavez and return ownership of that country's oil to the giant oil companies. Fortunately the coup failed.

President Chavez was right to nationalize Venezuelan oil reserves, and use that oil money to help the people of Venezuela (instead of fattening the bank accounts of Big Oil). During the first decade of the Chavez presidency poverty in Venezuela was cut in half, the child mortality rate was cut by a third, malnutrition deaths were cut in half, and college enrollment was doubled. While President Chavez was not able to solve all of Venezuela's problems, he did more to help the poor, the underprivileged, and the indigenous people of that country than any previous Venezuelan leader.

And that was not all he did. He also showed a willingness to help other Latin American countries -- by providing them with oil at very cheap prices. This enabled them to be more prosperous, and to at least partially, get out from under the thumb of American corporations. He will be sorely missed, both in Venezuela and throughout Latin America.

One of the best tributes to President Hugo Chavez was written by Rep. Jose E. Serrano (D-New York). Here is what he had to say:

“I met President Chavez in 2005 when he came to my district at my invitation. His focus on the issues faced by the poor and disenfranchised in his country made him a truly revolutionary leader in the history of Latin America. He understood that after 400 years on the outside of the established power structure looking in, it was time that the poor had a chance at seeing their problems and issues addressed. His core belief was in the dignity and common humanity of all people in Venezuela and in the world.

“When he visited, President Chavez offered a new type of program to the people of the Bronx. He had harnessed the power of his nation’s oil resources and was using their profits—through Citgo—to enact social spending programs. Now he offered people in the Bronx that were struggling economically the same deal. He would provide home heating oil at a huge discount, provided the savings were reinvested in programs that benefited the underserved and underprivileged. I am proud to report that we have benefited from that program ever since, with millions invested in our community through this program and through a grant program he set up. 

“Though President Chavez was accused of many things, it is important to remember that he was democratically-elected many times in elections that were declared free and fair by international monitors. Even today, people in North America seem unable to accept that Venezuelans had taken our admonitions to have democracy to heart and elected the leader of their choice. President Chavez carried out the programs that his constituents wanted enacted, and won reelection. This too was revolutionary in the history of Latin America, where coup d’etat have been historically a way of power changing hands—especially during the times of controversial leaders.

“President Chavez was a controversial leader. But at his core he was a man who came from very little and used his unique talents and gifts to try to lift up the people and the communities that reflected his impoverished roots. He believed that the government of the country should be used to empower the masses, not the few. He understood democracy and basic human desires for a dignified life. His legacy in his nation, and in the hemisphere, will be assured as the people he inspired continue to strive for a better life for the poor and downtrodden.”

Chavez Returns To Cuba For Third Surgery

It's now looking like President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela may be losing his battle with cancer. Chavez recently won another term as president in Venezuela's recent election, beating his right-wing opponent rather handily. He is scheduled to be sworn in for the new term on January 10th, but Saturday night he told the nation that his hip cancer had come back. He went back to Cuba for a third cancer surgery.

In a signal that he may be realizing that his time is growing short, President Chavez announced for the first time who he would like to be his successor. The Venezuelan constitution says if a president dies in office, the Vice-President will temporarily rule until a special election can be held to elect a new president (within 30 days). Chavez said if he is unable to complete his new term in office, he hopes the nation will elect his current Vice-President, Nicolas Maduro (pictured above with Chavez), to succeed him.

Maduro is a former bus driver, who became a union organizer. He has always been close to Chavez, and has served at Venezuela's foreign minister since 2006. After his re-election last Fall, Chavez chose Maduro to be his newest vice-president.

I sincerely hope President Chavez can finally defeat his cancer, but if that cannot happen I do hope Vice-President Maduro is elected to replace him. Chavez's social reforms have empowered the poor and indigenous people of Venezuela, and made that country a much fairer place. It would be a shame to see the right-wing regain control of Venezuela and wipe out all of the social reforms.

Chavez Wins In Venezuela

Venezuela held its presidential election yesterday. The photo above shows people in line in Caracas, waiting to vote in the election. This was supposed to be the closest election in years for that country. At least that's what all the rightwing pollsters (and U.S. media) were saying. But it didn't turn out that way. The National Electoral Council (NEC) in Venezuela has released the results, and it looks like President Chavez has won by nearly 10 points.

The NEC says Hugo Chavez got 54.42% of the vote, while his opponent (Henrique Capriles) got about 44.97% of the vote. Now we wait and see if Capriles keeps his word. He had said he would accept the results, but the right-wing in Venezuela have shown in the past that they can't always be trusted. It wouldn't surprise me at all if they tried to claim the election was rigged and start some trouble.

Candidates Set For Venezuelan Election

The candidates are now set for the next election in Venezuela (to be held this October). And it looks like it will be another classic left versus right choice for that country's voters (unlike the United States where there is no real left-wing choice).

The current president, Hugo Chavez (pictured above on the left), announced a couple of days ago that he will run for a third term. He attended a large rally of his supporters outside the electoral office in Caracas -- and demonstrated his good health by singing and dancing with his supporters. He has been recovering from cancer treatments he received in Cuba, but the treatments are over now and Chavez says he is in good health.

Chavez told his supporters (as he registered for the election), "I give this to you with a promise to fight, to battle, and of course to win. It has been a difficult year. I thank God for this life. . .We have been the victims of a psychological war, with people announcing my death several times when I was in Cuba."

I expect his opponents will try to use his health as a campaign issue. He is still very popular in Venezuela (having won his previous elections by large majorities), and has to be considered the frontrunner at this time. His opponents will need every issue they can find to defeat him.

The candidate opposing him in the coming election is right-winger Henrique Capriles (pictured above on the right). Capriles stepped down as governor of the state of Miranda last week so he could run for president. In the past, right-wing candidates have been pro-business and anti-social programs. Capriles says he is different, and will offer a balance between business and social programs (but he has not spelled out just which social programs he would support, and which he would not support).

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NOTE -- For those of you that would like to learn some more about what it's like in Venezuela, I would recommend the excellent book, Socialist Dreams And Beauty Queens by Jamie Maslin. Maslin's perspective is not marred by either American or Venezuelan propaganda, and presents as honest a portrait of the country as possible. The book is published by Skyhorse Publishing in New York City.

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(NOTE -- This is post #10,000 on this blog.)

Tests Show Chavez Is Cancer-Free

The picture above shows Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and his daughter after returning to his country from Cuba, where he had undergone medical tests. The tests were to determine whether there was any cancer left in his body. He had undergone surgery and four cycles of chemotherapy a few months ago for cancer in a Cuban medical facility.

According to the Venezuelan president, he is now cancer-free. He told reporters, "Everything went perfectly. I got top marks. 20 out of 20." This is great news for those of us who believe in a fair deal for the poor, the workers, and the indigenous peoples of Latin America. President Chavez has not only created more economic and social justice in Venezuela, but has helped to spread it into many other Latin American countries (and has used Venezuela's vast oil riches to help other countries avoid the economic blackmail of the United States and other Western nations).

That will probably surprise many in the United States, since U.S. government and corporate propaganda has tried to brand Chavez as evil. They have even tried to label him as a dictator -- in spite of the fact that he was elected with larger margins than any recent American president. This is because American power-brokers are unhappy that Chavez won't let the Western nations steal Venezuela's oil and other natural resources. He has forced the Western corporations to pay a fair price for those resources -- and he has seen that the wealth is more evenly spread throughout his country.

Some in this country point to a supposed censorship that was imposed on a TV station in Venezuela as proof of his "dictatorial" powers. That, of course, is an outrageous lie. The fact is that TV station, during an attempted coup attempt by the wealthy (and backed by the United States), went on the air and actively encouraged the Venezuelan people to overthrow their government with a violent uprising. The coup failed, and when the TV stations license later came up for renewal the Venezuelan government refused to issue their renewal.

Chavez actually acted with restraint. If a TV station in the United States was actively involved in a plot to violently overthrow the government, the owners and management of that station would not just lose their license -- they would be charged with treason and sentenced to long prison sentences. That kind of action is not free speech -- it is criminal behavior.

As a free person who believes in economic and social justice, I rejoice in the good news of President Chavez's recovery from his serious illness. Chavez says he will run for re-election next year now that he is healthy. I expect the good people of Venezuela will once again give him a resounding victory.

Chavez Due For Third Round Of Cancer Treatments

Hugo Chavez, the elected president of Venezuela, will be taking his third round of chemotherapy treatments very soon. He had his operation for a cancerous tumor in his pelvic region and his first two rounds of chemotherapy in Cuba, but this third round of treatments will be done in Venezuela.

Chavez checked himself in to a Caracas military hospital yesterday, and the treatments should begin in a day or so. Chavez said, "I'm not going to go to Cuba this time. In the coming hours, between today and tomorrow we'll be preparing for the third round."

Hopefully, his staying in Venezuela this time is a good sign. Sources have said that since the operation no cancer has been detected and the treatments are a preventative measure to keep the cancer from re-appearing. I hope that is true and he does well.

Chavez has been good for Venezuela, and South America in general. He has brought a lot of people out of poverty, especially indigenous peoples, and assured they have some rights and a voice in their government. He has also used some of Venezuela's oil riches to help other South American countries free themselves from the greedy grip of Western corporations and financial interests.

Get well Mr. President. Venezuela and South America still need you.

Socialist Dreams And Beauty Queens

In this post I'm doing something I rarely ever do. I'm talking about a book I recently read. I'm doing this because most Americans have heard very little about the country of Venezuela since Hugo Chavez was elected to lead that nation. Instead of doing some in-depth investigating and reporting on today's Venezuela, most of the mainstream media just repeats what it is told by the United States government, and most of that has nothing to do with the truth.

The book is Socialist Dreams and Beauty Queens, and it was written by British citizen and world traveler, Jamie Maslin (and published by Skyhorse Publishing in New York). The first part of the title has an obvious connotation -- Mr. Chavez is trying to construct a socialist society and economy in that country. The second part of the title refers to the fact that Venezuela has produced more international beauty queens than any other nation -- a fact that makes the people of Venezuela very proud. In fact, beauty contests in that country usually have a larger television audience that sports contests.

The book is a rather strange mixture of elements -- being a bit of a travelogue, a history lesson, a social tome, and a political treatise all mixed together. That may sound odd, but it works very well and makes for a very interesting read. It is made better by the fact that Maslin is a talented writer who knows how to keep the reader interested. The story of his travels in Venezuela and what he learns about the country is a very easy read and holds the reader's attention to the very end. Personally, I hated to read the last few pages because I wanted even more.

Maslin travels the country by "couch-surfing". That means he stays a few days at a time on the couches of different Venezuelan citizens. This not only allows him to save money that would otherwise be spent on hotels, but also lets him get a good view of the country and its leader from the Venezuelan people themselves. And since he stays with people from all stratums of society, he is able to get a wide range of views about Venezuela and Chavez.

I must say that Maslin makes Venezuela sound like a very beautiful country. And the natural beauty he describes would make nearly anyone want to go there to see the wonderful scenery he describes. But it is also a divided country, and the more money a Venezuelan citizen has the less likely they are to like Hugo Chavez. That is because he has instituted a new constitution that takes more from the rich and gives more to the poor. It also gives rights to the country's indigenous people for the first time.

But I feel I must warn dedicated ideologues who want only to read what they agree with -- whether you are on the right or the left, you probably won't enjoy this book. That's because Maslin is more interested in finding the truth about Venezuela than in verifying anyone's beliefs about the country.

If you are a right-winger who is convinced that Hugo Chavez is a communist dictator who is destroying his country, you will be disappointed in this book because that is not the truth. The truth is that Chavez was elected (and re-elected) by a large majority in fair elections, and he is trying to make the country fairer and more democratic for all its citizens. And he has done this in spite of a right-wing coup attempt (funded and backed by the United States).

If you are a left-winger who thinks Chavez has created some kind of socialist paradise in Venezuela, you will also be disappointed because that also is not the full truth. Venezuela has some serious social problems like a rampant political corruption and a crime problem that is out-of-control (especially murders). Although both problems pre-date Chavez's rise to power, he has not been able to do much about either one.

But if you are interested in what Venezuela is really like and in what is happening in that country now, then this is an excellent book to read. I highly recommend it. In fact, it was so good that I'll now have to find and read Maslin's first book -- Iranian Rappers and Persian Porn: A Hitchhiker's Adventures in the New Iran.  

This Is Sure To Upset The Right-Wingers

Brazil has a new president.   The immensely popular outgoing president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has turned over the presidency of that country to a female former Marxist guerrilla, Dilma Rousseff.   That means the leftist president (who was one of the most widely respected Latin American leaders) has been succeeded by another leftist.   That in itself would be enough to upset a lot of right-wingers in America (who seem to think only right-wing dictators should rule any country in Central or South America).

But I have a feeling that the above picture will upset them even more.   It shows Secretary of State Hillary Clinton shaking hands with the popularly-elected president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, at the new president's inauguration.   The right-wing in America has insulted and defamed President Chavez since his election (by large margins in two separate elections), calling him a dictator and a communist because he has put his country and people ahead of the imperialistic goals of the United States.

I'm sure they will see the gesture of shaking hands with Chavez as proof that Clinton (and therefore Obama) are socialists.   After all, the right-wingers were brutal to President Obama after he shook hands with Chavez and accepted a book from him at the Summit of the Americas.   They evidently think it would be better for America's leaders to behave in a rude and boorish manner by refusing to shake hands with another world leader.

I would remind these people on the right that the simple act of shaking hands with another person has never meant that the two people shaking hands agree with each other (or even necessarily like each other).   It is just common decency and good manners.   And it is a prime requirement of diplomacy.

Those on the right may not like President Chavez, but he is an important leader in South America and is respected throughout the region.   We must deal with him on a diplomatic level.   Shunning him and/or treating him rudely will only irritate much of Latin America and damage our reputation and influence in that region of the world.   That would be stupid.

Chavez Gift To Obama Now A Bestseller

It's beginning to look like the quickest way to make a book a bestseller is to have it recommended by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Three years ago, Chavez made a speech to the United Nations and made mention of a book by Noam Chomsky titled Hegemony or Survival.

Within days, the book by Chomsky became the number one bestseller at Amazon.com, and bookstores in the U.S. and Europe sold out and ordered tens of thousands of copies from the publisher. Now it looks like it is happening again.

During the Summit of the Americas, Hugo Chavez gave President Obama a book. It was Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent by Uruguayan author Eduardo Galeano. The book is about the impact of foreign intervention in Latin America, from the Spanish conquest 500 years ago to modern times.

President Chavez told reporters, "This book is a monument in our Latin American history. It allows us to learn history, and we have to build on this history."

Two days ago, Amazon.com had the book rated at 54,295 in sales. By Sunday night, the book had jumped all the way up to number two in sales at Amazon.com.

It looks like the Venezuelan leader has the golden touch when it comes to selling books.

Latin America Starting To Throw Off IMF Yoke

It looks like South America is beginning to emerge from under the thumb of the International Monetary Fund and foreign corporations. For many years the IMF kept South Americans in abject poverty while funneling millions of dollars into the pockets of foreign (mostly Western) banks and corporations.

On May Day, President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela announced that his country is nationalizing oil and gas holdings in his country. Huge corporations like Exxon Mobil, Chevron, BP, ConocoPhillips, Statoil and Total will be losing their holdings in the South American country. Some of these companies will be paid for their holdings, and some may not be paid. None of them will receive what they consider their value to be.

Chavez also says his country will be withdrawing from the International Monetary Fund. He has said he wants to start a Bank of the South, which would help build projects in South and Central America. The bank would be backed by Venezuelan oil funds.

Following the lead of Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua are also saying they will probably withdraw from the IMF. Bolivia has also nationalized its oil resources, and is in the process of doing the same with its telecom industries.

These are just the opening volleys. Once the other South and Central American countries see the independence achieved by these countries, and see them start to alleviate the poverty caused by the IMF, they will begin to do the same themselves.

This is a good thing to see. The IMF and foreign corporations have devastated Latin America for far too long.