A Once and Future Revolution: The Legacy of Hugo Chávez

[Judi Lynn]

March 02, 2015

A Once and Future Revolution

The Legacy of Hugo Chávez

by ROGER D. HARRIS


The rich and reactionary in Venezuela and their allies in Washington celebrated when Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez died two years ago on March 5, 2013. US President Barack Obama did not even make the customary and common courtesy of sending his condolences for the passing of a head of state.

Instead the US empire stepped up its demonization campaign against Chávez’s legacy in order to bury his Bolivarian Revolution. In contrast to his treatment of Chávez, Obama was effusive in his praise of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, who died in January 2015 and was the leader of a country which Amnesty International rightly labels one of the most tyrannical and repressive regimes in the world.[1]

¡Yo Soy Chávez!

So why did poor and progressive people in Venezuela, throughout Latin America, and indeed all over the world mourn Chávez’s passing and proclaim ¡Yo soy Chávez! (I am Chávez)?

Lisa Sullivan, a School of the America Watch activist who has lived in the barrios of Venezuela where she brought up her three children, had this to say at the time of Chávez’s passing: “Let there be no doubt: the Venezuelan people have come of age. Chávez is gone, but what resonates on every street and every plaza today: Yo soy Chávez. I am Chávez. I am the leader, the dreamer, the visionary, the teacher, the defender of justice, the weaver of another world that is possible.”

More:
http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/03/02/the-legacy-of-hugo-chavez/

[Judi Lynn]

1. Fantastic line from the Bolivian Vice-President:

As Álvaro García Linera vice president of Bolivia commented, the task of building socialism in a society that is still capitalist to like trying to overhaul the engine of your car while it is still running. Justice demands that the Venezuelans be allowed to resolve their problems without the interference of the US government.

[Marksman_91]

2. I think the Venezuelan government is doing just fine in worsening their problems without the US n/t

[Demeter]

3. Chavez will be a hero for all ages and all times

Obama will displace Warren Harding in the Presidential success line up, being listed last, right after W.

[Zorro]

4. Ho ho ho

Thanks for the laugh.

[IBEWVET]

5. I think Hugo will be a hero to the poor and disfranchised people

He did a lot to improve the lives of the poor and gave a lot of hope to people. Where he did not do well was spending on infrastructure, and diversifying the economy. His biggest fault that I see, was he favored politics over competence. He surrounded himself with true believers and the oil industry and economy have suffered.

[hack89]

6. Chavez was a charismatic leader that did much good

his failure, like many such revolutionary leaders, was in failing to plan for a succession. The test of any nascent democracy is that first peaceful transition of power - it is a test that many fail. Perpetual revolution does not lead to stable democracies.