Power to the people…Chavez wins another term as Venezuelan King
The Latin American left wing revolution continued to strengthen yesterday when Venezuela re-elected charismatic President Hugo Chavez, to another 6 year term in the top job. After 78% of the ballots had been counted, the former paratrooper was declared the clear winner with over 2/3rds of the votes cast in his name. Since first assuming the Presidential role in 98, Chavez has wrought back government control over Venezuela’s most valuable resource, oil, and used the increase in revenue to pursue advancements in living standards for the traditionally ignored, less fortunate natives of his country. Through spending on free health care and education for the poor, forming powerful political and financial partnerships with Russia, Iran and China- and most invigorating of all-for continuing to not only defy churlish attempts at intimidation by Washington but also to publicly insult American Shitbrain, George Bush, Chavez has won the allegiance of many hearts and minds, including my own.
‘”It’s another defeat for the devil who tries to dominate the world, Down with imperialism. We need a new world.” roared Chavez triumphantly during a speech, made shortly after receiving news of his victory, to thousands of supporters braving heavy rain in order to show their respect and regard for the confirmed champion of the real Venezuelans. The ‘devil’, which Hugo mentioned is Bush. Some other intriguing lines of wisdom from my favourite world leader: “The only place where a person can ask for another head of state to be assassinated is the United States, which is what happened recently with the Reverend Pat Robertson, a very close friend of the White House…He publicly asked for my assassination and he’s still walking the streets.”
“Now, when you know the way of thinking of those in the White House, any insanity is possible. Now, let me tell you this, if the imperialist government of the White House led an invasion against Venezuela, well, the war of 100 years will be unleashed in South America. Because with our teeth, with our nails with our knees, we will go to struggle and defend our dignity in
South America. Now, I aspire and I pray to God that this will never occur. We want peace. We want life. We want to have eternal relations with these sisters countries, sister nations. “
A significant part of the fiery contempt regularly shown by the bad boy of the UN towards Bush is down to the American government’s attempted military coup in 2002 which failed miserably and filled latin-america’s answer to Chuck Norris, Mr Chavez, with enough ammunition for a century of inter continental hatred. The main issue between the two men revolves around the populist Chavez’s moves to reclaim state control over the vast Venezuelan oil fields. Prior to this accomplishment of praiseworthy honour, multinational companies, many of which were American, were paying bribes to corrupt Caracas government officials who allowed very little of their profits to filter down to the public coffers. Chavez has ended that routine. Not in order to line his own sizeable pockets but to fuel his plans at social re-energization.
Despite Chavez pushing ahead with plans to create the largest reserve army in the region (the aim is a million members) and arms deals with Russia, the battle-lines between the two countries remain based in rhetoric. With Venezuela one of the four largest suppliers of crude oil to the US, Washington are unable to cast them aside. And with the development of the Venezuelan military muscle, invasion is of course now out of the question…Or is it??? Who knows what the fuck could happen next with Bush and Cheney calling the shots? If the US had actually supported the democratic upheavals in Latin America as opposed to slyly attempting to subvert the revolution that is now very much underway, the story could be so different. With Morales, bolstered by useful subsidies and political loyalty cortesy of Chavez, still riding on a wave of success in Bolivia, Rafael Correa maintaining his socialist command in Ecuador, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brazil and Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua careering at breakneck speed down similar paths, the future of the region looks very promising. For many years Western business interests have manipulated these countries to the detriment of provision for infrastructural improvements. But now times are changing. Fast.
While America (in particular) has adopted a ‘we are in charge of fuck you’ policy when dealing with their Southern neighbors, laying down sanctions and creating barriers to trade when faced with resistance, these countries, which with or without American friendship still possess highly prized resources, have been able to find other markets. Markets which are often considerably more lucrative than the previous
Washington tariffs allowed.
Due to his previous stints as Boss, self confessed Castro protégé, Chavez, is barred, according to the nations’ legal statutes, from running again in 2012 when this new term in office is set to expire. But Hugo, always the innovator, has a crafty plan to alter those laws, thus allowing him and his party to consolidate and expand their power base year after year. Failing a renewal of the cold war or a serious oil crisis, the future for Venezuela under Chavez looks red, very red…
Fidel Castro with The Enforcer, Hugo Chavez(for a closer look into the mind of a madman, take a peek here http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/19/1336214 )
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