Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Two views on Hugo Chávez

Chavez disrespects Marx

Listening to today’s “Aló Presidente” over the Internet, I believe I just heard (I could have got it wrong) Hugo Chávez make one of those many statements where he very clearly signals to all viewers/listeners that “he is not a marxist”—implying to all listening that neither should they be, in
his Bolivarian Revolution.  ... This admonition against marxist influence in the Bolivarian Revolution wouldn’t matter so much, if Hugo Chávez wasn’t a beacon of leadership for millions in América Latina and around the world; but he is and so it behooves Hugo Chávez to get his ideology right, to stop winging it. It is dangerous for the revolution if he continues in this vein.
-- Grok, Jan. 27, 2008

Chavez’s nationalist/populist model is collapsing

After an extensive visit to the slums of this capital, I am convinced that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez lost the recent referendum that would have extended the time he could remain in office not because his countrymen value democracy so much, but because his social programs are crumbling. In the barrios of Petare, Catia, Baruta and other places, the nationalist/populist model is collapsing. Through a network of “missions,” the government has been using oil revenue to provide food, housing, cars, education and health care for millions of Venezuelans. In theory, Venezuelans are enjoying the “social justice” denied to them during decades of rule by the country’s elites. In real life, the missions are plagued with corruption and inefficiency, and are severely hampered by the insecurity and the shortages that have become the hallmark of Venezuelan society.
-- Alvaro Vargas Llosa, Jan. 23, 2008

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