Hugo Chavez

[Comrade Ceausescu]

I do.I think he is a progressive leftist leader who stands up for the poor people of venezuela.he is also very good friends with fidel,and is a devout anti-u.s./anti-imperialist

[Comrade Ceausescu]

"What my rivals don't understand... is that Hugo Chavez is not Chavez but the people of Venezuela"

-Hugo Chavez

[FistFullOfSteel]

i support him.

[Ian]

I like the guy

He's done some good things, the anti-illiteracy program, the MBR 2000 construction program, and all the things he does for the poor.

He's a cool guy

[Sensitive]

Chavez is a good guy - progressive, but not socialist.

I admire him more because he survived that Washington backed coup attempt against him.

[Deniz Gezmis]

He's also supplied Cuba with computers.

[FistFullOfSteel]

he also have my name:Hugo :)

[RebeldePorLaPAZ]

he's a cool guy, i support him

my aunt says my personality reminds her of him so sometimes she calls me chavez, lol

[FistFullOfSteel]

coool

[Saint-Just]

I do too, he is a real patriot.

[RebeldePorLaPAZ]

I found something on BBC about Chavez how he says that Latin Americans should boycott Columbus Day.

BBC.com

Columbus 'sparked a genocide' (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3184668.stm)

Venezuela's populist leader has urged Latin Americans to boycott celebrations for the anniversary of the "discovery" of the Americas by Christopher Columbus.

President Hugo Chavez accused the much-lauded adventurer of spearheading a "genocide".

The 1492 arrival of the Italian explorer, employed by Spain, triggered a 150-year "invasion" of native Indians by foreign conquerors, who behaved "worse than Hitler", he said.

Columbus Day falls on 12 October and is celebrated with a public holiday on Monday in the United States and several Latin American nations.

But at a meeting in Caracas - attended by representatives of the indigenous population in South America, President Chavez said: "Christopher Columbus was the spearhead of the biggest invasion and genocide ever seen in the history of humanity."

Columbus Day should be remembered as the "Day of Indian Resistance", he said.

Spanish, Portuguese and other foreign conquerors had massacred South America's Indian inhabitants at an average rate of roughly "one every 10 minutes", he said.

He described Spanish conquistadors like Hernan Cortes and Francisco Pizarro, as "worse than Hitler".

And he said even the continent's geographical names - such as America and Venezuela - were created and imposed by foreigners.

FULL STORY (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3184668.stm)

[Comrade Ceausescu]

yea i agree,there was a topic about this on isf.

[ComradeRobertRiley]

he also gives cuba free oil (or so I hear) sorry no sources for that though

[Severian]

I certainly think Chavez' government should be defended against those trying to overthrow it presently - most of the Venezuelan upper class, plus Washington. Chavez' government has taken some significant progressive measures, basically with the goal of increasing Venezuela's economic independence from imperialism.

More importantly, there's a real working-class upsurge in Venezuela, for example workers taking over businesses shut down by their owners, demanding that the government nationalize them and let the workers run them. Also land occupations by peasants. These actions are fueled in part by the expectations that working people have of the Chavez government, which claims to be on the side of working people. And the efforts by the capitalist opposition, and imperialism, to overthrow Chavez are ultimately aimed at the Venezuelan working class.

On the other hand, I think it's important for the working-class movement to be independent of all capitalist parties and politicians. And that's what Chavez is, a nationalist, capitalist politician with some populist rhetoric and a definite Bonapartist streak.

Nobody can ride in on a white horse and free the workers and peasants - we have to do it ourselves. Venezuelan workers and peasants have correctly been defending Chavez against the right, acting to reverse the coup and to break the business strikes. But they can't place all their trust in him, they have to be ready to go beyond what Chavez allows. Or they'll end up like workers in Chile did, who let Allende's government limit how far the revolutionary process could go.

Some recent reports from Venezuela by visiting reporters from The Militant:

Workers in Venezuela occupy plants (http://themilitant.com/2003/6736/673660.html)

Venezuela: gov’t communications building target of grenade attack (http://themilitant.com/2003/6736/673602.html)

Venezuela: fired oil bosses evicted from government-funded housing: (http://themilitant.com/2003/6735/673502.html) Pro-imperialist opposition exploits move in its drive against Chávez

[Saint-Just]

Severian, what is [i]'The Militant'[/b]? What is its political orientation?

[Marxist in Nebraska]

Originally posted by [email protected] 12 2003, 03:09 AM
Chavez is a good guy - progressive, but not socialist.

I admire him more because he survived that Washington backed coup attempt against him.
That is about right...

He is probably the most progressive leader in South America. He seems to be far better than Lula in Brazil, who seems to be the second-most progressive on the continent.

[Severian]

Originally posted by Chairman [email protected] 12 2003, 09:41 PM
Severian, what is [i]'The Militant'? What is its political orientation? [/b]
The Militant reflects the views of the Socialist Workers Party in the U.S. (no relation to the British SWP, its British equivalent is called the Communist League.)

Edit: No relation to the British Militant, either.

(I see from your profile you're in the UK, and these organizations seem to come up a lot anyway.)

[Fidelbrand]

i will learn about him, humbly speaking, i literally know jack shit about him....... but as u guyz described , he seems to be benevolent too. :)

[Frances of Assisi]

I support him because he is standing up for the poor. His friendliness to fidel in spite of all the US opposition and activities in south america make him a hero.

[Rastafari]

Purple polar bear...nice


I thought it was "Francis", but its all good



I love Chavez.

[Rastafari]

Purple polar bear...nice


I thought it was "Francis", but its all good



I love Chavez.

[Frances of Assisi]

Frances, Francis, same thing. I always got the two confused. The point is, he the perfect example of a Christian who could at the same time have "socialistic" tendencies.

[Saint-Just]

Originally posted by Severian+Oct 13 2003, 12:45 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Severian @ Oct 13 2003, 12:45 AM)
Chairman [email protected] 12 2003, 09:41 PM
Severian, what is [i]&#39;The Militant&#39;? What is its political orientation? [/b]
The Militant reflects the views of the Socialist Workers Party in the U.S. (no relation to the British SWP, its British equivalent is called the Communist League.)

Edit: No relation to the British Militant, either.

(I see from your profile you&#39;re in the UK, and these organizations seem to come up a lot anyway.) [/b]
Yes, that is what I was referring to. It sounded Trotskyist because of the similarity to the British Trotskyist paper &#39;Militant&#39;.

I have probably heard of the communist league however I do not seem to remember. Looking at them now they are rather different to the SWP or Militant. That adds another organisation to my knowledge of the already overcrowded leftist political arena in Britain. It actually seems like a joke, there are so many socialist organisations and parties in the UK.