Hugo Chavez

Hugo Chavez - Oil Castro

A mantle, any takers?

Castro had glamour, Soviet support and leadership quality, but too old and exhausted Anti American lobby is desperately in need of one who can wear the mantle so that the fight against imperialism may get a much needed icon. Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias is younger, equally socialistic, ambitious and glamorous. By all means he can be a headache to the super power for another four decades. Socialists world over have a duty to keep the flame of revolution burning, at least for other four decades.

Family

Hugo Chavez was born in Sababareta Barinas in Venezuela, to Mr. Hugo de Los Reyes Chavez and Mrs. Elena Frias de Chavez. Both of his parents were teachers but he had to spend most of his boyhood with his grand mother Rosa I’mes Chavez. The boy was skilled in painting and singing and also was a good base ball player. His high school education was at Daniel Florencio O’Leary School at Barinas. At the age of 17 he joined the Venezuelan Academy of Military Science. He later joined as Second Lieutenant in the army and served it for 17 years.

College hero

His college education was from Simon Bolivar University and was active in college politics working in line with the left inclined nationalist Bolivianism. As a youth Hugo Chavez was greatly influenced by the then Peruvian president Juan Vestasco Aluarado. Same time he was active in the college base ball team. He has authored many poems, stories and dramas during this period.

Venezuela then

Those were times the corruption ridden rule of the dictator Carlos Andres Peroz was becoming more and more unpopular. The economic depression and inflation was causing severe resent among common people. The suppression of resent “El Caracasso” was reaching the situation to explosive levels.

A coup in within

Hugo Chavez joined the army as Second Lieutenant got several promotions in his 17 years service and reached to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel of the army. Chavez with his fiery speeches could capture the respect of his fellow soldiers. In February 4, 1992 under the leadership of Chavez a group of soldiers loyal to him barreled the road to Caracas and laid siege with the intension of capturing the ruler who was due to return from his tour abroad. They had all plans designed to overwhelm vital installations of communication.

A temporary defeat

The coup de tat failed due to defections and about 14 soldiers were killed and several of them injured in the battle. Chavez was sent to the Yare prison. During the prison life he had some eye ailment that has caused him permanent defects to vision. By putting Chavez in prison rulers could not put out the resentment among people as well as in the forces. His loyalists were engaged in agitation throughout Venezuela and they succeeded in gaining control of some strategic areas.

On the negotiating table

These developments forced the ruler to negotiate peace with Chavez. As a conciliatory step he was allowed to address the people through the national TV. In that address he hinted that the truce was temporary and people could expect the real struggle that could follow. The charisma of Hugo Chavez was that he was gaining popularity as wild fire. Hugo Chavez was pardoned and let free after two years of imprisonment in 1994.

Sponsored by

From there onwards his career graph had been steadily on the rise. The overwhelming charisma of Chavez made him a sure shot winner as he determined to contest for the election to be held on December 1998. There were big money in queue for his promotion banks like BBVA (Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentina), BSCH etc were competing each other to finance him with illicit funds to see him elected for the post. Hugo Chavez won with about 56% votes and in February 2, 1999 he sworn in as the president of Venezuela.

Keeping his word

His socialistic ideas were very helpful to improve the lot of Venezuelans who were so far living in a society with wide gaps between the haves and the have-nots. The distributions of land and all other socialistic cards were played. Of which land distribution was very progressive and it addressed the real issues. His free education campaign was the real need of the hour.

In 2007 it is the third time Chavez is coming to power and the rhetoric remain the same each time further deepening the revolution, when will there be an end to this prolonged revolution only time will tell. Most probably it will end only with this dictator. His guru Fidel Castro had the backing of the then super power Soviet Union where as Hugo has oil deposits for his support. As long as oil is in the wells the revolution may go on unabated.

“Fatherland socialism or death, I swear it for Christ, the greatest socialist victory” these were some of the words we heard from this “little Lenin of Venezuela” who swears by Christ. There were more “toward victory always! Fatherland, socialism or death! We shall prevail” no doubt the mantle of Castro is not going unclaimed. As long as there is plenty of oil in Venezuelan wells, this Venezuelan Lenin will prevail, whether the “Big Bully” likes it or not.

Hugo Chavez was elected as one of the hundred most influential people in the world by the time magazine in 2005-2006.

Hugo Chavez has clarified that he is not for the traditional socialism which the average Venezuelans fear, it is a special type of socialism (which will be defined only after every thing is over). Yet Venezuelans are apprehensive of socialism (whether it belongs to 21^st or 18^th century) as they know where this “ism” has taken other nations. They love Chavez and adore his glamour, same time are afraid of the future of their nation as well as their’s.

It is not without reason this little Lenin preaches the “ism” of the 21^st century so that the people will not be scared. Socialism is like a liquid that acquires the shape of the vessel where it is in, and now it is Chavez which is the vessel. 21^st century socialism has the shape of Chavez as long as oil in demand. So far “Victory to the Oil King”