Viva Chavez!

Hugo Chavez seems to be carrying on the torch that was lit by Fidel Castro in 1959. He’s not afraid of the USA, he’s a staunch left-winger and he believes that the people of his country should come first instead of the foreign companies who go around the 3rd world ripping off poor countries. Evo Morales has joined forces with Chavez and is implementing socialist measures that are in the best interest of the Bolivian people. All across Latin America, we are seeing a power shift towards the left. The next country to elect a socialist government will probably be Mexico.

The USA has been forcing 3rd world countries into economic liberalisation which in many cases has made poor countries even poorer and denied people access to essential public services. At the same time, 1st world countries profited from the wave of privatisation and continue to plunder the natural resources of 3rd world countries. Countries like Venezuela and Bolivia are right to oppose this rampant free-market ideology and to opt for a system that takes care of the poor and not just the rich. The flawed concept of Reaganomics has no place in the Developing World.

When Chavez visited london he was boycotted by the Tories who accuse him of being a dictator (even though he’s won elections, something Tories are not familiar with) and of being repressive towards the opposition (the same opposition that with US support tried to overthrow the elected government). Ironically, this is the same Conservative Party that was falling over itself to say just how wonderful the mass-murdering and mass-torturing despot General Pinochet is. Maybe Chavez should murder 3000 of his own people and then he can have tea and biscuits with Maggie Thatcher too.

Countries where the natural resources are controlled by foreign companies and where their finances and spending are largely decided by Rich foreign countries are subject to a kind of backdoor colonialism. People like Chavez are leading the way to a fairer global society and I say good luck to him.