VENEZUELA: BEYONG THE GOOD AND EVIL MYTHS San Juan, P.R., Feb. 17, 2014 -- In a recent program of Radio Isla called Debate a female analyst emphasized that the ongoing disturbances taking place in Venezuela should be judged very careful because Puerto Ricans had never lived in a Free Country...and (Pres) Maduro is not Hugo Chavez. This is the core of the Venezuelan political situation: the right-wingers describes Maduro and Chavez as puppets of Fidel Castro and the left-winger sees Hugo Chavez Frias (HCF) as the only Savior of Venezuela, Latin America and the Caribbean. Hugo Chavez and the Bolivarian Revolution (BR) are living and real processes with their lights and shadows. The Venezuelan Revolution is referred as the BR because it follows the political and regional agenda of Simon Bolivar, who liberated Bolivia, Venezuela, Colombia, etc. What are the Real Contributions of Chavez and the Bolivarian Revolution? There are three basic contributions: (1) Drastic reductions on Venezuelas poverty levels, according to the figues of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (2) Siginificant increases in Venezuelas educational, health and public housing levels like UNESCO also confimed. (3) Great successes in Venezuelas Latin American and Caribbean initiatives, particularly setting two regional organizations: PetroCaribe, which supplies very cheap oil and natural gas to Nicaragua, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and almost all the English-speaking small Caribbean islands, and the Latin American and Caribbean Economy Community (CELAC). This economy community has become the real regional representatives for LA and the Caribbean. The US-run Organization of American States (OAS) is just a shadow of what it used to be and its functions have become primarily symbolic. PetroCaribe is a great example of the benefits of regional economic integration. What are the Shadows of the Venezuelan Revolution? Neither Hugo Chavez nor his BR have been able to reproduce the type of humanist and savvy leadership which HCF represented. Chavez could connect easy with his working class audience: he would even sing and cry like they did, and could explain in simple language his socialist agenda. Although it was very difficult to replace a charismatic figure in such a short time, Chavez and his top leadership committed many mistakes. They failed to politically and ideologically educate the core members of Venezuelas United Socialist Party and the legislative and military leadership. Hugo Chavezs sudden death stole the years needed by HCF to consolidate his Bolivarian Revolution. Nevertheless, the Venezuelan Revolution is today the watershed for all of Latin America and the Caribbean because of its significant social justice accomplishments and the consolidation of the continental economic integration process through the CELAC and PetroCaribe.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Feb 2014 04:41:19 +0000
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