Hugo Chávez

Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías , born on July 28th, 1954 with Sabaneta in the Llanos, in the south of the Venezuela, is the president of Venezuela since the February 2nd 1999.

Beginnings

Wire of Hugo of los Reyes Chávez and Elena Frías de Chávez, both teachers, it has four children (Rosa Virginia, María Gabriela, Hugo Rafael and Rosinés). It was married twice and currently is separated from his second wife.

In its youth, his/her parents decide to send it to the Military academy of Venezuela which it leaves with the Diplôme of Sciences and Art of warfares. He also studies political science with the Université Simón Bolívar of Caracas in 1989 - 1990, and obtains his control.

The July 24th 1983, at the time of the day of the 200e birthday of the birth of the Libertador (Liberator) of Venezuela and other Spanish colonies of South America, Simón Bolívar, Chávez creates with in particular Raúl Isaías Baduel, within the army, the Movimiento Bolivariano Revolucionario 200 (revolutionary Movement bolivarien 200, MBR-200) of orientation Socialiste.

Missed coups d'etat (1992)

The February 4th 1992, the MBR-200, directed by Hugo Chávez, tries a Coup d'etat against the president Carlos Andres Perez. The Putsch takes for name “operation Ezequiel Zamora”. This attempt fails, and Chávez is imprisoned during two years, test to which it will refer by evoking “ the prison of dignity ”. At the time of its prison stay, it records a video-cassette in which it calls with the insurrection. It is diffused around 4 hours of the morning in the night of the 26 with the November 27th 1992, at the time of a second Coup d'etat prepared by the MBR-200. The second attempt also falls through, although the members of the MBR-200 all the same took the control of the country during a few minutes.

In 1994, Rafael Caldera is elected for the second time in Venezuela. Carrying out one of its political promises made before being elected, it orders the release of Chávez.

It is at that time that Chávez made knowledge, via the Carapintadas (which were in contact with several of the members of the MBR-200), of the Argentinian ideologist negationnist Norberto Ceresole, which will belong to its entourage until in 1999 and will be finally constrained to leave Venezuela at the end of an important polemic.

Presidency of Hugo Chávez

First election with the head of Venezuela (1998)

Once released, Chávez creates a Political party named “Movimiento Quinta República, MVR” (Mouvement fifth republic), a civil version of the MBR-200. It is with the head of this party that it will seize the power, four years later. In 1998, year of two elections (legislative and presidential), its dimension in the Sondage S increases gradually (30% in May, 39% in August). The slogan of the electoral campaign of Chávez proclaims it “ plague of the Oligarchie and hero of the poor ”. The coalition of left parties, gathered around the MVR, gains 34% of the seats of the National congress at the time of the legislative elections of the November 8th 1998. The two parties Democratic Action and COPEI which had hitherto shared the capacity obtain only 9% of the voices together. Chávez has left then victorious the presidential election of 1998 with 56% of the voices, the greatest majority with the presidential election for 40 years in Venezuela.

The February 2nd 1999, Chávez lends oath on a constitution which it describes as dying woman, and promises a Référendum in order to train a new constituent Assembly. It also cancels the military procession which accompanies usually this ceremony, thus wanting to illustrate the tender of the army to the civil authorities. It is on the other hand given to the February 4th, date birthday of its first coup attempt of State.

The April 25th of the same year, 80% of the participants in the referendum accept the training of a new constituent Assembly, together with a promise of general election, including/understanding the position of president, for the year 2000. Low participation rate (40% of the registered voters) illustrates the little of interest of the population for this constitutional debate.

The August 7th 1999, the new constituent Assembly is born. She has then as a mandate to prepare a new constitution, in order to replace that of 1961. The 131 members of the Parliament, the majority without any political experiment, have only three months to write it, which is little taking into account the extent of the task. For the second time in one year, the Venezuelans have to vote at the time of a referendum, this time for the adoption of this new constitution.

The principal changes of the Constitution bolivarienne of Venezuela compared to the old constitution are:

Name change of the country in “Bolivar Republic ienne of Venezuela”.
Abolition of the Senate, thus passing to a system monocaméral;
the mandate of the president passes from 5 years to 6 years;
the president can be re-elected immediately at the end of its mandate, once only. The former constitution allowed the re-election of the president, but only after one period of at least 10 years.
Put into force “revocatory Referendum” which makes it possible to the people to relieve any controlling, to civil servant or to public administrator, including the president;

The referendum of the December 15th 1999 ratifies the new constitution, yes carrying it with 71,4% of the voices. 55% of the population in right to vote were presented to the ballot boxes.

First re-election (2000)

The general elections promised by Chávez take place the July 30th 2000. Chávez is re-elected president with 59,5% of the voices. The MVR gains 76 of the 165 seats of the National Assembly, as well as the governments of 12 of the 23 States (administrative areas) country.

In the States of Merida and Trujillo, the army must intervene, the outgoing governors, supported by demonstrators, refusing to accept their defeats.

The August 10th 2000, within the framework of a round of OPEC (producer countries of Oil), Chávez goes in Iraq for an official visit. He is the first Head of State to be gone to Iraq since the war of the Gulf in 1990.

The polarization of the people Venezuelan

Following the attacks of the September 11th 2001, the courses of the Pétrole gross crumble. That causes an economic crisis in Venezuela, third world oil exporter. The government, fault of financial means, is with the catches with social disturbances. Employers shows the social reforms to be at the origin of the crisis of the country.

The December 10th 2001, employers and the trade unions Venezuelans call with a general strike to protest against the economic measures of Hugo Chávez. This strike paralyzes the country during more than 12 hours. Thousands of partisans of the government meet in Caracas, in order to support the president, and listen to a speech of Chávez praising the merits of its measurements.

This strike and this demonstration in favor of the government illustrate the polarization of the people Venezuelan.

On a side, the part of the population favoured by the old economic system, in particular people related to oil industry, defendants, initially by Chávez, to be corrupted. They enjoy the support of employers and the local mediums, and are very well organized.

Other side, the majority of the population, which lives under the Poverty line (80% of the Venezuelans), to the profit of which are intended the reforms of the new government. It is this majority which carried Hugo Chávez to the presidency and which continues to support it.

During the month of February 2002, three officers, the rear-admiral Carlos Molina Tamayo, colonel Pedro Soto and the captain Pedro Flora, require the resignation of the president in turn and call the population with the rising. Hugo Chávez retorts in a speech with the nation that “ Venezuela is engaged in a fight between the life and death, the past and the future ”. No measurement of sanction was taken against these officers, Chávez preaching a “ absolute freedom of expression ”.

Sunday April 7th, Chávez, on line on TV and with a whistle (see the files of the program Hello President), puts at the door seven leaders of the National company of oils of Venezuela (PDVSA), and forces twelve others of them to take their retirement. Dissatisfied, the executives of the company protest, which encourages the principal working central trade-union of the country, the Confederacion de Trabajadores of Venezuela (Confederation of the workers of Venezuela, CTV), in a decision supported by employers, to call the population with a 24 hours general strike.

The CTV is mainly made up of the members of the two parties having formed the preceding government, Accion Democrática (AD) and Partido Social Cristiano of Venezuela (COPEI). As for the oil sector, person in charge of 80% of exports of the country but employing only 2% of the labor, it profits from a disproportionate weight at the time of the strikes.

The coup d'etat de Carmona (2002)

The April 11th 2002, a gigantic manifestation of the opposition moves towards the presidential palace of Miraflores. On the level of the bridge “Llaguno”, on which many partisans of Hugo Chávez are gathered, franc-tireurs posted on the buildings around open fire on crowd. In the evening, a group of soldiers, by the voice of the general Lucas Rincon, request with Hugo Chávez to resign, but he refuses. Hugo Chávez is stopped and a new autoproclamé government is set up. Pedro Carmona, president of the chamber of commerce of Venezuela, takes the head of it. It was received, some time before, with the White House and by Spanish the Prime Minister , Jose Maria Aznar. Madrid and Washington recognize the new government.

The following day, in spite of a media silence established by the putschists in place, takes place a mass demonstration of the population of Caracas, supported by the presidential guard remained faithful to Chávez, which reverses Carmona. The ministers of Chávez who for the majority had hidden take again their functions. As the Constitution envisages it, the vice-president Diosdado Cabello assumes the interim of the presidency, until Hugo Chávez is located, then released.

During this short capacity, Carmona a:

dissolves the National Assembly and promised legislative elections for December 2002;
a presidential election in the year;
declared the cancellation of the constitution of 1999 introduced by Chávez;
a return to the parliamentary system Bicameral;
cancelled 49 laws which gave to the government a greater control on the economy;
restored the general reprocesses of it Guaicaipuro Lameda like chair Petróleos company of Venezuela;
returned the judges of the Supreme court.

These events are filmed by journalists of an Irish chain, Radio Telefís Éireann, who were on the spot to turn a report on the program of Hugo Chávez. They drew documentary discussed, The Revolution will Be not televised ( Chavez, the film ).

The December 18th 2005, the Colombian president Alvaro Uribe denounces the “plot” organized by former servicemen Venezuelans against Hugo Chávez. They would have met in Bogotá in the building of the Colombian police force, with Colombian soldiers.

The revocatory referendum of semi-mandate (2004)

Hugo Chávez set up, in the new constitution, the possibility for the people of deciding revocation of the president Venezuelan, once half of his mandate carried out. The opposition joined together the number of signatures necessary to set in motion the procedure of revocation to semi-mandate. But these signatures were refused by the Electoral National council (CNE), because they would have been carried out before the end of the period of semi-mandate lawful. The opposition thus took again its search of signatures and again joined together the sufficient number of signatures to allow the organization of the revocatory referendum. But this time, the government and the CNE asserted that the opposition had been devoted to falsifications and that the names of some of the signatories belonged to deaths! In a very tended climate, the government decided all the same to accept the list of signatures presented by the opposition and set up for the August 15th 2004 the revocatory referendum.

At this time, all the surveys give Chávez gaining with 60% of the voting intentions. This type of referendum exists, in the world, only in three countries. Chávez affirms that in the event of victory, it will be represented with the presidential election which will follow, which can be interpreted like opposite with the provisions of the Constitution of 1999.

In the country, the fracture between the government and the opposition are more than ever palpable and the official ones do not do anything to put an end to the tensions. Carlos Andres Perez, former president of the deposed republic for corruption, declares thus that “against Chávez, it is necessary to use violence (…), that a dictatorship should be founded then. ” Chávez affirms, for its part, which the chiefs of the opposition are worse than Hitler…

The revocatory referendum is set up for the August 15th 2004. To guarantee the regularity of it, it is supervised by the Fondation Casing and the Organization of the American States (OAS). Machines to be voted provided by the Italian company Smartmatic are used at the time of the poll. Later, the authorities decide to use machines provided by the company Choicepoint, which use the digital fingerprints to confirm the regularity of the votes.

However, these machines tend to be blocked and certain people wait up to 12 noon before being able to vote. The duration of opening of the polling stations is prolonged twice in order to make sure that everyone can vote. But the important thing is that the votes occur in the calm one. The evening, the preliminary results indicate that more than 58% of the voters decide against the dismissal of Chávez. This figure is confirmed by the Carter foundation and the OAS, but the opponents affirm that the result is sullied with frauds. In the days which follow, the majority of the opposition agrees to recognize gaining Chávez and only the party of Mendoza refuses to admit the victory of the No .

The end result promulgated the August 23rd 2004 of the CNE on the spot gives the following figures, endorsed by the international observers present:

Second re-election (2006) and failure of the institutional reform (2007)

The December 3rd 2006, Chávez gains the presidential election with nearly 63% of the voices, beating the chief of the opposition, Manuel Rosales.

Hugo Chavez since launched a reform of the institutions which removes the limiting number of mandates, registers socialism in the constitution and allows emergency regulations for the Freedom of the press or the Freedom of expression in general. Thus, on October 24th, 2007, socialism is registered in the constitution of Venezuela: for many opponents, it is about a questioning of political pluralism. When the state of emergency is proclaimed, freedom of the press is suspended, as well as the standards of justice. The demonstrations continued and on November 8th a shooting made 8 wounded with the return of one of these demonstrations in Caracas.

The former chief of the armies of the country, the general Raul Baduel, who had allowed the return to the capacity of Chavez qualified the reform of coup d'etat in November 2007. He had already denounced in July 2007 in connection with this reform the Marxist orthodoxy, which regards the democracy as a simple instrument of the middle-class domination .

December 2nd, 2007, the electorate Venezuelan rejected by referendum the constitutional reform suggested by Hugo Chavez while granting to the " non" a small majority of 50,7%. Hugo Chavez recognized her defeat.

Measurements prone to polemic

Chávez threatened the members of the Armed forces by saying that those which did not approve the policy of the President did not have there their place, although the army is, according to the Constitution bolivarienne, with the service of the nation, and not with that of an individual or a political project.

The private companies having contractual relations with the government are invited to do without the services of the members of the opposition and, in particular, the people having given their signature for the realization of the revocatory referendum of 2004. The Logiciel Maisanta thus makes it possible to identify the opponents of Chávez thanks to their card number of identity.

The September 4th 2006, Hugo Chávez announced the organization into 2010 of a referendum which would make it possible to modify the constitution in order to abolish very limiting number of mandates which can be carried out by a president. This proposal was interpreted in certain media like Le Monde , the newspaper of 20:00 of TF1 of December 3rd, 2006 or Challenges like the organization of a presidency with life. The president in title however would be always regularly subjected the vote for all proof. In addition, in many countries no limit of mandate exists for the Head of the State.

January 18th, 2007, the Parliament Venezuelan (of which all the members however belong to the MVR (Left chavist) since the opposition boycotted the legislative last) grants to Mr. full Chavez the pouvoirs for one eighteen months duration, as a voter a law authorizing it to legislate by decrees.

In April 2007, Hugo Chavez is shown, according to terms of Barber, “to muzzle television of opposition” when he refused to renew the license of RCTV (more precisely, it is the National Commission of telecommunications which made this decision), the oldest television channel, critical towards him until supporting and to support the coup d'etat of 2002. The hertzian concession thus released was allotted to the new public television Teves (“ Televisora Venezolana Social ”). A study of the Research institute in communication (Ininco) revealed that “74% of the contents of the public channel concerned governmental propaganda”. However, the Western press coverage on business RCTV was strongly criticized and qualified openly " misinformation " by ACRIMED and the Diplomatic World in particular.

May 26th, 2007, the army seizes the infrastructure of diffusion of the television channel RCTV. The 27 at midnight, it ceases emitting on the terrestrial network but can emit on the cable. It cannot touch but one hearth Venezuelan thus any more out of five. It begins again there on the cable on July 16th.

Several thousands of students expressed against this decision. Mgr Baltasar Porras Cardoso, a bishop Venezuelan denounced the “sectarianism” of the Head of the State, comparing Chavez with Hitler, Mussolini and Castro in the columns of the Brazilian daily newspaper O Estado of Sao Paulo. The mayor of Caracas considered that “the government closes the critical chains because he does not want only one sees these. ”. Contrary to the hundreds of thousands of demonstrators expressed their support for Chavez at the beginning of June. To counter the opponents, Mr. Chavez asked his partisans to form “student councils”, which could receive 600 million dollars of the State. Intellectuals, academics and British politicians mainly resulting from the radical left whose John Pilger, Harold Pinter, Tariq Ali, Kelvin Hopkins and Julia Buxton, as of the French academics as Annie Lacroix-Rice supported this decision not to renew the concession of the RCTV, because of its participation in the coup d'etat of 2002 against Chavez. They recall that this chain used its channel to call many and many times with rising against the democratically elected government, and that the conspirators of 2002 violated the constitution vénézuélienne in many points at the time of the two days of their takeover. The sociologist Luis Lander considers that affimer that “RCTV the representative of the democracy is a joke”. For its part, Salim Lamrani, enquiring French specialist in the relations between Cuba and the United States, recalls that in 2006 there was not less than 16 private channels moreover in Venezuela compared to 2000, against only 4 additional public channels. Over the same period, the number of private radios increased by 75, against 7 for the public sector. In front of such an increase in the number of private media, he considers that the assertion of a media will of hegemony on behalf of Chavez is at the very least debatable. The defenders of the chain point out that is at the Audit Board of the media to treat these questions but that it was put under the cut of Chavez. Human Rights Watch, Reporters without borders, the European Union or the United States condemned the decision of Hugo Chavez unanimously. The Bolivian president Evo Morales, combined and friend of Mr. Chavez, stated that it would never close a television channel. President de Globovision denounced these allegations like “ridiculous”. An investigation was opened by the government chavist. Speaking about " fascisme" in connection with Globovision, Chavez has enjoint the chain with " to calm itself, otherwise it is me which will inflict the calmant" to them;.

Two to three times per week, all the television channels and radio stations must stop their programming and transmit completely and on line the speeches of Hugo Chavez. Between 1999 and 2006, the media had to thus relay these speeches with 1.339 recoveries, according to a calculation of the daily newspaper El Nacional , that is to say approximately 170 times per annum. According to Maxime Vivas, " writer, altermondialiste" and author of a book for the newspaper Humanity , El Nacional , “newspaper which approved the putsch (that it described as " democracy retrouvée") is of anti-chavisme delirious” and affirms that “obviously, the figure, to suppose that it is not purely bidonné (as the information of El Nacional at one time announcing the resignation of Chávez) corresponds rather on the whole of the appearances of Chávez on television in seven years, in various forms and in precise circumstances”.

The daily newspaper Venezuelan El Universal estimates that the strategy of reduction of the freedom of the press of Hugo Chavez is more " raffinée" that the pure and simple censure and passes thus by lawsuits against the journalists on questions without relationship with their trade to dissuade criticism. The government agencies are also invited by premiums with " to instill a self-censorship and to neutralize criticisms éventuelles". According to El Universal , rather than to control the media directly, to be able prefers to neutralize them . ONG Espacio Público thus listed in 2006 106 breaches of liberty of expression. In the same way, nonthe renewal of the license of the RCTV does not make it possible any more the chain to be accessible only to 1/5e of the population while avoiding the direct censure.

July 22nd, 2007, Hugo Chavez announced that the foreigners criticizing it or criticizing his government would be expelled.

Corruption and nepotism

The newspaper Le Monde , in its edition of January 1st 2007, denounces the corruption of the mode in particular thanks to the petrodollars. According to Le Monde , Hugo Chávez multiplied the structures intended “to trap” the resources of Petroleos of Venezuela and the reserves of the Central bank. Quoting a diplomat, the daily newspaper gives the example of Fonden (Development funds national), “a financial object not identified, a OFNI, a large moneybox of which the use depends exclusively on the President on the Republic and the Minister for Finance”. These funds have receipts of 22 billion dollars compared with 60 for the remainder of the budget. According to Eleazar Diaz Rangel, director of the daily newspaper Ultimas Noticias , favorable at Chávez, “an organization as Fonden stimulates corruption”. The local branch of Transparency International also advances that “Venezuela was among the most corrupted countries of Latin America, as well as Paraguay, Nicaragua or Panama and that from now on, the barometer of the corruption of Transparency International locates it at the top of the regional classification, just after Haiti. ” The former member of Parliament Felipe Mujica affirms that Chávez “has in a discrétionnaire way of the resources PDVSA, of which it made his black case. The reserves of the Central bank were arbitrarily reached a maximum to 30 billion dollars, the surplus from 7 to 10 billion dollars being placed at the disposal of the President of the Republic. ”

At the end of May 2007, a cousin of the Head of the State, Asdrubal Chavez, was promoted vice-president of the Petroleos state enterprise of Venezuela (PDVSA). The older brother of the Head of the State, Adrian Chavez, was appointed Minister for education. His/her father, Hugo of los Reyes Chavez, is elected governor of the state of Barinas and the Secretary of State de Barinas is another brother of Hugo Chavez, Argenis Chavez. Anibal Chavez is from now on elected mayor of Sabaneta de Barinas and that Narciso Chavez aspires to the town hall of Bolivar.

Hugo Chavez is not accused of Clientélisme by not financing any more but films in the line of the mode. The realizer Oscar Lucien denounces “a cultural policy which practices apartheid with the profit of the partisans of the Chavez government” in connection with a subsidy granted to Danny Glover, actor, near to Hugo Chavez and adviser of a television chavist. This subsidy “équiva to 17,6 million dollars, five years of vénézuélienne production”.

Hugo Chavez is also accused of to buy the poor with each election while remunerating, each month, very many inhabitants of the favelas so that they are registered with his party, vote for him and take part in the demonstrations chavists. All that would be possible for him thanks to the money which oil gets to him: 3 million barrels days, with a barrel with almost 100 dollars in November 2007.

Social measures and policies of the Chávez government

Interior policy

Agriculture, fishing and environment

In a country where the economy is mainly founded on the exploitation of oil and where the question of the ground is not any more one true problem since the years 1960, Hugo Chávez decides to nationalize the not cultivated fields the pertaining to richest owners and those not being able to justify of document of title. He then redistributes them with small farmers having to form Coopérative S, in order to give work to poorest and to limit the imports in an involved in debt country and having not exploited production capacities agricultural. Unfortunately, the results are not - for the moment not very conclusive and of many economists fear that the policy followed by Mr. Chavez makes Venezuela even more depend on the food imports only before.

In the country, the culture of GMO is prohibited. A system of bank of seeds is set up, in order to provide which requires it. Its official goal is to preserve the diversity of the plants.

Intensive fishing is prohibited in the territorial water vénézuéliennes, in order to preserve the maritime biodiversity and to support the small fishermen. The Trawling is thus prohibited in the coastal areas.

Participative democracy

According to UNESCO, illiteracy was éradiqué in Venezuela, and the policy to fight against the hunger is presented like an example to follow by the last report/ratio on the Right to the Food submitted to the General meeting of the United Nations. In addition, the incidences of poverty and of extreme poverty lowered these last years considerably.

Education

Hugo Chávez set up several programs of education (elimination of illiteracy, etc):

the " Misión Robinson" who uses, for the elimination of illiteracy, the cuban method " Yo sí puedo" instead of the ACUDE (programme of elimination of illiteracy of the preceding governments);
the " Misión Ribas" (which aims to the continuation of secondary education);
the " Misión Sucre" (related to higher education).

Microcrédits

Systems of Microcrédit S of public initiative are set up in order to facilitate the development of the small companies among the poorest fringes of the population not having access to the bank credit, for lack of sufficient guarantees. With the difference of the common microcrédit, resulting from private initiatives, that set up here encourageis encouraged by the capacity but also by the Office of the High Commission of the United Nations for the refugees for the initiatives aiming at the Colombian refugees.

Military policy

Each branch of the armed forces is implied in various development programs: public works, vaccinations or housing construction. These initiatives were largely criticized by the opposition which shows them to be sullied with corruption. Chávez answered that such programs are the principal possible means of development. He also declared that the influence of the americanists within the Bureaucratie of the State blocked the development of the country.

With Chávez, the forces vénézuéliennes diversified their sources of supply in Arme ments, buying material with the Brésil, the Russia and the Spain. The United States, fearing the technology transfers, pressed Russia and Spain not to deliver them. Venezuela also complained that the United States refused or delayed the sale of parts for the fighters F-16 bought in the years 1980. Chávez broke the military cooperation between the two countries and required the departure of the American advisers of the country.

In 2005, Chávez announced the creation of a great “military reserve” being able to reach 1,5 million people. To l´occasion of the presidential discourse of the New year 2006 (d´après the site “Altermondialiste”), the president presented a project of change of the name of the troops vénézuéliennes. Henceforth, the “troops vénézuéliennes” will become “troops bolivariennes”, in homage to Bolivar. This name change (true leitmotiv of the government of Mr. Chavez) would also relate to the navy and the air fleet.

Food distribution network MERCAL

Food distribution network MERCAL was set up. It is a question of distributing in lower part of the market prices, in shops or supermarkets related to the State, products of the craftsmen farmers|date= November 21st, 2007 . That must make it possible the poorest populations to reach one food of quality|date= November 21st, 2007 as well as the development of the food craft industry (in opposition to the Intensive agriculture). 13 million Venezuelans profits from distribution network MERCAL, that is to say a little more half of the population. But the MERCAL is not reserved the most not stripped for and each and everyone can make its races there, which reduces the social aspect of this creation. That also made say to the opposition which the MERCAL is before a whole tool of clientelisation of the company vénézuélienne|date= November 21st, 2007 .

The system functions on the basis of rationing, like two liters of oil or a kilo of dried milk by anybody. This delivery system supports however arrangements, the market products with the prices of the finishing MERCAL often sold at traditional prices in the shops. In addition it involved a rarefaction of certain basic commodities like milk; according to a foreign diplomat, blocked since plusieures years, the selling price of milk is lower than the production costs, therefore of many peasants their cows sold. The mode denounced one sabotage in connection with these shortages while Fédécameras, employers' association vénézuelienne, sees there the harbinger of the shortages of a planned economy with Soviet .

Health

In exchange of deliveries of Oil Venezuelan, the government Cuba in Fidel Castro provides approximately 20.000 doctors, who take part in the program Barrio Adentro (inside the district), a programme of health for the disadvantaged districts, and are also present in the moved back rural areas.
Les military barracks is used to accommodate medical device of high technology, thus multiplying the hospitals and making it possible most of the population to reach it free. With the educational policy, it is undoubtedly there the greatest success of the government of Mr. Chavez.

International policy

The speech of the South American unit

Although having signed the convention of Quito relating to the CSAN, which envisages a coordinated union of the countries of the continent, Hugo Chávez tries to establish a union with countries like the Uruguay, the Paraguay and the Argentine. He also stated to want to form with the Brésil of Lula, and other countries of South America, a transnational company of oil, called Petroamerica.

The June 30th 2005, Chávez signs a contract between Venezuela and 13 other countries of the the Caribbean, contract bearing on advantageous oil exchanges, in order to facilitate the independence of the countries of the Caribbean. The signatories are Antigua-and-Barbuda, the the Bahamas, the Belize, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Grenade, the Guyana, the Jamaica, the Dominique, Saint-Christophe-and-Niévès, St Lucia, Saint-Vincent-and-the-Grenadian, and the Surinam. The Barbados and Trinity-and-Tobago, which was present, did not sign the agreement.

The presidents of the Venezuela and Cuba, Hugo Chávez and Fidel Castro, followed by the president Bolivia N Evo Morales, started, in April 2005, the implementation of the Alternative bolivarienne for Americas (ALBA), strengthening the co-operation between the two countries. These agreements are signed with Havana, whereas the American Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice carries out a round in Latin America to promote the project of Free exchange zone of Americas (ZLEA). The ALBA is presented by Chávez and Castro like the application of the principles of “vaster solidarity between the people of Latin America” and an alternative to the ZLEA. The exchange of oil Venezuelan against cuban doctors enters within this framework, and it is also question of agriculture or mining products. Since, Nicaragua adhered to the ALBA, like three States of the Caribbean: the Dominique, Saint-Vincent-and them Grenadian and Antigua-and-Barbuda. Ecuador recently expressed its interest.

In July 2006, Venezuela joined the Mercosur, Common Market South American (on the same model that the EU), of which are already members the Brésil, the Argentine, the Uruguay and the Paraguay.

Military disagreements with Colombia

The Colombia, which has very long land borders with Venezuela, worried several times about the military expansion of Venezuela and its attitude compared to the terrorist organizations of Colombia, in particular the Marxist groups of guerillas (FARC, ELN).

According to the Colombian government and various media whose American review ( US News and World Carryforward ), Chávez would have allowed the FARC and ELN, to find refuge in the border zone of the two countries. A convoy of ammunition coming from Venezuela intended for the FARCS was intercepted in Colombia, and of the executives of the FARC forward by Venezuela to be made look after with Cuba. The publication of a report of the review coincides with the countryside relating to the revocatory referendum.

The Colombian government again announced in March 2005 its concern for the “arms race” to which Caracas would be delivered.

Anti-Americanism and anti-imperialism

The hostility posted towards the administration of the United States is a feature dominating of the foreign politics vénézuélienne since 1998. The leaders of Washington are shown to plot to perpetuate the hegemony of their country in Latin America, and to reverse the government of Chávez. In March 2004, this one carries felt sorry for against the United States near the Organization of the American States (OAS), for their participation in the putsch of 2002. He says to have many evidence of their participation which would concern, inter alia, the presence of warships of US Navy in the territorial water vénézuéliennes.

The September 15th 2005, at the time of the top of the 60e birthday of UNO, it declares that this organization should be transferred: “We propose that the seat of the United Nations New York leaves a country which does not respect the resolutions of the General meeting”. He then announces during a television program of the American chain ABC that the United States wants to invade Venezuela.

The president of Venezuela Hugo Chávez offered, on September 7th, 2005, the humanitarian aid of his country to the victims of the hurricane Katrina, while highly criticizing the US government for his lack of preparation vis-a-vis this catastrophe, at the time of a speech in which it quoted in example the quality of the plans of evacuation set up by Cuba at the time of the hurricanes.

In January 2006, Hugo Chávez launches an operation of reduction of 40% of the price of the exported fuel to the United States, in favor of the poor Americans. He gives following a marked promise in September 2005, after the catastrophe of the Katrina hurricane. The recipients are in the States of the Maine, the Massachusetts and the Rhode Island, and include also the district New Yorkean Bronx like four Amerindian tribes. For certain American analysts, this initiative is a communication campaign intended to reassure the public opinion of the United States.

September 13rd, 2006, he denounces the governmental version of the Attentats of September 11th. He wonders about a possible dynamiting of the twin towers and the use of a missile to strike the Pentagon: A plane would have fallen on the Pentagon. Lie! Unless it is an invisible plane! . Its declaration is concomitant of a resolution of the Parliament Venezuelan requiring of president Bush explanations on her version of the attacks.

September 20th, 2006, at the time of a speech at the general meeting of UNO, it qualifies the US president of “liar” of “tyrant” and “devil”.

In the name of the Anti-imperialism, Chávez affirms to wish a pure and simple disappearance the IMF, which it describes as “Dracula”. The Chávez April 30th, 2007 declared the exit of its country of the IMF

Except Americas

In October 2004, Chávez signs an agreement with the Russia bearing on the energy and the delivery of an important stock of light weapons and combat aircraft.

In 2004, it receives discussed the Prix Kadhafi of the human rights of the Libya, given before to Fidel Castro.

Making following a bilateral cooperation initiated in 2001 of which the posted goal is to create a strategic partnership, Chávez went by twice in visit in Popular republic of China to sign economic agreements with this country which regards Venezuela as its first commercial and political interlocutor on the South American continent.

President Hugo Chavez announced on June 11th, 2006 that it would go in Iran and North Korea which asserts the possession of the nuclear weapon, country forming part “of the axis of the evil” according to Washington, “to reinforce our (…) strategic alliances”. The American State Department added, in May 2006, Venezuela with its list of the countries not cooperating with Washington in the fight against the Terrorisme. On this topic Venezuela requires, since 2005, in the United States of America the extradition of Luis Posada Carriles a terrorist and old agent of the CIA, recognized guilty to have exploded in flight a civil aircraft cuban party of Caracas, the October 6th 1976, thus causing the death of its 73 passengers. This request always remains unanswered at the end of 2006. Hugo Chávez also shows the United States to have taken part in his removal at the time of the coup d'etat of the opposition.

According to the Duck connected of Wednesday July 26th 2006, Hugo Chávez would have, at the time of a visit with Minsk, the previous on Sunday, July 23, “rented the social model of Bielorussia”, country directed by Alexandre Loukachenko, condemned by report/ratio 2006 of Amnesty International. At the time of this visit, Chávez proclaimed its intention to create an strategic alliance between Venezuela and Bielorussia, by means of a co-operation in the fields scientist, technique, industrialist, tanker, gas and military. This alliance would be intended, according to him, “to protect the fatherland against the threats external and interior with the national projects which disturb the imperialism, because they are profitable”.

In visit in Iran, on July 30th, 2006, Hugo Chávez, described as “brother” by the president Ahmadinejad, declares that the Israeli military operations in progress in Lebanon are comparable with the “acts of Hitler”, by evoking “Israeli Fascism”. He also declares that Iran has the right to have atomic energy, thus taking party in his favor in the negotiations which oppose this country to the western powers.

Others

In 1998, the first diplomatic initiative, of Chavez, elected official chair, was to support the release of Illitch Ramirez Sanchez, more known under his name of war Carlos. According to him the detention conditions in France of the Venezuelan terrorist chief would be contrary with the human rights and Venezuela could claim its return to the native land officially.

Media criticisms and supports

Principal criticisms exits of the European or North-American media or the opposition vénézuélienne point finger “authoritarianism” and the “populism” of Hugo Chávez.

The president Venezuelan was shown by the International institute of the press (IIP) to choke the voices of the media adopting a critical attitude in his connection. In the same way, he was very criticized by the Committee for the protection of the journalists (CPJ) and by the inter-American Société of the press (SIP) which reproaches him its “general hostility” with regard to the editors and of the media who say themselves “independent”, of the media belonging to the leaders of large companies having controlled the country before Chávez. At the time of some of its speeches, it showed to finger publicly the journalist presents. However, freedom of the press is total in Venezuela, and the government also finances associative televisions.

It should be noted however that the majority of the national mediums private Venezuelans are strongly hostile in Hugo Chávez. They also encouraged the people to be raised at the time of the coup d'etat against Chávez (democratically elected with 59% of the voices), supporting the opposition close to the United States and former president Carlos Andrez Perez. The means used by these media are shown to have fed the insurrection rather than simply to support it (repetitive diffusion of the images showing of the casualties, charge to the president of the responsibility for violences mortals, announces (inaccurate as it is known from now on) resignation of Chávez, then of its arrest). Several ONG whose Human Right Watch will also relay these critics of the role of the media deprived during the putsch. A contrario , the public channel vénézuélienne Venezolana de Televisión (VTV), which played a big role at the time of the coup d'etat de Carmona, remains a firm support of the president. In the weekly emission Aló President testifies (diffused on all the hertzian chains of the country, like besides the entirety of the televised interventions of the president), during which Chávez itself endorses the role of organizer of talk show answering the complaints of the televiewers… During the emission of the Sunday, September 9, 2007, he spoke during a little more than seven hours.

The threat of Chávez, in 2001, to expel the foreigners who “outragent Venezuela or its authorities” (and in particular correspondents of the Western newspapers) also was the subject of critical sharp.

Business of its supposed anti-semitism

The December 24th 2005, Hugo Chávez (of Catholic confession) makes a speech concerning the social inequalities in which he says:

“There is in the world what to satisfy the needs for everyone, but (it there a) of the minorities, the descendants of those which crucifié Christ, descendants of these even which expelled Bolivar from here and which crucifié it with its manner with Santa Marta in Colombia. A minority adapted the richnesses of the world, a minority seized the gold of planet, the money, the ores, water, the good grounds, oil, the richnesses and they concentrated the wealths of little with hands: less than ten percent of the population of the world half of the richness of everyone is main. ”

A first dispatch published on the site of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency the December 30th 2005 denounces the speech of Chavez like anti-semite. Five days later, the things pack with the publication of an official statement of the Center Simon Wiesenthal which takes again in a truncated way the speech of Hugo Chavez:

“The world has richnesses for all, but minorities, the descendants of the same people which crucifié Christ, confiscated all the richnesses of the world. ”

This official statement is then taken again by the majority of the great media of the world, without apparently those not seeking to compare it with the retranscription of the speech.

He notable that Jewish associations of the Venezuela defended all the remarks of Chavez and is strongly criticized the Wiesenthal Center. The American Jewish Committee as well as the American Jewish Congrès has both confirmed the dires of the community vénézuélienne according to which the comments of Chavez did not aim the Jews.

The newspaper Le Monde specifies that “the representatives of the Jewish community dissociate Center Simon Wiesenthal” , and also that “It is not the opinion of the intellectuals Venezuelans of the opposition” . About thirty of them, ex-vice-chancellors of university, professors and writers, signed on line a petition “against allusions anti-semites of the official discourse Venezuelan” written and published by an Internet site of the opposition extremist favorable to the coup d'etat.

Hugo Chávez seen of France

Hugo Chávez is followed with interest by the left Altermondialiste. He is often quoted by Attac, and the diplomatic monthly magazine Le Monde . The newspaper evoked on several occasions a French media treatment considered to be particularly partial, Ignacio Ramonet seeing in particular in the polemic of May 2007 relating to RCTV the symbol of a " demolition haineuse" campaign; against Hugo Chávez. This diagnosis of partiality could be begun again by other information sources, like Acrimed.

This support of part of the left altermondialist is criticized by the socialist European deputy Harlem Désir, one moment fellow traveller of Attac: “The sorcerer's apprentices of Attac break in fact with Lula and all the reformists of Latin America, who want to build to them Mercosur on the model of our European Union to free itself from the American domination and the neoliberalism. Bernard Cassen and Jacques Nikonoff is identified from now on in only Chávez, a soldier who harangue his people of the hours lasting on television without agreeing to be stopped by only one journalist. It is their right. But it is their fault. ” Contrary to the predictions of Harlem Desire, Venezuela joined Mercosur in July 2006 but that does not prevent it from periodically wiping criticisms of its allies Brazilian or Argentinian, in particular.

Ideological sources of inspirations of Hugo Chávez

The Bolivarisme

The Bolivarisme asserts of the independence leader Simon Bolivar (liberator of the territories located between Venezuela and Peru against the Spanish colonial capacity). He as well preaches the idea of social justice (which however never was in the center of the concerns of Simon Bolivar, itself owner of slave!) that the South American unit.

The Theology of the release

Two quotations of Hugo Chávez clear up his thought:

“Among the elements which could define the socialism of the 21e century, I would say that the first characteristic is the moral element. It is necessary to start with that, the conscience, ethics. Che wrote much on socialist morals. Whatever the vision of the world which one has, we need réapproprier feel ethical life. What I say there undoubtedly holds much Christianity: “You Like the ones the others” or “even Like your next like you”. Actually, it is about this: solidarity with the brother. It is about the fight against the demons that the Capitalisme sowed: the Individualism, selfishness, hatred, privileges. ”

“I am Christian and I think that the Socialisme must nourish the most authentic currents of the Christianisme. ”

Mr. Chavez also had a debate with the pope in connection with the colonization of Americas and the conversion of the Amerindians to Christianity.

Let us add that certain analysts point the relations between the government of Mr. Chavez and the evangelists groups who are in full rise in Venezuela. Besides these relations would explain partly the decision of Mr. Chavez not to renew the contract of diffusion of RCTV, chains often described like immoral by the Protestants of the country because of its popular Telenovelas and other programs.

At the time of an official trip in Saudi Arabia, where Christianity is prohibited , he called upon Christ in front of a great number of Moslem delegates.

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