Ah, Chavez No Se Va!

[Judi Lynn]

March 07, 2013
Anti-imperialist, Socialist and Immortal Latino-American

Ah, Chavez No Se Va!

by CARLES MUNTANER, JOAN BENACH, MARIA PAEZ VICTOR

Hugo Chavez’s death has prompted the sorrow millions of workers and popular classes around the globe, while the rich and powerful of capitalism rejoice. Despite the pressure and the millions of dollars spent to get him out of power and to undermine his significant achievements, the Venezuelan leader successfully improved the living conditions of his people and transformed the political landscape of Latin America leading a left turn.

Economically, Chavez managed to increase the minimum wage, pensions and remunerate domestic work, among other policies, all of which resulted in a significant reduction in poverty and income inequality. In contrast to promoting consumerism among the middle classes (for example, in the aspiration of a car for everyone), Chavez promoted socialist alternatives that went well beyond European social democracy. For example, non-capitalist areas were developed, with “social production companies”, co-management and co-operatives, and various nationalizations.

Politically, Chavez managed to bring together nationalist and socialist groups in the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), and maintain a balance of power that brought him more than 10 electoral victories. Social programs, the famous “Missiones”, brought primary care to the hills of Caracas and the majority of people in Venezuela. The Mission Mercal allowed the working classes to access food of higher quality, despite occasional shortages. The most exploited social classes had access to education, among which were programs that reversed the social origin of the “medical establishment” to make it more responsive to the needs of the majority population. The communal councils allowed affected communities to have direct control over the management of social services, including public health services, water, property, education, sport, prevention and housing, among others. It is true that mistakes were made in planning and other policies but achievements far outweighed the failure. For example the Bolivarian revolution provided adequate housing and appliances to people living on a ranch in the hills.

It also succeeded in reducing corruption in the state oil company PDVSA. The justice system and crime in Caracas remained, however, very high, perhaps due in part to the aversion that Chavez felt towards state repression. Who can give more?

Culturally, Chavez dared to break the barriers that University classism is imposing increasingly in the North. The so-called “populist” was not. Chavez had Fidel’s cunning conjugated with the romanticism of Che, and will go down in history as an American immortal joining Allende, Neruda, Guevara, Marti and many more. Face to face, in the program “Alo Presidente” in Miraflores, the man seemed more cerebral, conscious and reflective than his public image portrayed, and certainly very brave. His ability to communicate with his people, the working classes of Venezuela, and by extension of Latin America and the world, has no match. He could talk about Meszaros, Marx and Chomsky with the same lack of pretension, simplicity and clarity with which he spoke about baseball or sang a ranchera song by Ali Primera. Making no effort, he was able to break the barriers of elitism that make culture a commodified good available to the few who have high degrees. There was not in him an iota of neocolonial inferiority complex, admiration for Anglo-Saxon culture, or identification with his historical oppressors. Chavez did not care what the imperialist North thought of him. That was one reason why the media attacked him with a frenetic fervor.

More:
http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/03/07/ah-chavez-no-se-va/

[Socialistlemur]

1. Sheer baloney

Chavez left a mess behind. All this Chavez worship is going on against a backdrop of urgent measures, sackings, arrests, and other moves made by the new Venezuelan government to fix what was essentially a sinking ship and a failing society.

What are we seeing? Moves to place the military on the street and a new gun control law to try to curb crime, which is horrendous. A tougher stance against corruption which had become a real cancer, a new lady Defense Minister, much more honest than the guy Chavez left behind. A devaluation (unfortunately this was botched because they shut down the secondary market). And we've seen timid moves by the government to raise price controls.

They still have a long, long, long way to go because their moves seem to have a heavy dose of Cuban advice, and the cubans aren't exactly rocket scientists right now....they are changing to a Chinese style capitalist system and they have internal conflicts as the Castro system is dismantled. Overall I think having Cubans give Maduro advice is good, but the Cubans themselves ought to realize Chinese style fascism isn't a good idea.

And somebody please tell me why it's a good idea for Venezuela to give away gasoline. This was a practice which became much worse under Chavez when they failed to raise prices even though inflation was running 10 to 30 % per year.