Reply #35: Chavez [View All]

[enid602]

Chavez has been democratically elected twice. No question about that. I just have some reservations about his commitment to democracy. His respect for Castro is not unlike that shown by other Latin American leaders; Latin Americans never gave up on their Cuban brothers and sisters. But Chavez goes further than most. I just wonder if he won't model his tenure after Castro, who, though revered by many, has never hesitated in using brutal force, and continues to fight windmills at the expense of the populace.
On the other hand, I see someone like Lula, who (despite having to quit school in the tenth grade) has proven able to represent the poor while encouraging foreign investment and rapid economic growth. He's not quite as revolutionary as Chavez, but realizes that without tremendous natural resources, Brazil will have to work extra hard to make it in the modern world.