Venezuela's Hugo Chavez dies aged 58

Naimul_Hd · #1 March 5, 2013, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has died, his vice-president has announced.
Mr Chavez had been seriously ill with cancer for more than a year, undergoing several operations in Cuba, and had not been seen in public for several months.

Nicolas Maduro made the announcement on Tuesday evening, flanked by political and military leaders.

Earlier, he said the 58-year-old Venezuelan leader had a new, severe respiratory infection and had entered "his most difficult hours".

In Tuesday evening's emotional address, a tearful Mr Maduro said Mr Chavez had died at 16:25 (17:55 GMT) "after battling a tough illness for nearly two years".

Full report: BBC

Naimul_Hd · #2 March 5, 2013, 06:46 PM

Timeline: Hugo Chavez

1954: Born 28 July in Sabaneta, Barinas state, the son of schoolteachers
1975: Graduated from Venezuelan Academy of Military Sciences
1977: Becomes involved in revolutionary movements within the armed forces
1981: Returns to the military academy as a teacher
1992: Leads doomed attempt to overthrow government of President Carlos Andres Perez, jailed for two years
1994: Relaunches his party as the Movement of the Fifth Republic
1999: Takes office after winning 1998 election
2002: Abortive coup. Returns to power after two days
2011: Reveals he is being treated for cancer
2012 (October): Re-elected for another six-year term
2012 (December): Has fourth cancer operation in Cuba
2013 (February): Returns to Venezuela to continue treatment

Zeeshan · #3 March 5, 2013, 07:07 PM

A vocal and ballsy opponent of US doctrines.... may he RIP

Navo · #4 March 6, 2013, 01:23 AM

The obituaries for Chavez are, unsurprisingly, very polarized. His Government is an example of what happens when you prioritize social and economic rights over civil and political rights.

HereWeGo · #5 March 10, 2013, 11:22 PM

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Originally Posted by Navo
The obituaries for Chavez are, unsurprisingly, very polarized. His Government is an example of what happens when you prioritize social and economic rights over civil and political rights.

He has massive support from the poorer section of the Population. I really dont understand how civil and political rights are being violated under him... The media is free in Venezuela, and election is always free and fair according to neautral observers....

He is a little eccentric and I dont agree on his socialist principal and constant hate towards USA but he is still a good man and loved by his people...

Blah · #6 March 11, 2013, 12:34 AM

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Originally Posted by HereWeGo
He has massive support from the poorer section of the Population. I really dont understand how civil and political rights are being violated under him... The media is free in Venezuela, and election is always free and fair according to neautral observers....

He is a little eccentric and I dont agree on his socialist principal and constant hate towards USA but he is still a good man and loved by his people...

Eh! Hugo Chavez is anything but the beacon of hope the leftist likes to portray. Of course the poor likes him. When you have a country with overwhelming of the population is poor and uneducated and you start to give them free or heavily subsidized benefits, they will like you.

The sole purpose of a leader is not to have people like you (which is mostly what he was after) and economy 101 will tell you that giving out free stuff is unsustainable and will do nothing to improve the overall economy of the country or much benefit to the people.

His government was very corrupted and had a history of heavily oppressing the media and the judiciary system.

Maybe he had good intentions, but his actions prove otherwise.

Navo · #7 March 11, 2013, 09:02 AM

"Corruption" is a tricky word. Where did all the money from his alleged corruption go? He didn't seem to live a luxurious life, like a dictator of an oil-rich country could...haven't heard of Swiss bank accounts, expensive yachts or mansions abroad.

At the same time, corruption can manifest itself in other forms and in other people. Maybe it was the bureaucracy, oil companies etc. that were corrupt? Or maybe it was the expropriation of private property that is being called corrupt?

Blah · #8 March 11, 2013, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Navo
"Corruption" is a tricky word. Where did all the money from his alleged corruption go? He didn't seem to live a luxurious life, like a dictator of an oil-rich country could...haven't heard of Swiss bank accounts, expensive yachts or mansions abroad.

At the same time, corruption can manifest itself in other forms and in other people. Maybe it was the bureaucracy, oil companies etc. that were corrupt? Or maybe it was the expropriation of private property that is being called corrupt?

I wasn't referring to him. I was referring to his government:

Quote:

His government was very corrupted and had a history of heavily oppressing the media and the judiciary system.

The main problem with Hugo Chavez was that he was a very ideological person. That kind of person is very dangerous as a form of leader because he refuses all other forms of thinking that doesn't agree with his kind of thinking.

Having said that, he wasn't as bad as the western mass media tried to portray him. He didn't help the cause by trying ego-fueled publicity stunts to intentionally piss off others that didn't help his government or the people of his country.

At least he and I have one thing in common. We are both big fans of Noam Chomsky.