On July 28th, 1954 in the rural foothills of the Venezuelan mountains, a revolutionary was born. Hugo Rafael Chávez Frias was born into a family of seven kids, brought up by two schoolteachers who struggled to provide for the family, like many of the 5,000,000 who lived in the country at the time. Chávez was an extremely bright student who enjoyed art, history and baseball. Upon graduation from high school, he headed off to the military academy in Caracas. While at the military academy, Chávez continued to perform well in the academic field and graduated 8th in his class of 75. Subsequently placed in the military, Chávez proceeded to educate himself in the ideals of Marxism as well as the teaching of Símon Bolívar and Ezequil Zamora. During his time in the military, Chávez created an elite unit with the plan of one day overthrowing an unfavorable government.
In 1992, Hugo took his first steps toward the presidency. President Carlos Andrés Pérez implemented the neoliberal policies recommended by the United States and the International Monetary Fund, harming the economy and clamping down on civil protests with violence. Chávez took action with what now totaled about 5 units of revolutionaries and attempted to oust the government. The coup failed, but Chávez had gained the trust of the poor for his populist message of education and healthcare reform. After his release from prison in 1999, Chávez successfully ran for president. The election of the former soldier led to a tidal wave of reforms that spread throughout the region.
Through his Bolivarian platform, Chávez promoted the self-preservation of Latin American nations by rejecting what he viewed as imperialist advances from Western nations. He is most famous for his nationalization of the Venezuelan oil industry to prevent the capital produced from escaping the nation. With the new revenue, the president helped expand education and healthcare to the more rural and poverty stricken areas of Venezuela. The direct effect of these policies have been a dramatic increase in Venezuelan life expectancy, literacy, and education rates to some of the highest in the region. At the same time, Chávez attempted to nationalize other industries, yet these moves failed miserably, leading the country’s economy to rely almost exclusively on a non-renewable resource to maintain high expenditures. This economic system is precarious at best, especially because of the lack of Western investors in the economy.
Much of this lack of investment has to do with one of Hugo Chávez’s biggest talents. After taking control of the country, Chávez made sure that the United States understood that Venezuela was not a country where neoliberal policies would flourish. He criticized the Afghanistan war and in a speech at the United Nations called George W. Bush the Devil. He supported the Palestinians, Cuba, Muammar Gaddafi, the Iranian regime, Hezbollah, and made it clear Venezuela was not for sale. This sort of foreign policy was a deviation from what much of the rest of South America had seen during the civil wars, coup d’état’s, and reliance on foreign aid post conflicts. This message was one that was replicated to a lesser extent in Bolivia with Evo Morales, Rafael Correa in Ecuador, and with Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua. This tide of change reflected a movement away from reliance on the West, something that had been characterized as modern day colonialism.
Chávez was by no means a perfect leader. He outlawed many media outlets that criticized his policies and his message, chased away foreign investors, and has increased volatility in the Venezuelan market through failed policies. However, Chávez never claimed to be an economist or a diplomat. He has always reminded those who listen that he was a fighter. He was a fighter for those who could not provide for themselves. He was a fighter for the marginalized, the poor, the weak, and the tired. He was a fighter for those who were abused by foreign corporations, neoliberal ideals, and free trade. The fight is not one that has ended, or one that will end soon. However, Chávez is a shining light for all those in the Americas who once feared to stand up and fight. Many throughout the region are mourning his loss, much to the chagrin of the foreign media. Chávez provided for his people and sent a message to those abroad. He was well respected by his peers and loved by his people. Chávez had a penchant for flair, and reminded many of this through repeated tongue lashings and speeches. In the end, he was a transition between a rocky and violent time in Latin America to a time of trade and growing prosperity. He will be fondly remembered by his people, much in the same mold of Che Guevara, and those abroad will shiver at the thought of the voice he gave to a people who for so long, struggled to open their mouths.
