Chavez’s Bolivarian socialism marches forward

TEHRAN, Oct. 29 (MNA) -- Despite Washington’s strong support for the opposition, in a massive turnout on October 7, Venezuelans elected Hugo Chavez president for the fourth consecutive time, showing that they believe in the Bolivarian socialist policies of the Chavez government. The victory of the leftist Chavez was a great defeat for the imperialists, and Venezuela once again rejected the policies of Wall Street. Shortly after the election result became clear, Chavez delivered a speech to his supporters, saying, “I ask God to give me life and health to keep serving the Venezuelan people, more and better every day.” The capitalist world has faced yet another setback as President Chavez remains popular in the hearts and minds of millions of Venezuelans and is widely viewed as the champion of the poor in South America. One of the outstanding features that distinguishes Chavez from other leaders in the developing world is that he has spent billions of dollars on public services, most notably in the areas of housing construction and healthcare, which has raised the standard of living of poor Venezuelans. The Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), a think tank based in Washington D.C., released a report on September 26, 2012 on Venezuela’s economic recovery authored by CERP co-director Mark Weisbrot and Jake Johnston. The report said: “Venezuela went into recession at the beginning of 2009, during the world economic crisis and recession. Recovery began after five quarters, in the second quarter of 2010. The economy grew by 4.2 percent in 2011, and expanded by 5.6 percent for the first half of 2012.” The report acknowledges that there has been a rise in the standard of living, poverty has been reduced, and access to education and healthcare has been increased since the government took control over Venezuela’s oil industry nearly 10 years ago. The Venezuelan government must also invest in infrastructure projects and the oil industry. This investment can create many job opportunities. At the same time, the country must diversify its economy to reduce its dependence on oil revenues. Venezuela is now an influential country in Latin America and beyond, and thus it should strengthen its relations with countries in Latin America and other parts of the world that are opposed to the United States’ hegemonistic policies, which would allow them to better defend themselves against the plots of the imperialist powers. Latin American countries can create economic prosperity if they consolidate their solidarity in line with the policies of Chavez and the region’s other revolutionary leaders. And Venezuela could become a model for Latin American countries and nations in other parts of the Global South if it strikes a balance between Bolivarian socialist policies and investment in infrastructure projects during Chavez’s next six-year term in office. (By Ali Asghar Pahlavan)