Utica Progressive

Chavez lost a referendum yesterday that would have given his government greater power to nationalize industry, control the media, and allow him to run for president as many times as he would like.  The vote was very close, around 51 to 49 percent with many former supporters turning against Chavez.

It is difficult to know what to make of the Venezualan leader.  He consistently attacks President Bush, famously on the floor of the United Nations, and seeks to establish a socialist state through ballot measures.  Venezuela is a country wth very poor people and great oil wealth.  As is often the case, this wealth has not trickled down to the people, even after years of rule by Chavez.  Is he just another Latin American strongman or a real reformer trying to offer security to his people?

The socialist experiment has be tried many times and Latin America and has always failed.  We may never know how these many attempts should have played out had it not been for U.S. intervention (read William Blum’s Rouge State).  Cuba, for example, has been kept cripplingly poor by United States sanctions.

I am a populist and believe the government should control industry and utilities to a large degree.  Does this make me a socialist, communist, Chavist?  I don’t really know.  Part of me hopes that Chavez is in this for the right reasons and that he can successfuly make reforms that would benefit the poor in his country.  At the same time I am wary of what often seem like heavy-handed approaches to grabbing and centralizing power.

For a gentler version of Chavez (and perhaps more authentically socialist) check out Evo Morales, President of Bolivia.  He may be the true hope for Latin America.