In her article headed “Making sense of Chavez” (April 27), Debbie Jacob wrote that it was easy to dismiss Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez as a “raving lunatic.” She also said “don’t ever count on Chavez giving up,” and continued by painting a picture that Chavez will do anything to stay in power.

These comments are a gross misrepresentation of the facts and the present reality in Venezuela. Before Chavez there was no real democracy in Venezuela. In 1989, thousands of Venezuelans were murdered in the streets when Carlos Andrés Pérez was president. Up to 70 per cent of the people lived in poverty. Contrast that with the latest government statistics which show that poverty has been reduced to roughly 25 per cent.

The oil wealth has been used to take the masses out of poverty. After Cuba, Venezuela now has the second highest rate of university enrolment in Latin America. Where elections are concerned, Chavez has defeated the opposition in almost every contest since 1998, losing only one, the referendum for constitutional reform in 2007. As for technology, under Chavez Venezuela can boast of being one of the growing super powers in technology in the Western Hemisphere. In January, Venezuela sent its first satellite into space.

It now has a space centre similar to Nasa with trained space scientists.
It has joined the exclusive space club.Venezuela, with the help of Iran, now produces its own tractors, the Veniran. It has already started to export these tractors throughout Latin America. Also with Iran’s help, Venezuela is now producing its own car, called the Centauro. The first batch rolled off the production line in 2007. In a few weeks Venezuela will be selling its first cellular phone, the Vergatario. China has helped Venezuela in setting up the factory which will be producing up to a million phones a year.

Chavez said next year he will begin exporting these phones throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. These are but a few of the achievements under President Chavez. Venezuela is now at the forefront of cutting-edge technology and advancement. Chavez is a humble man born into poverty in the Venezuelan countryside. At the same time he is a visionary who has brought Venezuela from a backward era into the space age. All of this has been done within the bounds of democratic elections.

In a referendum last month, Venezuelans voted for him to run for elections as many times as he wishes. Chavez says the revolution is based on the ideas of the 19th century liberator Simon Bolivar. When Chavez dies the Venezuelan people will continue the revolution based upon the ideas of Bolivar. The Bolivarian people will never give up the ideas of their liberator. Ms. Jacob, these are facts that cannot be denied.

The Guardian