At exactly 4:25 pm Venezuelan time, a fiery populist socialist leader succumbs to two year battle with cancer. His second in command Nicholas Maduro, a flamboyant former bus driver, mostly regarded as congenial and flexible, took to national television to announce the death of Hugo Chavez.
The former Venezuelan President, according to various online news sources, died at the age of 58 on March 6. The firebrand socialist leader was a sharp critic of capitalism and American imperialism for which he was frequently ridiculed by western media outlets.
Chavez, in short has left a legacy that would stand the taste of times both domestically and abroad.
His illustrious journey to stardom brought with it theatrical events that would take ages to list down but the most prominent ones are that while serving as an Army Paratroop Commander for Venezuelan Defence Force, he staged a botched coup in 1912 that saw him being incarcerated, he was pardoned a year later before being elected president in 1998 polls.
During his 14 year rule, Chavez imposed himself as man of the people with his confrontational and domineering tactics.
In 2002, he was overthrown by a western backed Army coup only to return to his seat two days later.
Since then he has been a thorn in western governments flesh. To those that have personally met him like Malawi leader Dr. Joyce Banda, during her official visit to Venezuela in 2010 when she was the country’s vice president, say Chavez was very passionate about liberating his people from poverty and used the vast oil wealth to directly benefit his people.
Most Venezuelans will remember Chavez for populist social programs he launched that include new public housing, free health clinics, and education programs. According to United Nations Development Index, poverty in Venezuela declined sharply during Chavez time.
On the other hand his critics viewed him as a Latino leader who showed disdain for rules of democratic game.
Meanwhile, it remains to be seen who carries on with his unfinished dream of uniting Latin America and making it the economic hub of the world. Such a dream seem farfetched, however, it has to be considered that Venezuela for instance has the largest untapped oil reserves worthy trillions of dollars and if properly used surely Chavez’s dream shall come to pass one day.
For now, Chavista supporters in Venezuela and indeed worldwide are equally waiting to see if the popular Chavismo movement would go ahead now that its architect is gone. Such worries would be put to rest in 30 days time when Venezuelans go back to the polls to elect new president.
The burly late leader was fond of accusing those who never liked him as a “bunch of privileged elite” whom he accused of destroying larger part of the world.
An admirer of late Simon Bolivar, a Venezuelan general who fought decisively against the Spanish rule and his courage contributed to Independence of entire South America, Chavez has surely joined that list of fellow Latin American legends that also has heroes like Fidel Castro and Ernesto “Che” Guevara.
All-in-all what is the best way to mourn this inspiring gentleman, so passionate about his people than extracting his memorable quotes as listed below.
CHAVEZ MEMORABLE QUOTES
"Those who want to go directly to hell can follow capitalism... and those of us who want to build heaven here on earth will follow socialism."
"The Devil is right at home. The Devil, the Devil himself, is right in the house. And the Devil came here yesterday. Yesterday the Devil came here. Right here. And it smells of sulphur still today. Yesterday, ladies and gentlemen, from this rostrum, the president of the United States, the gentleman to whom I refer as the Devil, came here, talking as if he owned the world. Truly. As the owner of the world." - on George W. Bush, who appeared before the UN General Assembly a day earlier in 2006.
“Remember, little girl, I'm like the thorn tree that flowers on the plain. I waft my scent to passers-by and prick he who shakes me. Don't mess with me, Condoleezza. Don't mess with me, girl." - on Condoleezza Rice
"Capitalism is the way of the devil and exploitation. If you really want to look at things through the eyes of Jesus Christ - who I think was the first socialist - only socialism can really create a genuine society."
"Don't be shameless, Mr Blair. Don't be immoral, Mr Blair. You are one of those who have no morals. You are not one who has the right to criticize anyone about the rules of the international community. You are an imperialist pawn who attempts to curry favor with Danger Bush-Hitler, the number one mass murderer and assassin there is on the planet. Go straight to hell, Mr Blair."
"I think it's imprudent for a king to shout at a president to shut up. Mr King, we are not going to shut up." on a spat with Spanish monarch Juan Carlos I.
"Christopher Columbus was the spearhead of the biggest invasion and genocide ever seen in the history of humanity."
"Israel has gone mad. It's attacking, doing the same thing to the Palestinian and Lebanese people that it has criticised - and with reason - [in the case of] the Holocaust. But this is a new Holocaust." - on Israel attacking Lebanon
"The imperialist, genocidal, fascist attitude of the US president has no limits. I think Hitler would be like a suckling baby next to George W. Bush"
"Just look at the internal repression inside the United States, the Patriot Act, which is a repressive law against US citizens. They have put in jail a group of journalists for not revealing their sources. They won't allow them to take pictures of the bodies of the dead soldiers, many of them Latinos, coming from Iraq. Those are signs of Goliath's weaknesses."
"Fidel always tells me, 'Chávez be careful, they've developed technology, be careful with what you eat, they could stick you with a small needle." - on possible US attempts at assassinations
"It would not be strange to hear that there had been civilization on Mars, but maybe capitalism arrived there, imperialism arrived, and finished off the planet."
"I think it's imprudent for a king to
shout at a president to shut up ... Mr. King, we are not going to shut
up."
"Cuba is the sea of happiness. That's where Venezuela is going."
Que En Paz Descance [Rest In Eternal
Peace] Comrade Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías.
I still hear reverberating sounds all over the world chanting
Hugo Hugo Hugo Hugo Hugo Hugo Hugo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
