Hugo Chavez has died

[Velasco]

I stumbled with the speech of Maduro when I changed the channel in the TV. Rest in peace one of the most controversial leaders of the world. His death will trigger a new election. Likely Maduro vs. Capriles.

[Velasco]

If you can't say anything nice in the minutes after someone's death, stfu. Seriously trashy. I'm not a Chavez fanboy by any strecth, but have some basic respect for human dignity.

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Back on topic.

The man was a dictator. He had people killed, he restricted human rights, and while yes, living conditions improved under him, one has to ask at what cost.

LOL. I've never heard of people killed by Chavez regime. It seems that the propaganda machine works well.

[Velasco]

LOL. I've never heard of people killed by Chavez regime. It seems that the propaganda machine works well.

He is not sending in tanks to Tiananmen Square, but the man was no hero. He funded FARC, the terrorist group that has lead to thousands of deaths in its war against Columbia.

You know that the FARC was active, alive and kicking in Colombia decades prior to Chavez. Do you want to make the man who has died guilty of all the dead in the neighbouring country? Do you know something about narcos, paracas and other lovely Colombian gentlemen? Come on, it's not the moment for the "Chavez is Evil" time. Watch Fox News if you want that kind of primary and biased stuff. By the way, I'll never claim that the man was a hero, but certainly he was democratically elected, like it or not. And, as some people is trying to tell you, not all his record is so bad.

[Velasco]

LOL. I've never heard of people killed by Chavez regime. It seems that the propaganda machine works well.

My, lefties take a seriously revisionist approach to the history of April 11, 2002, don't you?

LOL again. This night will be a very comedic one in several political forums. I didn't mention the events on April 2002. Do you approve the coup the état that followed? I suspect that the answer is affirmative. I love being a revisionist leftie

[Velasco]

Oh, and Chavez tried to stage a coup against a democratically elected government, too. Funny how that gets forgotten

Nobody has forgotten that Chavez tried to seize the power in the 90's, at least not me. He spent a little time in jail for that and later he regretted in public. The man finally took the power via democratic elections. Don't forget the events of that time, especially the Caracazo and the social unrest.

[Velasco]

See, WMS, all that events are debatable and I'd love to discuss them another time in another place. It's only that it's not appropriate now turning into a debate between pro-Chavez and anti-Chavez hacks. It's really hilarious because I'm not a Chavez fan and I have some criticism towards his figure, but some people hates him in a way so ridiculous and disproportionate, product of some media hyperboles -- the man wasn't a dictator, try to keep this in your minds-- that I typed some replies on this topic.

[Velasco]

And hopefully his oppressive, undemocratic regime shall die with him.

Yes, winning 13 out of 14 elections during his presidency is very undemocratic. Hopefully the heroic lovers of democracy that attempted to overthrow him in a coup will now replace him.

Actually, it is losing that 1 out of 14 that makes him a democrat, not winning.

Venezuela under Chavez was a deeply flawed, unequal, corrupt democracy - but a democracy, nonetheless.  It was, however, an illiberal democracy.

Maybe ag, but Venezuela and the ALBA countries are not the only flawed, unequal and corrupt democracies in Latin America, you know that very well. At least you are the only person who gives some argumentation on the "we don't like Hugo" field. Some peole nevertheless...

[Velasco]

Maybe ag, but Venezuela and the ALBA countries are not the only flawed, unequal and corrupt democracies in Latin America,

Not the only. But in many places we are seeing progress, while here there has been evident retrogression. Still, retrogression is not collapse - unlike Cuba, Venezuela is still an electoral democracy, for which I am most willing to praise the late departed caudillo. Unfortunately, this is one of the fewer things on which he is definitely praiseworthy.

Now, Chavez wasn't evil. And he was, indeed, full of great intensions. Unfortunately, he, classically, used those intentions to personally pave the road to hell for his country. Still, on the day he died I rather felt it was wrong to concentrate on mistakes and stupidities. Stalin (or even Castro) he wasn't.

I think that I understand your line of argumentation. Only a note: in my opinion, the Chavismo, with its innumerable faults, has not supposed a retrogression with regard to the CAP era. That democracy, AD and COPEI included, was terribly flawed, corrupt and unequal above all. I don't stop noticing the authoritarian tendencies and the incredible polarization -- which is a fault of the opposition as well, at least until the arrival of Capriles who seems to have another style--. I can see the failures and the bad management, but at least I like that some of the wealth generated by the oil extraction has been redistributed. It has been done badly, but this is a progression with regard to the previous era, and the reason why Chavez was so popular.