Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez died Tuesday at the age of 58. He was an icon of Socialism in Latin America and a staunch critic of the United States and its capitalist allies. Does his death have any significance to you? Tell us.
The pugnacious president of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, died Tuesday at the age of 58. He was an icon of Socialism in Latin America, a friend of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, and a staunch critic of the United States and its capitalist allies.
Vice President Nicolás Maduro says history will judge Chávez as a “new liberator,” having torn Latin America free of America’s “imperialist yoke.” Critics of the man say he was a good communicator and a firebrand of Venezuelan nationalism, but he was an autocrat and a despot who ultimately failed to use his country’s vast oil wealth to turn around the plight of his poorest countrymen.
Whichever side you fall on, he will leave behind a complex legacy.
How do you remember Hugo Chavez? Does his death have a special significance to you. Tell us in the comments below.