| My cousin has become an activist for the opposition, | | | | I'm sure Chavez is very aware of the fate of |
| a retired agronomist who will go into the barrios, | | | | Allende's peaceful revolution. |
| probably for the first time in her life, to work for | | | | History has consequences. Chavez has clearly taken |
| social change. If Chavez had done nothing else, he | | | | steps to prevent either destabilization (arguably |
| has at least galvanized the middle class to think of | | | | attempted by the labor federation CTV in 2002), or |
| those less fortunate, instead of hiding behind the | | | | a military coup, and his program to broaden |
| walls of their gated communities, even if they go | | | | Venezuela's market for oil beyond the US, and his |
| only to counter him politically. I expect that my cousin | | | | regional trade pacts are, in part, understandable |
| will learn at least as much as she will teach. But | | | | defensive measures, as well as a challenge to the |
| Chavez seems to be doing much more than that: | | | | Washington Consensus. |
| health care clinics, cooperatives, literacy programs, | | | | And why should he renew a TV license to a channel |
| water and electricity to the barrios, vacant land | | | | that used it to support a coup against the legitimate |
| occupations and much more, including cutting the | | | | government? Broadcast TV should recognize that it |
| poverty rate by 10%. | | | | has a public responsibility: it is granted a license to use |
| On the other hand, his political and security moves | | | | the public's airwaves. If NBC supported a coup |
| are worrisome. He has six more years, and he has | | | | attempt against President Bush, would its license be |
| consolidated all left-wing parties, and has begun a | | | | automatically renewed? |
| campaign against the private media, denying the | | | | While he has made mistakes, and while his programs |
| renewal of a license for RCTV. The corporate media | | | | have only begun to scratch the surface of his |
| has been, admittedly, even more biased than Fox | | | | country's problems, Chavez offers something new, |
| News, stridently anti-Chavez, but democrats | | | | inspiring new leaders in Latin America to look for |
| everywhere get worried when freedom of the press | | | | alternatives to the neo-liberal Washington Consensus |
| is threatened. He has also beefed up his military, and | | | | dominated by the US. |
| armed a peoples militia. | | | | We can just hope that the opposition will cohere |
| Given history, though, you can hardly blame Chavez. | | | | enough that Chavez will be kept honest and |
| The US did immediately support the coup d'etat that | | | | democratic. |
| overthrew Chavez, the elected president, for two | | | | No leader, facing only token opposition, remains a |
| days in April, 2002, and there is conflicting evidence | | | | democrat for long--as witness our own government |
| as to whether the US had a part in the coup itself. | | | | under total Republican rule. Here's hoping that the |
| Further, it is incontestable that the US played a role in | | | | opposition in Venezuela will force at least the honesty |
| destabilizing Chile in the early 1970's and, at very | | | | that we are hoping for from the Democrats taking |
| least, supported Pinochet's overthrow of the Socialist | | | | over Congress in this country. |
| government of Salvador Allende in September, 1973. | | | | |