Chavez-A Great leader from a small country

Anil Narendra

After struggling with cancer for two years, Hugo Chavez ultimately lost the battle of his life. Chavez has left behind his Venezuela alone amidst political impasse. 58-year Chavez breathed his last on Tuesday at noon (morning on Wednesday IST). The oil-rich Latin American country has lost its popular charismatic leader in his death and once again, the country has been engulfed in the state of turmoil. The death of Hugo Chavez has not only left whole of South America greatly stressed, but it has left people stunned all over the world, who had been watching his fight with the American imperialism with awe. What a great evidence of his ideological commitment that he chose Cuba for the treatment of his cancer instead of some developed country. No doubt, Hugo Chavez was a great leader of a small country with about 30 million people that had earlier been no important role in international matters. But, for last 15 years, it had been due to Chavez only that Venezuela has remained in the headlines. Under the leadership of Chavez, Venezuela showed to the world that alternative means searching for one’s potential and fulfilling it with courage. Chavez’s political inheritance has always been disputed, but none can deny that during his rule, the condition of the poor improved, social security network improved and national resources were put to better use for welfare of the masses. The vast oil reserves of Venezuela were subjected to plunder prior to 1997. But, in 1998, when he came to power, he put a stop to this plunder. Venezuela has one fifth of total oil reserve in the world and Chavez was well aware of the importance of this power of his country. He forced a number of Western Oil giants to shell out larger royalty and won the hearts of his people. Chavez was always at cross with the US. He always kept on blaming Washington of conspiring for his murder. The main Russian Opposition Leader, Gennady Zyuganov had even blamed Chavez’s cancer to an American conspiracy. Zyuganov, the General Secretary of the second largest party, the Russian Communist Party Bobby RF, has questioned that how is it possible that leaders of 10 Latin American countries opposing US policies, have one by one have fallen victim to the same disease. He further said that it was not just a coincidence and must be investigated at international level. The death of Chavez is a great setback for India. Indian oil companies ONGC (Overseas) Ltd., Oil India and Indian Oil have invested in the oil sector in Venezuela. Besides, Reliance Industries has also signed a deal with the public sector Venezuelan company PDVSA. Some of his public statement might be considered quite sharp, but these have been seen as an effective intervention before the US Army. The way, he challenged the neo liberal capitalism in the international arena and also ideologically implemented the policies successfully could be considered a rare example of the politics of trust and alternatives. Such a departure of Hugo Chavez is not only a loss for Venezuela, but in him the world has lost a great leader. Chavez has left behind his incomplete and insecure inheritance.