My Farewell to Hugo Chavez
Wilson Moreno*
HAVANA TIMES — The news has gone around the world …news that has broken the hearts of many Venezuelans and is certainly the beginning of a new revolutionary phase of a project that was born in the voice, heart, soul, mind and body of the president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias.
Death is a fact of life that, ironically, we experience at some point. Although we all know this, one can never be prepared for such an event.
The loss of a family member, a friend or a co-worker always affects us, giving birth to new reflective thoughts in the search to appreciate the air we breathe, the streets we walk and the struggles we engage in daily to improve this globe we call Earth.
On March 5, 2013, this leader of the Latin America struggle died – Hugo Chavez, the most emblematic world leader of this century.
Few people here have had the courage to express their opinions freely, ones so different from the capitalist and neoliberal policies that have been destroying our people, suffering the humiliation and poverty caused by those who claimed to defend them.
In Chavez was born an awakening; in him was born an era of change not only for Venezuela, but for the world. It began in the pearl of the Caribbean, the mother of Bolivar, and gradually it awakened the peoples of Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, Nicaragua, Uruguay and other nations.
No other politician in the world today could have the glory of having the oratory skill of Hugo Chavez, whose voice, singing and political thought brought about the biggest demonstrations that any Venezuelan ever imagined.
He marked a before and after in national and international policy. He was seen by many as a “dictator” (people who don’t know the meaning of the word), while looked upon by others as a “God.” As for me, even in his death, Chavez is one of the greatest leaders the world has ever produced.
Unfortunately, though a soldier of battle, his true opposition was cancer. For him, there never really existed a decent political opposition with critical thinking that could cause him to doubt before any of his many triumphs.
As a Venezuelan, I have to say that I feel ashamed of some of those with whom I share the virtue of being born in this wonderful country – and this isn’t because they don’t feel the cruel and atrocious pain caused by such a sad death.
Rather, it’s because of the sadness caused within me after learning that — despite them calling themselves the “educated opposition, the brimming future” — they can’t respect the pain of others who are mourning the leader of the Americas, Hugo Chavez.
Perhaps it’s because of their lack of history and books. Out there one can hear the “opposition leader” Capriles giving a speech, not a speech, muttering some words that he had to read, a statement expressing his condolences. I wonder…does a true leader read speeches? I don’t think so. Does a cultured person express their condolences or thoughts by reading what others wrote? I don’t think so.
The death of our president will serve as fuel to generate the movement of the new phase of this revolution, which still has much room for improvement.
Being born in this country makes it my duty to be a thoughtful critic of the revolution in my country. I’m a person who will work hard and who is proud of having been born at the time of these changes.
I say this because even though some people deny it, Chavez was the one who returned the political voice to the people.
I had the opportunity to meet him and shake his hand. I had the opportunity to read his writings.
However, I must admit, at that time my juvenile mind was aligned with the opposition that lacked everything – with the same intellectual deficiency they still suffered from today.
Today I remembered those days and I sang the national anthem with tears in my eyes as I saw his body leave the military hospital, the hearse carrying the remains of the person who changed and built the path along which Venezuela will now travel.
Some people don’t understand the reason for the pain felt by our people. Some art lovers might feel like their thoughts are generating little short-circuits in seeing so many people walking along with this beloved man.
But they don’t have to understand, they don’t have to suffer. Nonetheless it’s their moment of vindication, and it’s time for those who say they have such “good upbringing” to express this and to show the respect that every human being deserves.
I feel much pride for being born at this time. My heart beats proudly for having been instilled with these values that today shape me as a human and as a thinking being who is able to call myself a fighter. So, with tears in my eyes, I’m writing for those who helped me to learn those lessons.
Glory is not gold or a diamond. Glory is sharing in building a better world for our peoples who lack so much.
—–
*A 19-year-old Venezuelan living in Caracas.
Cort, despite the rhetoric, Venezuelan remains a capitalistic country. The “people’ employ no more than 16% of the workforce and while the last 14 years have dramaticlly reduced the number of people who live below the poverty line, economic inequality in Venezuela remains significant. In fact, ,despite all the red shirts, Sweden, without the all the fanfare is a far more socialist economy and far more socially and economically equal than Venezuela. Without the Chavez charm and his 4 hour speeches, it remains to be seen if indeed the “revolution” will continue as you have declared. Given the current state of the economy and the problems that President Maduro will certainly face, it is hard to imagine that he will be able to maintain the course set by Chavez. Only time will tell.
Alberto, it is an admirable thing you do to eulogize Chavez so eloquently. Like most eulogies, it is appropriate to to highlight and overstate the good stuff and minimize if not ignore the bad stuff. The truth is a horse of a different color. For example, Chavez DID mount an assault on all media which dared to oppose him, including Globovision. Chavez DiD put pressure on the judiciary to protect his friends and punish his enemies. His populist domestic programs were based upon taking from the rich and giving to the poor aka. “Robin Hood”. Naturally this made him a popular politician. His anti-American rhetoric only added to his public personna. Chavez, inarguably, did many good things for Venezuelans who were previously marginalized and without voice. But, he also made it more difficult and less attractive for wealthy Venezuelans and foreign investors to invest in growing the Venezuelan economy. The public expressions surrounding his death reflect the gratitude of poor Venezuelans who fear a return to a society of greater inequality and marginalization and the leaders of energy dependent Latin American nations who fear losing Venezuelan oil subsidies. However, the sadness of his death may likely be exceeded by the sadness brought on by the increasing impact of his populist economic policies.
From Chávez I did learn many thing, a lot of
History, to respect everyone, and teach the reality of my country.
When you were here in Caracas, 1989 all was horrible, you need read about “El
Caracazo” and maybe you’ll know how was that time, when my people star to fight
for a change, and then a men, a president Mr. Carlos Andre Perez, did try to
kill my people, my country. 4 year
passed, and Chávez’s appared to make a change, to do justice and transforms
all.
I recommend you never belive what other says,
don’t belive on T.V, don’t belive me. Try
to investigate, and make your own true, in this time, your own true about
Venezuela.
I wont tell all the thing that Chávez’s did,
all the good thing. ¿And you know
why? Because he always loves that other
investigate, ask yourself, ¿Why they are many people who loving him?¿What this
men did? ¿Who’s Chávez’s? ¿Why if he was
a bad man, 2 millions want to see him and say good-bay, i love you? ¿Why? Find
the answers. I won’t tell you, i know my country, i know my people.
And i’m happy, i’m going to fight for this
revolutions, i’ll be here for build
every day a best country, a best socialism, an best Venezuela. ¿ And where you’ll
be? ¿reading the nwes papers beliving what other says, without build or
colaborate for the world.
I hope that when you find the anwers, star to
fight for your country, for others, for the people, for your flag, for the poors,
as strong as i do for my Venezuela like Chávez did teach me.
Yes, Wilson, many years ago I visited Caracas on business (1989 I believe). I was able to see the dramatic inequality that exited between the white, brown and black Venezuelans. The managers at my hotel were white. The front desk staff was mulatto and the cleaning staff were black. Most of the well-off whites with whom I was doing business lived behind high walls in large comfortable homes and most blacks lived in overpopulated slums. Despite claims to the contrary, I am told not much has changed since then. I read a quote today by Venezuela’s former trade minister, Moisés Naím, regarding Chavez. He said, “Sadly, his legacy will not reflect any of the positive and lasting transformations that could have been achieved with the political hegemony and financial resources that he enjoyed. The Venezuela he leaves behind is politically polarized, economically weak, and terrifyingly murderous. But mostly it is poorer, more unjust and vastly more corrupt than what it was before Hugo Chávez ruled it.”
¿Have you come to Venezuela? ¿Do you know my country? Don’t tell me, I know you belive in all that you see on TV. Venezuelans in Miami, they don’t know nothing, they just leave cuz’ they wanted. and we respect that. If peoples celebrate the death of someone they are wrong, they are not humans, they are not nothing.
I don’t need “get out more” I know what i need, And i know what you need. You need a book, you need come to Venezuela, you need feel, you need do not belive on T.V in USA or UE.
An unparalled and heartbreaking sorrow gripped millions of ordinary people in Latin America and beyond, as a consequence of the untimely and irreplaceable death of President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela.
A decade of a relentless campaign of desinformation by the US government and the media, in which he was portrayed as a brutal tyrant, willing to incarcerate his opponents, confiscate the wealth of the rich, muzzle the press and drive dissidents out of the country, was resoundedly rejected, with the presence of tens of thousands of his countrymen lining the streets of Caracas in a tearful Hasta Siempre Comandante!
No other government in the western hemisphere have accrued such an impressive record in health, education, sports, culture, rehabilitation, women, children eldercare and social services delivery as Venezuela in the past 14 years, most of which, was made extensive to 17 Central America and Caribbean countries.
Most if not all of these underdeveloped countries, would not survive the recent economic crisis that devastated Spain, Greece, Portugal, Italy and severely weakened the US economy. Without Venezuela generous donation of millions of gallons of oil at discounted price, credits and long term payment agreements, hunger, despair, deaths and a massive financial crisis, would be rampant in those underdeveloped nations.
Tens of thousands of poor US citizens were able to weather crude northern winters, with heating oil provided by President Hugo Chavez for free.
Rather than disparaging, demonizing and celebrating his death, would it not be better for humanity, if his rich nemesis did the same with their allies, lacay and politically dependent countries?
On March 8, Chavez will be put to rest by his people in Caracas, but the world and history will remember him forever, despite efforts to the contrary, by those unwilling to give a gallon of oil to turn on a light or to warm those freezing around the world.
Moses
One wonders what raft you got off of but not we know, siding with the escuálidos (mostly in Doral and Broward not Miami) eh, well 15 countries declared days of national mourning for the death of President Chavez; among them Argentina, Belarus, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, China, Ecuador, Haiti, Peru, Dominican Republic, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, which declared three days of mourning.
Likewise did Bolivia, Nicaragua and Nigeria which agreed seven days, while Iran decreed a day. along with 55 international delegations, 33 heads of state for the funeral. Over 2 million people lined the moving of the coffin 2 days ago and expect many more today.
You can view it live streaming and see for yourselves,
VTV – http://www.vtv.gob.ve/en-vivo
11:00 in the morning VET local time, check the clock http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=58 to see how many hours they are ahead of you. .
also may be carried on Telesur or they may have updated reports – http://www.telesurtv.net/el-canal/senal-en-vivo
You will be missed but the struggle for socialism and the revolution continues.
Rojo Rojito
Cort
#VivaChávezporSiempre
Wow! Wilson Moreno needs to get out more. If Hugo Chavez is what passes for culture for this guy, I do feel sorry for him. Remember this is the President who wanted to ban Coca-Cola Zero. Speaking loud does not mean you speak well. If a President needs to speak for 4 hours, he probably isn’t saying much. The Venezuelans in Miami are dancing in the streets with joy. Chavez death will affect Venezuela for the next few years and even for little while, most of Latin America. At least until the next Latin American strong man steps up. Beyond that, not much.