Can Venezuela Lead the Way?

Oisin Dolan
Ógra Shinn Féin

Hugo Chavez and his coalition of tens of parties smaller than his Fifth Republic Movement is doing what the left all over the world has wanted to do, needed to do and so desperately failed to do in the last century of struggle for socialism.

Just last week President Hugo Chavez finished a tour of South America with the signing of agreements by Bolivia's Evo Morales, and Argentina's Nestor Kirchner to share the costs of energy production in the southern Bolivian town of Tarija. They agreed to fund the construction of a gas-separation plant near Bolivia's border with Argentina. Chavez has been campaigning for more integration of the energy industry in South America. This was the close of a four-nation tour promoting South American energy production. He announced intentions to buy as much as one-billion-dollars worth of Argentine bonds and guaranteed Uruguay access to Venezuelan oil for decades. Chavez has been lobbying to join the South American trade block Mercosur, which is comprised of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

This may seem like another far off development which has no impact on our lives or our struggle but this is not the case. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has embarked on a political, social and Cultural Revolution, turning capitalism on its head and shaking out the parasites of the IMF and World Bank. It has built what we only talk about in vagaries, the participatory democracy, the socialist reforms and a unity of not just the left in Venezuela but of a huge chunk of South America, so bruised and bloodied from years of imperialist American intervention.

They have shown up the disgraceful practices of Fianna Fail here, gifting the resources of the Irish people to Shell and other private interests. The claim that one of the richest countries in the world could not take advantage of its own natural resources while Venezuela and others in the region have thrown out the private profiteers and used fuel to not just better the Venezuelan people’s lot but that of the whole continent and even, although the offer was refused by the state, to the victims of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana.

Through Bolivarian circles, communities have been empowered. Through deals with Cuba, a public health service is being built. Children are fed and educated. It is no paradise, but is this not worth the shaking off the chains of rigid sectarian ideology over the advancement of society? Are our ego’s too big to see that together the left can achieve these kind of advances? I hope not.

Of course it would be unbalanced to say that Chavez is without flaws, he has shown a liking for personal power which it is feared by some, threatens the democratic future of Venezuela, his calls to allow him to run again for president, the passing of an enabling act all aid his opponents.

But of course these are countered by his supporters in the fact that he has run more elections than any other government in the region since 1999 and has won all with a substantial polling. Not to mention the fact that he was temporarily overthrown in a very undemocratic coup by those who are his most vocal opponents, which is sure to leave anyone a bit edgy.

Chavez is loved by the ordinary people and hated by the rich and powerful of Venezuela who has lost the ability to exploit and corrupt. His character can be distracting but to learn the lessons of Venezuela we must look past this colorful leader to the mass movement which has been built based on national pride, social solidarity and liberty, and brought about by the realisation that a united a people will never be defeated.