EVEN before his passing, Hugo Rafael Chavez, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, had been the subject of great controversy. To the poor millions of his countrymen he is revered as their saviour, whose numerous social programmes have brought much assistance and relief to their lives. To the wealthy, he is very much reviled, because his socialist initiatives, particularly his nationalisation interventions, brought to an end their immense profit making at the expense of their less fortunate country men. For them, he is a dictator, a view also shared and highlighted by his numerous detractors wherever they can be found. And as a certain private daily said in its satirical piece: “Some people call he a dictator and some call he a tyrant, he had de whole country behind he, such de people had to love this tyrant.”
Taking into consideration the fact that the late mercurial leader had become the most significant leader in the hemisphere since Fidel Castro, it is unchallenged that any leader of the Chavez ideological mould from such a society, that pursues such programmes that strikes at the heart of vested interests, while endeavouring to uplift the welfare of the poorer masses on behalf of the less course, is not demonised.
But, such leaders are believed, admired and lionised by their followers for the kindness bestowed upon them; and Hugo Chavez has indeed earned the adulation of especially the ordinary citizens of his country for the many good things he had done for them.
One can also extend this line of analogy to the former President of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo. Of course, he had been labelled a dictator and other like descriptions, particularly by his many critics and detractors, yet he is very much respected and hailed for the numerous socio-economic initiatives that have effectively begun the modern transformation of Guyana. The visionary housing programme that has afforded so many thousands of Guyanese the opportunity of owning their dream homes stands as true testimony to the many legacies of this truly outstanding former leader.
It will take many years for the legacy of these two great leaders to be understood, but as the well known saying goes –A prophet is never honoured in his own country.