Hugo Chávez
, one of the most visible, vocal and controversial leaders in Latin America,
was President of Venezuela from 1999 until his recent death on March 5th.
To his proponents, Chávez was seen as a hero, having
established government programs to combat poverty rates and illiteracy. But to
his opponents, he was seen as a dictator who mismanaged the country’s vast oil
wealth and allowed inflation and crime to spiral out of control. The United States and Hugo Chávez did not have good
relation, with Chávez once referring to the United States as “a bad person,”“an assassin” and “a violent invader.”
During Bush’s presidency, relations
between the United States and Venezuela were especially tense. Chávez most famously opposed
George W. Bush, the antithesis of his beliefs. Perhaps most famously, Chavez called George W. Bush
the devil and claimed the U.S. president left a sulfur smell around the U.N.
speakers’ podium. .Relations worsened
when Chávez accused the Bush administration of "fighting terror with terror" during the war in Afghanistan after 11 September 2001. Even after George W. Bush's presidency, contentious relations still continue.
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| A photo of Chávez from New York Times |
In September 2008, Venezuela
broke off diplomatic relations. However, relations were reestablished under President Barack Obama in June 2009. But despite
Venezuela's stated desire for improved relations with the U.S. and its appeals
for mutual respect, tensions between both nations are still high because of the United States' foreign policy under both Bush and Obama.
However, Chávez's recent death sparks questions about the future of Venezuela and also the relations between Venezuela and the United States. Will Chávez's death have any impact on the United States and its relations with Venezuela?
Without Chávez's socialist control, can the United States begin to improve their relations with Venezuela?
It will all depend on who winds up running the country now. If we get a moderate, understanding Venezuelan head of state, then yes, relations ought to improve, a sort of miniature Gorbachev Effect. On the other hand, we could just as easily wind up with a zealot determined to follow in Chavez's footsteps who winds up breaking off relations with the US again in an attempt to realize his idol's legacy.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Derek. It really just depends on who will end up with power now. It is possible a great leader will take his place and relations will improve. However, my guess is that it will probably be more of the same. In communist countries with a leader that held views of this strength, he had to have been backed by many powerful people in order to stay in power. Chances are someone from that group of supporters will come to power now. Kim Jong Il's son took up power after his father's death, and is continuing his father's belligerent attitude towards international relations, as well as other things. This is what I am guessing will happen in Venezuela.
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