A year ago today, Hugo Chavez passed on, leaving behind a world full of uncertainties, wars of subjugation, military crusades and tons of other stressors. Today, his own country is under attacks. Nicolas Maduro, his successor, is facing the biggest challenge of his presidency. Venezuelan upper class backed university students—mostly students from the middle class—have embarked upon a sustained campaign to do away with the Bolivarian revolution started by Chavez.
Who would believe Chavez was not going to be with us today? The loss of the late South American leader is without a doubt a loss for millions of disenfranchised people around the world, including Haiti where successive Haitian governments benefited from Petro Caribe and other forms of subsidies granted by the then Chavez government. In Northeast United States, many poor families also benefited from a Chavez’s program aimed at providing heating oil to those who could not afford it.
Hugo Chavez lived beyond the rim of his physical state. He was a champion of the poor, a proactive advocate for social justice, a staunchly anti-imperialist crusader and, above all, a gentleman of good heart. Of course, like every human being, he had his flaws, but no one can dispute what he stood for: a world free of exploitation. For that, he is truly missed.