Criticisms of Hugo Chávez

From Freepedia

Hugo Chávez is a passionately disputed personality. His most steadfast opponents state that Chávez is a dangerous militarist and revolutionary. They have stated their concerns that Chávez wishes to destroy a historically vibrant and stable Venezuelan democracy (which they strongly associate with former president Rómulo Betancourt). The opposition has implicated what it sees as his form of vulgar demogoguery as merely a tool to realize his ambitions for power and adulation. They have reported that the Chávez government has engaged in extensive electoral fraud throughout its duration, and is generally leading Venezuela towards a more authoritarian direction. Some in the opposition have also accused Chávez of building his own personality cult. More specific criticism arise from what opponents assert is his administration's politically biased application of the criminal justice system: they state that 90% of arrestees and prisoners are opposition affiliated Chávez opponents also state that Chávez used his so-called "revolution" in order to justify the ongoing corruption and mismanagement of his administration — resulting in that corruption increasing substantially.

Western mainstream news media have portrayed Chávez primarily in the light of a fiery and rogue personality. Conservative news media distributes many attacks against Chavez. At various points, he has been represented as "thriving on the atmosphere of confrontation" between Venezuela and the U.S.[1], an "ideologue"[2], "hurtful to Venezuela's democracy", "making all types of unfounded allegations", and being "America's nemesis"[3]. Chávez has also been accused on several ocasions of, among other things, funding and training and sheltering Middle Eastern terrorists[4] as well as "funding revolutionaries and terrorists throughout Latin America".[5]

Other criticisms have issued from among some of Chávez's own supporters. Among these criticisms are that Chávez's own MVR is riddled with the same cronyism, political patronage, and corruption that Chávez himself constantly alleges are characteristic of the two old "Fourth Republic" political parties.^[6] In addition, both Venezuela's trade unionists and indigenous communities have at various points during the Chávez administration participated in peaceful demonstrations intended to impel the government to speed up labor and land reforms. These communities, while largely expressing their sympathy and support for Chávez, criticize what they see as Chávez's slow progress in protecting their interests against managers and mining concerns, respectively.[7][8].