Hugo Chavez returns home to Venezuela

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Yes, that darling of the far-left in Europe has had his treatment and is now at home.

His daughters look a little bit... mannish?

"Good news for the noble Venezuelan people?!" - how is that the case, exactly?

Sounds like state TV runs a personality cult operation.

He's gone home to die.

That's how.

In which case, I would have to heartily agree with Venezuelan state TV.

Isn't it odd what a different perspective puts on things?

Dear me, the horrible Chavez failed to gun down hundreds to death in the streets of Caracas as Carlos Andres Perez, good reformed neoliberal, did in February 1989! He must be the worst!

Do they 'eck.

Everyone outside Venezuela seems to say that Chavismo won't survive him, but that's not what they seem to think inside that country where things are such that even the opposition has made significant concessions to Chavismo. This is a transformational figure who has done a decent job of institutitionalising Bolivarianism. Still, I hope that he stays alive for at least another 20 years and that he can continue as president.

'Chavism' is genuinely popular in Venezuela, Chavez himself said that he is but a 'servant of the revolution' and that the bolivarian reforms would outlive him.

Funny how when a left wing or progressive president genuinely has the blessing of their people, the reactionaries still put a negative spin to imply they don't.

He isn't well-liked elsewhere in Latin America, though.

And "Chavism"? Priceless.

probably by the colombian mafia, drug cartels and fascist paramilitaries because he won't put up with their s**t.


Sorry, "Chavezism".

No. He isn't liked by many people in Latin South America full stop, unless you're calling everyone in South America "Colombian mafia, drug cartels and fascist paramilitaries"?

There are a few countries like Venezuela that still have populist, anti-American and far-left leaders like Chavez but increasingly, Latin America seems to be favouring a more Western, market economy approach. Chavez is a dinosaur.

Latin America is not favouring pro-market leaders, Ecuador just re-elected Correa again. The Lost Decades of the 1980s and 1990s were increasingly dominated by neoliberal regimes and they do not want a return to that.

Chavez not only represents the Left but also the inclusion of indigenous people in governance. Humala in Peru is such a leader as well as Morales. So they were able to oust Lugo of Paraguay in a coup and pulled the same trick in Honduras; shows that the Right increasingly can only win dirty.

I'm even further convinced that Tequila is a propagandist.

There are members of UKIP who admire Chavez.

anybody [well, almost anybody] who likens shrub to satan, can't be all bad.

Don't cry for me Venezuela!

Sorry Teq but that is simply untrue.

Many leftist leaders have been elected of late - they aren't all anti-capitalist or anywhere near as hardcore as Chavez or god forbid, a true dinosaur like (Castro) is - but they are undoubtedly popular.

Correa, Morales, Kirchner, Rousseff, Lula, Zelaya, Ortega, Bachelet, Vazquez, Lugo and Humala to name a few from the last 10 years, most of them more recent than that.

The truth of the matter is that especially in this last decade - rightists who have traditionally had the strongest hold on the continent are for the first time starting to struggle in keeping that hold. More than one Coup has been staged by them in attempts to regain power, coups that do not have the backing of the people, only of the business community, the elite and the military.

I certainly don't support Chavez because even though I have read extensively on the subject - only time tells the real story. But that doesn't mean that Leftists are unpopular there.

The places that Rightists are popular are those in which are the most important footholds for the west: Mexico, Colombia, El Salvador and Panama.
Interesting all countries with some of the highest violence rates in the continent are rightist strongholds - with one or two notable exceptions (such as Brazil).