Why Hugo Chavez Says He Would Vote for Obama ?

If I were American, I'd vote for Obama," Chavez said in a televised interview .And I believe that if Obama was from Caracas, he would vote for Chavez, I am positive . Hugo Chavez is the 53rd president of Venezuela, and perhaps one of the most controversial not only for his politics, but also for his incendiary, at times bawdy, speaking style. Chavez, the child of schoolteachers, was born in Sabaneta, Venezuela on 28 July 1954. He is the leader of the Bolivarian Revolution, named for his idol Simón Bolívar. Hugo Chavez also founded the Fifth Republic Movement, a leftist organization that promoted his own form of democratic socialism, which he called “21st Century Socialism.” Hugo Chavez joined the military and graduated with an engineering degree from the Military Academy of Venezuela in 1975. His 17 year career with the army included stints as a paratrooper and as a teacher at the academy. It was there that he developed the strong lecturing style for which he is well known. During his lectures, Chavez began to establish his harsh criticism of the Venezuelan government and societal structures. Hugo Chavez began graduate studies in political science at the Simón Bolívar University in Caracas, but he did not earn a degree. During the early years of his political education, Chavez was influenced by Juan Velasco Alvarado, president of Peru, and an assortment of communist and socialist leaders and icons, including Fidel Castro. By 1992, Hugo Chavez had amassed a significant following within the military. In February of that year, he organized and led a military coup d’état against the government, which was led by President Carlos Andrés Pérez. Chavez had hoped to capitalize on the current dissatisfaction with poor economic conditions, as well as on the public outrage over the bloody rioting and mass killings of rioters during what was called “El Caracazo” in 1989. A combination of factors led to the demise of the coup, and Chavez was ultimately jailed. He had, however, planted a seed during a public press conference, which later grew to wide public support. Within a year, President Pérez was impeached, and by 1994, Hugo Chavez was pardoned. He began publicly campaigning for the presidency on the platform of Bolivarianism. His core beliefs included anti-imperialism, Venezuelan sovereignty, a populist democracy that included mass participation in government, economic self-sufficiency and strong nationalism. He also believed that the country’s revenues from oil should be distributed equally throughout the citizenry. One of his biggest concerns was to combat the corrupt kleptocracy that had dominated Venezuela. In 1998, Chavez won the election with 56% of the vote. He immediately began to enact his social welfare and justice programs and took action to improve Venezuela’s flagging economy. Unfortunately, the first few years of his presidency were marked by economic recession due to low oil prices and high international interest rates. Although many of Chavez' programs seemed well-intentioned, they were not always successful. “Plan Bolivar 2000” used the military to implement social programs to combat poverty and promote road and housing construction. It failed due to widespread military corruption. Some of Chavez' programs have been successful, as statistics show that both poverty and infant mortality are down, state healthcare is available to many more than before, and the literacy rate is up, among many other improvements. In his 14 years in power, Chavez used his country's lucrative oil wealth on social programs such as state-run food markets, new public housing, free health clinics and education programs. Poverty declined during Chavez's presidency amid a historic boom in oil earnings, but critics said he failed to use the windfall of hundreds of billions of dollars to develop the country's economy. Despite Chavez’ promotion of limited government and democracy with separation of powers, he has demonstrated that he is willing to influence laws that support his goals. At his promptings, in 1999, a new constitution was drafted, as well as new term limits on the presidency. In 2000, Hugo Chavez was reelected in a vote that the Carter Center refused to officially validate. Many say that Hugo Chavez plans to run for a third term, even if it takes a change to the constitution. Chavez also has put media regulations in place that limit speech against government officials. Chavez’ presidency has been widely criticized. The country has been crippled by major strikes, and in 2002, the president of the Venezuelan Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Pedro Carmona, was installed as the president during a military coup. Shortly thereafter, Chavez supporters in the military overthrew the coup, and Chavez was returned to power. Those who criticize him believe that despite the populist rhetoric, Chavez has tirelessly worked to fortify his individual power, tighten alliances with foreign allies, nationalize the country’s industry and use the government’s power to dictate changes in the lives of his people. Hugo Chavez has steadily gained in notoriety on the world stage with his vitriolic criticisms of the United States, especially of President George W. Bush, and its allies. What Should you Know About Venezuela? The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, better known as simply Venezuela, has a population of over 27 million, spread over 353,841 square miles (916,445 km²). Besides the territorial mainland, Venezuela owns several islands on the Caribbean Sea, and has territorial disputes with Guyana and Colombia. Discovered in 1499 by Spanish explorers, Venezuela got its name because explorers first saw small floating indigenous homes in the river, and associated the area with Venice. Venezuela did not become an independent republic until 1830, after gaining independence from Spain and then from the territory of Gran Colombia. Venezuela has an extremely diverse ecosystem, with everything from plains and wetlands to coastline and jungles. Because of this, its climate and fauna are also extremely diverse, featuring some unique species, such as the giant rodent capybara, not found anywhere else in the world. Much of Venezuela's land is now protected under different international environmental treaties. Over 60 percent of Venezuela's population is of mixed race, a result of centuries of Spanish colonists mixing with the natives. In contrast, only one percent of the country's population is now pure indigenous. Venezuela has a well-established history of ecotourism. Travelers from all over the world arrive every year in Venezuela to explore its numerous waterfalls, trek its jungles, and climb the Andes peaks. Besides its 40 national parks, a large part of Venezuela's land is still unexplored and untouched. Venezuela has implemented new foreign policies since the last president, Hugo Chávez Frías, took to power in 1998. Part of his policies includes a series of changes in his relationship with the United States. This has led to numerous confrontations, such as Chavez initiative to trade with Cuba, sever military ties with the US, and purchase of a large array of Russian gunpower. The foreign policy of Hugo Chávez sometimes borders on personal attack, with Chavez expressing his dislike of George Bush, his policies, and his ministers directly. Chavez has also accused the US government of secretly supporting the actions of the rebels who briefly overthrew him in 2002.