Not a difficult choice at all
Chávez and Venezuela deserve the support of all who believe in
social justice and democracy
By Ken Livingstone
05/15/06 "The
Guardian" -- -- President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela
will today become the second head of state - after the Queen -
to be welcomed to London's City Hall. When it comes to the
social transformation taking place in Venezuela, the political
qualifications often necessary in our imperfect world can be set
aside. It is crystal clear on which side right and justice lies.
For many years people have demanded that social progress and
democracy go hand in hand, and that is exactly what is now
taking place in Venezuela.
It therefore deserves the unequivocal support of not only every
supporter of social progress but every genuine believer in
democracy in the world.
Venezuela is a state of huge oil wealth that was hitherto
scarcely used to benefit the population. Now, for the first time
in a country of over 25 million people, a functioning health
service is being built. Seventeen million people have been given
access to free healthcare for the first time in their lives.
Illiteracy has been eliminated. Fifteen million people have been
given access to food, medicines and other essential products at
affordable prices. A quarter of a million eye operations have
been financed to rescue people from blindness. These are
extraordinary practical achievements.
Little wonder, then, that Chávez and his supporters have won 10
elections in eight years. These victories were achieved despite
a private media largely controlled by opponents of the
government. Yet Chávez's visit has been met with absurd claims
from rightwing activists that he is some kind of dictator.
The opponents of democracy are those who orchestrated a coup
against Chávez, captured on film in the extraordinary
documentary The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. It is a film
that literally changes lives. By chance, a TV crew was in the
presidential palace when the military coup of April 2002 against
Chávez took place. It captured minute by minute the events that
unfolded.
Anti-Chávez gunmen, in league with the coup organisers, opened
fire on a pro-Chávez demonstration. As guns are commonplace in
Venezuela, some in the crowd returned fire. US television
stations manipulated these images by editing out the gunfire
aimed at the pro- Chávez crowd to claim that anti-Chavez
demonstrators had been attacked.
A million people took to the streets of Caracas to demand
Chávez's release. The moment when the army deserted the coup
leaders and went over to support the demonstrators is shown on
film.
It is a sign of how little David Cameron's Conservative party
has changed that London Tories are boycotting today's meeting
with Chávez. This contrasts, of course, with the Tories'
longstanding feting of the murdering torturer General Augusto
Pinochet. To justify their position they ludicrously compare
Chávez to Stalin. Sometimes it is necessary to choose the lesser
of two evils. Britain fought with Stalin against Hitler. But
with Chávez the choice is not difficult at all. He is both
carrying out a progressive programme and doing so through the
mandate of the ballot box.
George Bush's refusal to respect the choices of the Venezuelan
people shows that his administration has no real interest in
promoting democracy at all.
Not since the 1973 coup that brought Pinochet to power have
people faced a clearer or more important international choice.
In Venezuela millions are struggling to take their country out
of poverty. They are doing so by means that are among the most
democratic in the world. Both are inspiring.
Today Venezuela is being opposed largely on the basis of lies.
We have to make sure Venezuelans have to face nothing worse. It
is the duty of all people who support progress, justice and
democracy to stand with Venezuela.
· Ken Livingstone is the mayor of London - mayor@london.gov.uk
Click below to read or post comments on this article
