Martinez....like always in the opposition site and getting “ Palos por la Cabeza…like always!
It’s a shame that some people haven’t reed you in the “old good times”¡¡??? but they do now in the “viable Republic"¡¡¡?????
not easy to be a person that dreams with a better future for our country and fights for it
Sorry for my rusty English.... thanks God my “dreams” about Venezuela are not

People who speak ill of Chavez for nationalizing resources within the country of Venezuela operate upon the preconceived notion that U.S. companies are unquestionably guaranteed rights to property in foreign nations. Even if those foreign nations democratically elect leaders who wish to bring that property under the control of the elected government.

That's right. Twice now Chavez has received an overwhelming majority of the popular vote in free and transparent elections.
If Chavez didn't have an actively supportive majority of the Venezuelan people behind him then he wouldn't have been put back in power after the U.S. backed coup in 2002. Fortunately for him, the constitution his administration put out to vote for the people to pass themselves stated that presidents couldn't be changed with out a referendum from the people, and the people showed that in Venezuela they take their constitution seriously. Maybe we in the States should learn from that.

Also. Of course Venezuela still has problems. Its suffered from decades of U.S. backed dictators and for some reason none of that vast oil wealth went into social programs or made it back to any of the people. Venezuela has a freer press now than it has in decades (fact). Instead of comparing Cuba in Venezuela to the U.S. constantly maybe we should compare them to Cuba under the U.S. puppet Batista or other Latin American countries with U.S. backed dictators. The situation looks a little different then.. look at the poverty levels and the literacy rates. Astounding.

People who speak ill of Chavez for nationalizing resources within the country of Venezuela operate upon the preconceived notion that U.S. companies are unquestionably guaranteed rights to property in foreign nations. Even if those foreign nations democratically elect leaders who wish to bring that property under the control of the elected government.

That's right. Twice now Chavez has received an overwhelming majority of the popular vote in free and transparent elections.
If Chavez didn't have an actively supportive majority of the Venezuelan people behind him then he wouldn't have been put back in power after the U.S. backed coup in 2002. Fortunately for him, the constitution his administration put out to vote for the people to pass themselves stated that presidents couldn't be changed with out a referendum from the people, and the people showed that in Venezuela they take their constitution seriously. Maybe we in the States should learn from that.

People who speak ill of Chavez for nationalizing resources within the country of Venezuela operate upon the preconceived notion that U.S. companies are unquestionably guaranteed rights to property in foreign nations. Even if those foreign nations democratically elect leaders who wish to bring that property under the control of the elected government.

That's right. Twice now Chavez has received an overwhelming majority of the popular vote in free and transparent elections.
If Chavez didn't have an actively supportive majority of the Venezuelan people behind him then he wouldn't have been put back in power after the U.S. backed coup in 2002. Fortunately for him, the constitution his administration put out to vote for the people to pass themselves stated that presidents couldn't be changed with out a referendum from the people, and the people showed that in Venezuela they take their constitution seriously. Maybe we in the States should learn from that.

People who speak ill of Chavez for nationalizing resources within the country of Venezuela operate upon the preconceived notion that U.S. companies are unquestionably guaranteed rights to property in foreign nations. Even if those foreign nations democratically elect leaders who wish to bring that property under the control of the elected government.

That's right. Twice now Chavez has received an overwhelming majority of the popular vote in free and transparent elections.
If Chavez didn't have an actively supportive majority of the Venezuelan people behind him then he wouldn't have been put back in power after the U.S. backed coup in 2002. Fortunately for him, the constitution his administration put out to vote for the people to pass themselves stated that presidents couldn't be changed with out a referendum from the people, and the people showed that in Venezuela they take their constitution seriously. Maybe we in the States should learn from that.

What a pathetic hit job and propaganda piece by Ibsen Martinez. One can clearly see that Martinez is in bed with the fascist global corporatocracy imperialists bent on subjugating Venezuela so they can steal the oil and the land, again.

Mr. Martinez.

You forget something very imporant in your comment. The very close economic ties between Chávez and Havanna makes both Fidel and his brother just as dependent of Caracas, and not the opposite.

Chavistas or less Chavistas is, thus, an insignificant división (and an indicator of less or more sympathy for Chávez in the island in the future) if Cuba is to continue to survive and enjoy the generous "trade agreements" with the president of Venezuela.

Mr. Martinez. It is very important, when writing analisis, not to downplay such necessary elements.

Otherwise, just present yourself as a writer whose mening is not based on facts but very personal views and evaluations.

Sincerely
Carlos

Mr Martinez is correct when he states that, whatever his faults, by his consistent actions and behavior, Castro has at least earned his mantle as a tyrannical dictator.
It is incredible to me that Hugo Chavez still has viable political legitimacy in Venezuela. His antics it would be funny except for the fact that he is the head of state of a proud country who is an international embarrassment. This is a man who has displayed such global buffoonery as the incident with the King of Spain to his "smelling sulfur" at the UN to his ridiculous threat to cut off oil supplies (and his country's economic lifeline) to the US if Exxon continues its legal challenges to his bullying.

Let's just hope that the US can restrain any impulses to intervene in Latin American affairs so the people of the region can sort things out for themselves. Chavez' recent democratic setback should make us aware that people of the region are more than able to manage their own affairs, thank you, without our "guidance." Much of the anti-Americanism in the region is due to numerous interventions and cold-war interference by us and the former USSR and its Cuban ally. So we're just going to have to endure negative feelings until enough time passes. Our only hand in the area should be an open one of friendship.

Hunky Santa;

Your point is not entirely valid, since the issue is not one of grammar, but rather the definition of the word "doubt".

Moreover one can give an interpretation to "guessing without doubt". Perhaps what Ross meant is that he is certain that he is guessing as opposed to stating with certainty. That would be admittedly an awkward interpretation, but nevertheless possible.

;)

Um..this is published in the Washington Post? Ok it's online but still aren't there some sort of standards? Ibsen Martinez is just a Venezuelan opposition player. Surely this ugly screed is not to be confused with "analysis."

So sad. The Post used to do better than this.

Che Guevarra did not die with his boots on... Please.... He died trying to convinve (whining like a scared little pup) the Bolivian Sgt that shot him that He (Che) was worth more alive than dead.

But Mr Martinez is correct in that Chavez is not as brave nor bloodthirsty as Castro.... Although they both are meglomaniacs

"Castro, also true to his rhetoric, nationalized the Standard Oil affiliate in Cuba after the Bay of Pigs fiasco and has stood up to the U.S. embargo for decades."

Well, I wouldn't say he has stood up to the U.S. embargo at his will, he has been desperately trying to avoid it, but without risking his absolute control over the political aspirations and needs of the Cuban people. As the autocrat that he is, and that is what the " Latin American students" don't understand but the Cubans do, even when they don't say aloud, all of his guts and unshakeable attitude have had their bases in the suffering and sacrifice of several generations of Cuban under his Stalinist regime while he and the high rank comrades enjoyed the lavish life of any American Mega-Church preacher.

Perpetual warmongering?
I follow the Venezuelan news but I seem to have missed the threat of war from Mr Chavez. I'll walk down to the beach and see if I see any Venezuelan Aircracft carriers off Los Angeles like the real warmakers have in the persian gulf. Did you
notice the news that the voters of Venezuela rejected Hugo's proposed president- for- life ammendment to the constitution?
You write as if Chavez was going to stay in power for life like Fidel.
If you are to have any credibility as a journalist or commentator,
save terms like "perpetual warmongering for the plays you write

A "viable Republic"?, by that you mean something like what Mugabe is "building" in Zimbabwe?

DeFlorida your comment reflect an incredible amount of ignorance about Venezuela.

Most interesting. I think Mr Martinez´s analysis is very insightful.

Ross:

You can be sure Mr. Martinez will never write in publications like Granma, which I guess are first category ones since they are the only ones in Cuba.

E.A.

Dear Mr. Wild:

It's a shame Mr. Martinez don't write in publications like "Granma" which surely qualifies as first category in Cuba (where there is just one category).

Cheers

Sounds like Ibsen Martinez is on the globalists' payroll, doesn't it? I second FrankD's comment that, far, far, from perfect, Chavez has harnessed his resource leverage to transform Venezuela from the good-old-boy's club to a viable republic. I also respect that he is the only one I hear on the international scene that stands up to the imperialism of the western world. Every government is an experiment. You can either conduct your own experiment, or the globalists'.

When Fidel is gone Chavez is going to suffer a deep emotional blow, that's for sure. That's going to lead him to more mistakes in the international arena.

Cheers

E.A.

Hey, Ross, how can one "guess without a doubt?" I thought the whole purpose of guessing is because there is doubt!

At the very least, Mr. Martinez has better grammar than you.

;-)

Just one thing to say: The W. Post is now a second-category publication, with third-category writers like this one "Ibsen Martinez", he is so biased I can guess, without a doubt, that he's a pro-american venezuelan-oposition member

Just one thing to say: The W. Post is now a second-category publication, with third-category writers like this one "Ibsen Martinez", he is so biased I can guess, without a doubt, that he's an pro-american venezuelan-oposition member

FrankD, so the "good old days" in Venezuela are now with basic goods and food shortages everywhere you look? You can't even find toliet paper! Saint Chavez's tight price controls do nothing to help the starving common man in Venezuela.

The only "guts" one can refer to with Fidel Castro are those thousands who were murdered during his dictatorship. When one controls the lives of millions of people like Castro does and every whim is an order, one becomes drunk with power and believes one's own myths and legends.

Also, despite all his "antiimperialist" bravado, Castro always had sponsors, be it the Soviet Union, Arab petrostates, or Venezuela. However, one cannot help but marvel at his (let's be generous) pragmatism by accepting capitalism (and its riches) for himself, the government, and tourists.

I have to agree that Chavez is -- in the immortal words of George Bush -- "all hat and no cattle." In other words, all bark and no bite. Chavez has neither the fortitude nor the conviction to be the leader of Latin American "antiimperialism." Proof is how meekly he surrendered to those who tried to overthrow him in 2002.

As with all petty demagogues and bullies, he will fade fast. Faster than Fidel Castro.

You might have missed this, but, Fidel's not dead yet.

Ibsen Martinez obviously wants to return Venezuela to the "good old days" where the rich got richer and the rest died in the streets. Chavez is far from perfect. But compared to the old regimes, he is a saint.