Hugo Chavez Success and Failures

International Politics

Political Leaders In Latin America: Hugo Chavez And Lula

Who is Hugo Chavez and Lula

Hugo Chavez was born on 28 July 1954 in Sabaneta, Venezuela. Chavez attended Venezuelan military academy and took up service as an army officer prior active participation in efforts of the overthrowing government in 1992. His actions led to a two-year sentence in prison after arrest. In 1999, Chavez was named president of Venezuela. Within the early days of his presidency, he developed new constitution in the nation that was inclusive of changes of the capital name to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Chavez engaged in a critical focus of efforts towards gaining ultimate control of state-run oil companies. However, this was stirred with controversy and translated into protests and strained relations between Venezuela and the U.S. As well as subsequent nations. Chavez has a brief comment on the removal from power (Clairmont, 2002).

On the other hand, Lula took service for two terms for the presidency and left on 2011. The farewell speech given expressed that he was burdened with having to prove that he was in a position of handling the presidency irrespective of the humble beginnings. He shifted the blame of failure to workers' class that failed the country's progress and implementation of policy. Since the start of the political career, Lula continues to change various elements of his initial ideas while moderating his positions (Flynn, 2005). Other than drastically convening social change, he fronted that the past government chose to pursue reformist strategies and passed new retirement, labor, judicial and tax legislation while initiating the discussion for university reform. Minimal reforms were implemented in his regime. Most of the Worker's Party orientations disagree with the increment of moderation focusing on the subsequent ages and the dissident opinions therein.

Chavez's presidency faced countless challenges within domestic and foreign fronts. The efforts of his government to tighten the hold to state-run oil firms in the year 2002 triggered civil controversy. This was followed by numerous protests and led to the removal from power by military leaders. Such protests took place even after he returned to power, and a referendum was held to determine whether Chavez was a suitable candidate for the presidency. The referendum election was carried out in 2004, and the vast majority settled on letting Chavez finishes his office tenure.

Lula has put in place a number of social programs on his development agenda within the campaign period and in the election pledges. The leading program in Lula's agenda was the campaign on eradicating hunger and following the strategic projects that were established in under Fernando Henrique Cardoso's administration (Stubblefield, 1971). However, the expansion went onto the strategic Fome Zero campaign. The program brought together various programs with the aim of ending hunger across Brazil. The water cisterns creation for the semi-arid regions of Brazil named Sertao and the actions of countering teenage pregnancy. This led to the strengthening of family agriculture and efficient distribution of minimum cash amount of cash to poor populations among other measures (Encamacion, 2003).

Chavez was popular for his dogmatic and outspoken nature throughout presidency and refusal to hold back his opinions and criticisms. In the end, he insulted church officials, oil executives among other world leaders. He is particularly quoted for his hostility with United States government, as he believed that it was responsible for the 2002 coup opposing his rule. Chavez objected the war in Iraq adding that the United States was in abuse of powers through the initiation of the military effort. He termed President George W. Bush as an evil imperialist (Clairmont, 2002).

The Venezuela and United States relations became more strained. After assuming office, Chavez was involved in the sale of oil to Cuba, who was an adversary to the United States while resisting U.S. plans to inhibit narcotics trafficking from nearby Colombia. Chavez helped guerrilla forces from neighboring countries. Increasingly, his presidency marked Chavez's threat to curtail supply of oil to United States in case there were attempts of removing him from power. However, he donated heating oil for purposes of helping Hurricane Rita and Hurricane Katrina victims (Encamacion, 2002). However, the destruction rendered numerous facilities inculpable of fuel processing. Chavez made a discovery of his cancer in 2011 after a surgery aimed at removing pelvic abscess. He underwent close to three surgeries between 2011 and 2012 to retrieve cancerous tumors (Corrales, 2011).

The largest assistance program in Brazil is Bolsa Familia that refers to family allowance. The strategy is part of expansion efforts based on the previous School Allowance programs called Bolsa Escola. Tech system was conditional school attendance that aimed at introducing Campinas to new governance systems. Soon, other states and municipalities followed suit in adopting similar programs. The president, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, focused on federalizing the programs in 2001. Lula later formed the Bolsa Familia though the combination of Bolsa Escola with extra allowances for kitchen gas and food. The concept became a precession of the generation of a new ministry addressing eradication of hunger and social development. The merger lowered the bureaucratic complexity and administrative costs for the families that were involved as well as program administration (Flynn, 2005). Fome Zero was comprised of government budget and donations from international organizations and private sector. Bolsa Familia initiative has received praise from international players for the vast achievements irrespective of the internal criticism that accuse it turning into an electoral weapon (Encamacion, 2003).

Hugo Chavez and Lula as politicians

As Chavez and other senior MBR-200 members served time in prison, the relationship he had with Herma Marksman broke in 1993. She became a subsequent critic to Chavez. Rafael Caldera from centrist National Convergence Party became president through elections. Immediately assuming power, he freed Chavez and his colleagues as part of the imprisoned MBR-200 members. This was part of his pre-election promise. However, Caldera imposed on them a conditioned that they were not viable returnees to military as they were marked as potential organizers of subsequent coups. Chavez drove around a 100-day tour to the countryside as he promoted his Bolivarian case on social revolution after being mobbed by accepting crowds due to his release (Golinger, 2006). As he lived in small military pension and donations of supporters, he processed to have financial support to his three children and mother irrespective of divorcing Nancy Colmenares during the period (Encamacion, 2002). He met Marisabel Rodriguez in one of his country tours, which gave birth to a daughter before becoming second wife. Together with other projects such as Bolsa Familia and Former Zero, the administration of Lula has flagship programs aimed at Growth Acceleration Program. The concept has a hefty budget and is Lula administration's investment program. The system was aimed at strengthening Brazil's infrastructure and consequently stimulating the private sector while creating more jobs. The urban and social infrastructure sector has encountered schedules of receiving funds (Stubblefield, 1971).

Even as poverty levels increased by close to 17.65% from 1980, the economic development was not felt among the people. The homicide and petty crime rates doubled from previous records of 1986, which were mostly in Caracas (Cole, 2007). The grouping was engaged in dropping of living standards and the widespread dissatisfaction of representative democratic systems from Venezuela. This amounted to gaps that emerged from rulers and the ruled parties favoring emergence of populist leadership (Encamacion, 2002).

In the reign of Lula, Brazil has become the eighth-largest economy in the world with a population of more than 20 million. The status allowed it to rise from acute poverty, and the Rio de Janeiro capital has hosted several international and Olympic games. While Lula assumed more strength through the 2002 elections, fear for drastic measures as well as comparisons to Hugo Chavez increased internal market speculation. The outcomes were that there was market hysteria that contributed to a decline in value of real credit rating and a subsequent downgrade of the economy.

Oil products formed a keystone for Venezuelan economy for the presidential period of Chavez. Chavez acquired a reputation of prices hawked by OPEC while pushing at stringent enforcement for production quotas, as well as highly targeted oil prices. The state revenue collections from oil incomes increased from a minimum total income of 51% in 2000 to 57% in 2006. Oil exports grew by 12% to 89% in 2006 from 77% in 1997 (Encamacion, 2002). The oil dependence became one of the principle problems that the Chavez government faced. The World Bank explained that the economy of Venezuela was extremely vulnerable to alterations of oil prices within 2012 where 96% of the exports in the country nearly halved those of fiscal revenue on oil production (Cole, 2007).

From the start of the beginning of the first term, Lula's cabinet followed through in leading the previous strategies government and renewed the agreements with International Monetary Fund while signing another with Argentina that cancelled its 2001 deals. Lula's government attained satisfactory basic budget surplus through the initial two years while requiring the IMF agreement to exceed its target in the subsequent years (Flynn, 2005). The government was able to pay off its IMF debt in full in a period of two years before schedule. Three years later, Lula slowly gained confidence in Brazilian markets as well as the sovereign risk indexes falling by close to 250 points. The choice of inflation by government targeted the economy stability indices while complimenting the 2005 economic records. The economy of Brazil was not severely affected by mensalao scandal. However, in 2006, Palocci resigned as finance minister due to involvement in a power abuse scandal. Lula appointed a PT member and professional economist, as finance minister. The minister transformed the Brazilian economic ideas in a left-wing approach that is currently popular for reduced interest rates. The derivative was a particular gain for the banking sector and the microfinance sectors. However, interest rates in Brazil are still part of the highest recorded across the world. Lula became supportive for higher employment in the state departments.

Chavez was strict to enforce price control policies that denounce all payers selling food products at higher prices for speculation purposes. In 2008, the Chavez government ordered military to hold onto 760 tons of food sold illegally through smuggling across the national border. The goal was to sell such items at higher prices as compared to legal in Venezuela (Flynn, 2005). In 2009, Chavez passed an order that the military was temporarily seizing control for rice processing plants within the region. It also forced them to make productions at full capacity as he added it was a measure against the price caps (Cole, 2007).

Are they powerful leaders or dictators?

Lula together with his cabinet made an announcement of new Growth Acceleration Program. The investment program was aimed at solving more problems preventing the Brazilian economy from favorably expanding in rapid speeds. The approaches include investment within repair and creation of railways and roads, reduction and simplification of taxation as well as modernization on energy production in the country to avoid power surges and shortages. The budget was to be engraved in the Program through considerations of more than 200 billion dollars in a period of four years (Flynn, 2005). The measures were dependent on the Congress approval. Before taking office, President Lula was a critic of the privatization approaches and policies. However, in his government, the administration has ventured into concessions of public-private partnership nature to build federal roadways. Decades after the hugest foreign debtor of the emerging economies, Brazil turned to be a net creditor from January 2008. In mid-2008, the S&P and Fitch ratings elevated the Brazilian debt classification to investment from speculative grade. Banks have made record profits through Lula's government. Lula Administration has put in place economic policies aimed at helping significant increase of living standards where a percentage of Brazilians in the consumerist middle class rose by between 37% and 40% (Encamacion, 2003).

Chavez is evidently one of the strongest and most powerful leaders in history. In 1998, Chavez was able to declare three new government goals. The focus was to go into convening constituent assemblies to create a new constitution while eliminating government corruption. The third objective was to fight against poverty and social exclusion. However, the Hugo Chavez's term in power was marked by an increase in corruption and widespread impunity throughout the government. The reason was that most people and members of government accommodated and solicited bribes and lacked transparency. In 2004, Chavez together with his allies invaded the Supreme Court and filled it with the government's supporters (Golinger, 2006).

Lula has put in pragmatic foreign policies that placed him as a negotiator without an ideologue approach. In the end, he was able to befriend both Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president and George W. Bush, the U.S. President. Lula led large and competitive states of agriculture with general opposition and criticism of farm subsidies (Stubblefield, 1971). The position put as reasons for a walkout of most developing nations, as well as the collapse of World Trade Organization talks on agricultural subsidies. Brazil is fast turning into and influential party in the dialogue between developed countries and South America. The country plays a critical role in negotiating within internal conflicts of Colombia and Venezuela as well as targeting the concentrated efforts that strengthen the foreign policy. The Lula administration marked an increase of Brazilian foreign trade changes in deficits into various surpluses from the year 2003. The surplus hit in excess of U.S.$29 billion based on substantial increment of global demands for the commodities. Brazil continues to provide troops for UN peacekeeping and leading peacekeeping missions within Haiti. Lula gained elevated stature within the Southern hemisphere as triggered by his country's economic growth. He was classified as having been a point man in healing regional crises and mitigated the escalation of tensions of Venezuela, Ecuador and Colombia (Flynn, 2005).

Human Rights Watch in its 2008 report on the review of Chavez's human rights performance in the first decade of power was rather supportive. The report commended Chavez's constitution amendments in 1999 that significantly expounded on human rights guarantees while mentioning drastic improvements for indigenous rights and women's rights while noting of wide scopes of government policies undercutting established human rights protections in the new constitution (Flynn, 2005). However, the report deprived marks on Chavez and existing administration for involvement in discrimination through political interests and erosion of judiciary independence. It also includes engagement of policies undercutting freedom of expression for journalists and freedom of association for workers as well as promotion of human rights in civil society across Venezuela. The government of Venezuela retaliated against the report through expelling Human Rights Watch members from the nation (Stubblefield, 1971). Many Latin American scholars signed joint letters with Council on Hemispheric Affairs against Human Rights Watch report for alleged factual exaggeration, inaccuracy, illogical arguments, lack of context, and overreliance on opposition newspapers for information sources against the things (Encamacion, 2002).