The South African Civil Society Information Service
A nonprofit news agency promoting social justice. Seeking answers to the question:
How do we make democracy work for the poor?
A nonprofit news agency promoting social justice. Seeking answers to the question:
How do we make democracy work for the poor?
27 Feb 2013
Venezuelan president,Hugo Chavez's medical condition is the subject of much media speculation. Chavez has had four operations to deal with his cancer. Journalist Jon Lee Anderson argues that "we are in the final stages of Chavismo led by Chavez", as the ailing president's own communication's team acknowledge that his cancer treatments are not really working. Anderson made these remarks during a panel discussion, which reflected on the "Chavez Legacy".
The panel, consisting of journalists from well-known mainstream publications, discussed Chavez's successes and failures.
The Panel
Rory Carroll is the Guardian's US West Coast Correspondent based in Los Angeles and author of Comandante: Inside Hugo Chavez's Venezuela. For the past five years, throughout the writing of his book, Carroll has been stationed in Caracas as the Guardian's chief correspondent in South America.
Jon Lee Anderson is foreign correspondent for The New Yorker, and is the author of many books including The Fall of Baghdad and Guerrillas: Journeys in the Insurgent World.
Diego Moya-Ocampos is a senior political risk analyst for Venezuela for IHS Global Insight and IHS Jane's. He previously worked as a lawyer for a private firm in Venezuela advising government agencies and private businesses on constitutional, regulatory and environmental issues, and as Chief Secretary at the Venezuelan Attorney-General's Office.
The discussion, which took place on 26 February 2013, is chaired by Richard Lapper, the director of Brazil Confidential, the FT's research service on Brazil. He was Latin America Editor at the FT newspaper between 1998 and 2008, during which time he visited and reported from Venezuela regularly.
© The Frontline Club
Editor's Note: The discussion about Chavez's achievements does come across as somewhat circumspect -- revealing rather more about media cynicism and ideological bias than it does about Chavez's successes. In this regard, you might also be interested in reading, "The Achievements of Hugo Chavez" from Truthout.org which, amongst other things, argues that Venezuela has the lowest inequality in the region and that illiteracy has been eliminated in the country.
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