US web publisher Malcom Lagauche writes: A few years ago, while at a party, I was discussing the results of the Venezuelan election. None of my acquaintances (most of whom were politically knowledgeable) had heard of Hugo Chavez. I told them, "You will be hearing a lot about this guy in the future."

Today, my colleagues, along with millions of others, know fully well about Hugo Chavez and his presence in the world.

Chavez had two strikes against him when he took office: he did not know his place. The U.S. government did not take kindly to his election and it tried to bring Chavez into line, but Chavez had different ideas.

In 2002, a short-lived coup brought Chavez down for one day. The democratically-elected leader had run afoul of US "interests" and the US had a hand in his one-day departure from office. As the rest of the world was condemning the coup, the US praised it: an action that brought embarrassment to America a couple of days later when Chavez was again sitting in Venezuela’s Presidential Palace.

The failed coup was headed by the elitist element of Venezuela; those who had a total say in the country’s affairs until Chavez arrived on the scene. For decades, Venezuela, an impoverished country, was run by the light-skinned elite. Chavez vowed to change all that.

The coup did not work, but the elitists still wanted to get rid of the "negro e indio" (black and indian) who had taken away their right to make millions by using the country’s raw materials and given a share of the pie to the poor. After demonstrations and work stoppages, the elitists came up with the idea of a recall election. They thought Chavez would lose.

Chavez was advised by Fidel Castro to go along with the recall. Castro’s assumption was that the people supported Chavez and once and for all (despite two election wins), this support would be thrust before the world and Chavez’ opponents would finally be silenced.

The former rulers of Venezuela, as well as their US massuhs and financiers, thought that Chavez had fallen into a trap. The trap, however, turned out to be in reverse, a kind of "Rope-a-Bush" tactic.

On August 15, 2004, the Venezuelan public voted to keep Chavez in power by a massive majority. The U.S. administration and Chavez’ Venezuelan opponents are now standing alone with their fingers firmly stuck up their bottoms.

For the past year or so, we have read that Chavez is a dictator ... the truth is different. He has incorporated many democratic institutions into Venezuela that will stop the government from being dominated for decades by special groups that have run the country for the past couple of generations. Even the recall law is unique to Venezuela. No democracy has such a mechanism to recall its president or prime minister.

We have read that Chavez has devastated the Venezuelan economy. Again, not true. There has been much redistribution of land that was not being used for anything. Those who now farm these lands did not take it from anyone: it did not belong to anyone. In addition, over a million Venezuelans have become literate because of government programs. With a population that can read and write, democracy can only gain.

Why has Chavez earned the reputation of a radical irrational person in the US?

Because he failed to know his place ... and, because he does not consider himself above anyone else just because he is the President.  Hugo Chavez is a unique leader in many aspects. He broadcasts a two-hour TV show every Sunday in which he is the commentator. The show consists of him discussing sports, the weather, politics, philosophy and many other subjects. He tells jokes and he takes calls from viewers. In other words, it is a variety show unlike any other in the world because it is hosted by the President.

A few years ago, he pitched for five innings and played first base for four innings in an exhibition game in Cuba pitting the retired Venezuelan national team against the retired Cuban national team. A hundred thousand fans watched an entertaining game of baseball free of charge.

• Would George Bush take to the hill in front of 100,000 people; or would Tony Blair play in goal for a retired British all-star soccer team at Wembly Stadium?

Chavez is never at a loss for words.

During a speech a few months ago, in front of about 200,000 supporters, he called George Bush a "pendejo." His precision and economy of words was brilliant. Instead of taking Bush to task like many US politicians and pundits by alluding to his deceit and his hypocrisy, all the time using vague psychological terminology, Chavez in one accurate word stated what others did not have the cojones to utter.

• A couple of months ago, Chavez put the results of the recent recall vote in proper perspective ... he said it was a vote between him and Bush, with imperialism in Bush’s corner.

Chavez did not choose to have the vote come to a decision between him and US imperialism. The Bush administration did. They thought he would lose and then fade away. In speeches before the recall vote, Chavez promised to "hit a home run against the gringos." After the results, he stated, "The ball has landed in the dead center of the White House … A gift for Bush." His baseball-playing background has come in handy in describing world events.

The implications of the vote are indeed huge. Today, Hugo Chavez is in the major leagues of world affairs. Some Latin American countries who were beginning to get closer to Chavez, but not too close because of US threats, are now willing to join him in transforming their own societies into more progressive units.

The last thing the Bush administration wanted was a person of Chavez’ views and personality to begin a popular movement to undermine US imperialism. Now they have it.

There has been much written by journalists about Chavez and his recent rise in popularity. The one aspect that is lacking in many observations is that the Venezuelans, the majority of whom are dark-skinned, have finally elected a president who looks like them.

Journalist Greg Palast wrote an assessment of the Chavez phenomenon on August 16 for The Observer newspaper of Great Britain. Here are a couple of paragraphs that speak volumes about Chavez’ recent landslide victory:

"I met one of those farmlords in Caracas at an anti-Chevez protest march. Oddest demonstration I’ve ever seen: frosted blondes in high heels clutching designer bags, screeching, ‘Chavez — dic-ta-tor!’ The plantation owner griped about the ‘socialismo’ of Chavez, then jumped into his Jaguar convertible.

"But Chavez won’t forget, because the mirror reminds him. What the affable president sees in his reflection, beyond the ribbons of office, is a "negro e indio" — a "black and Indian" man, dark as a cola nut, same as the landless and, until now, the hopeless. For the first time in Venezuela’s history, the 80% black-Indian population elected a man with skin darker than the man in the Jaguar."

Palast is without peer in the eloquence he used to describe the merits of Chavez. Lagauche will be more crass: Anybody who calls George Bush a pendejo in public is okay by me.

Malcom Lagauche
lekkerspikkels@msn.com

Paraguana: Villa Marina Beach                   Photography: Santiago Padilla