President Hugo Chavez

-
President Hugo Chavez






The passing of Hugo Chavez, the President of Venezuela,  will leave a serious void, in the leadership of Latin America and the Caribbean. President  Chavez was easily, the most influential ally the Caribbean had in international leadership circles. His sterling efforts to assist Caribbean Nation economies with the PetroCaribe project cannot be overlooked and this will no doubt continue to be part of his legacy to the region. It is most unfortunate that some Caribbean Nation states, were apprehensive in participating in PetroCaribe because they did not want to offend the United States and others who were very critical of President Chavez.
To his great credit, President Chavez never hid his admiration of Fidel Castro, the former president of Cuba, who is also a great friend of the region ,highly respected and revered by the dwindling  or perhaps extremely inactive  progressive nationalists  in the  Caribbean region.
President Chavez is correctly credited with reducing poverty in Venezuela and directing important food programs , to ensure that the most vulnerable benefitted from the wealth of his oil rich country
We are therefore safe in saying that a very progressive voice will now be absent in regional and international affairs and hastily agree with those who say that the Caribbean Nation has lost a true friend and comrade.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Me and V: a personal introduction to gay tolerance

-
Image
One Caribbean Nation. By William Skinner Me and V: a personal introduction to gay tolerance I must have been around nine or ten years old. V was a well-known gay citizen, who lived in my beloved hometown of Britton’s Hill, in the parish of St. Michael, Barbados. My earliest recollection of V was his apparent penchant for dressing in white. I seldom saw him in a long pants, and he walked with an amazing rhythm. Even at that early age, I realized that he was very effeminate. He always seemed busy   out and about in the Brittons Hill area and it was obvious that everybody knew him, and his notoriety was island wide. I also noticed that he was always exceptionally clean. Later, I would learn that he was also known as a popular pudding and souse vendor, who carried on his trade in the vicinity of Nelson Street, in the city. He was well loved and respected in Britton’s Hill; along with that respect came good-natured heckling. One day, around midafternoon, about three of my childhoo
Read more

Task Force on Food Security Needed

-
Image
One Caribbean Nation. We need a task force on food security. Here's why. Dr. Chelston Brathwaite By Chelston Brathwaite In June 2022, I brought to the Senate a Private Member's Resolution to discuss the issue of food security in Barbados. The objective of my efforts was to bring to the attention of the Senate and indeed to the attention of Barbados society, the precarious situation of food security in this nation. The bill was grounded in the fact that we only produce about 20 per cent of our food and was presented in the context of the proposal by the CARICOM Heads of State to reduce the food import bill of the Caribbean by 25 per cent by 2025. With that date being months away from today, in my view, the goal is unlikely to be met. The economists of the world have predicted increases in the cost of food in 2024 due to global shipping challenges and volatile climatic conditions. They have indicated that due to the war in Gaza and climatic challenges in the Panama Canal, ships w
Read more

International Women's Day : Our Caribbean Women, Our Hope

-
Image
One Caribbean Nation As we celebrate International Womens’ Day, we are cognizant of the role our Caribbean women have played in the cultural social and economic growth of our region and evolving Caribbean civilization. They , like our men , have risen from the depths and decadence of slavery , to the highest political and corporate ladders in the region. They have given birth, to millions and have made and continue to make significant contributions to those in the Diaspora. In many cases, where they were not the biological mothers, they nurtured, cared and developed those , who were deprived of parenthood , and socio-economic hope. They are in our classrooms, directing young and fragile minds , how to navigate a world that we in the region , must forever avoid being dragged into conflicts of the so-called super powers. They are pursuing all the opportunities of our tertiary educational institutions, including the University of the West Undies, often in higher numbers than our men. I
Read more