Hugo Chavez

Chavez was elected in 1998 with 56% of the vote after promising to utilise the great oil wealth of Venezuela for the benefit of its people - a promise which he kept when he nationalised the oil companies, which had previously been in the hands of US oil companies. He also kept his promise to the poor of Venezuela and dramatically improved their standard of living. The US imposed sanctions against Venezuela.

No doubt he wasn't a perfect person - who is - but at least he tried to protect his country's natural resources and use them for the benefit of its people - and he was very popular with the majority.

Let's hope the US doesn't now try to destabilise the country by funding undercover agitators to create political instability.

And I do like the way he called George Bush a donkey (amongst other things)

he was a supporter of the poor

Even if he has left the country with no money. I think he tried.

The reason he was seriously unpopular with the rich and powerful was that he redistributed oil revenues to help the poor with housing, education and welfare programmes. Anathema to the American right.

Ken Livingstone orchestrated a putsch to overthrow a democratically elected leader of the GLC. He was also an apologist for the IRA.

I know very little about Hugo Chavez, how do you know his people loved him JO8? Is Venezuela democratic enough to let people say what they really think?

his people seem to have loved him