7/29/2019 How Chavez Inspired The World

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The artillery of ideas. s Friday, March 8, 2013 | Solidar

T/ Ryan Mallettouttrim

P/ AFP

Its not just Latin America

that has lost an icon. The

passing of President Hugo

Chavez marks an end to a life

that touched politicians, grass-

roots activists, trade unionists

and journalists the world over.

From UN Secretary-General

Ban Ki-moon to independence

fighters in Palestine and West-

ern Sahara, condolences and

expressions of admiration are

in no short supply.

President [Hugo] Chavez

spoke to the challenges and

aspirations of the most vulner-able Venezuelans, read a state-

ment from the office of the UN

Secretary-General.

In Western Sahara, the Sah-

rawi Arab Democratic Republic

(SADR) called a day of mourn-

ing on Wednesday.

SADR currently administers

approximately 20% of the West-

ern Saharan territory, a region

often referred to as Africas last

colony.

Morocco occupies the rest of

Western Sahara, despite per-

sistent African Union demands

for decolonization.

Chavez spoke out in support

of SADR on numerous occa-sions during his 14 years as

President, and increased aid to

the 100,000 Sahrawi refugees

living on the Algerian border.

President of the Sahrawi Jour-

nalists and Writers Union told

Correo del Orinoco the news of

his death came as a real shock.

We [the Sahrawi] have a

deep appreciation for Hugo

Chavez because he was a man

with very high integrity, a man

that has the courage to stand

to oppression, to the arrogance

of the West... [a] man who had

the courage to stand by the op-

pressed everywhere.

As a Saharawi, I am of

course very proud that he clear-

ly supported the struggle of my

people, and I think that the fact

that he passed away while still

fighting is a great message to

everyone to stand by the right

struggles no matter what.

On Thursday, Palestinian

President Mahmoud Abbas

also described Chavez as a

great leader who fought for a

better world, according to Is-

raeli daily Haaretz.With the passing of our broth-

er and comrade Chavez, all the

patriots fighting for their free-

dom have lost a great leader, who

fought for a better world, clean of

oppression and colonialism.

Meanwhile in Iran, state me-

dia declared a day of mourning

and in Sydney, Australia, sup-

porters gathered to grieve a few

hours after the news broke.

Jim McIloy of the Australia-

Venezuela Solidarity Network

(AVSN) attended the gathering.

He told Correo del Orinoco,

Many speakers addressed the

crowd and hailed the signifi-

cance of Chavez and his.. role

in uniting Latin American ac-

cording to the dream of Simon

Bolivar 200 years ago.

Other rallies are being held

in cities across the country in

coming days.

Chavez was a great leader of

Venezuela, of Latin America and

of the world. He [was] an outstand-

ing figure for the international

progressive movement, because

he put the idea of socialism back

on the agenda of world politics,in a period of the ascendancy of

capitalist neoliberalism.

I...personally met Chavez on

one occasion, and can testify

to the great love he felt for the

Venezuelan people, and their

great love for him in return. His

legacy is one of commitment to

the social improvement and

empowerment of the common

people of Venezuela, of Latin

America and of the world.

I [also] lived in Venezuela for

a several periods, and helped

organize solidarity brigades on

behalf of the Australia-Venezu-

ela Solidarity Network (AVSN),

which introduced scores of

Australians and others to the

reality of the Venezuelan revo-

lution: the social missions, the

communal councils and com-

munes, the unions, the co-oper-

atives and other peoples orga-

nizations of the revolution.

One brigadista that traveled

with McIlroy last year was Den-

nis Rogatyuk, who told Correo

del Orinoco, I first saw Chavez

when he arrived to cast a vote

in the presidential elections

of last year...[t]he love that the

people had for him could onlybe matched by the love that he

himself had for them.

Stuart Munckton, interna-

tional editor of the independent

newspaper, Green Left Weekly,

also attended the gathering.

The significance of Hugo

Chavez can not be overstated,

he affirmed.

He gave real leadership and

voice to the people - not just in

Venezuela but everywhere.

UK based newspaper, Fight

Racism! Fight Imperialism!

correspondent on Venezu-

ela Sam McGill echoed similar

statements.

From London, McGill toldCorreo del Orinoco that, I

had the privilege of seeing

Chavez speak several times...

[G]reat revolutionaries like

Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro

has given me all the inspiration,

determination and resolve I need

to dedicate my life to socialist

revolution here in Britain.

Within hours of Chavezs

passing, the Communist Party

of Australia (CPA) also issued a

statement, in which the partys

National President Vinnie Mo-

lina describing him as

spirational figure.

CPA State Secretary o

Australia Bob Briton s

Chavezs passing was

day for all progressive p

I had the privilege

ing Caracas in 2006...[a

amazed to see the effect

livarian revolution had

Venezuelan comrades.

I hadnt seen optim

energy like this for a ve

time on the left.

Elsewhere in the

Pacific region, the S

Party of Malaysia (PS

expressed its deepe

dolences to the people ezuela, Latin America

who supported the Bol

Revolution.

According to a press

on March 7, Comrade

[was] a visionary... [a

Bolivarian Revolutio

captured the imagina

many people, includin

PSM, that another w

possible.

Although these ind

and organizations com

all corners of the world,

united by the common go

cialism in the 21st Centu

Chavez embodied the

millions, and representeter future, free from exp

and imperialist aggressi

Even as Venezuela co

orates the life of a great

for his admirers all o

world Chavez is far from

That sort of dedication

die with a person, said B

Chavez lives in each

of us... this rings just

outside Venezuelas bor

within them, Mcgill sa

Long Live Hugo Chav

Live the Bolivarian Revo

How Chavez inspired the world