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VHeadline.com commentarist Oscar Heck writes: I have been thinking about what the differences may be between people who are : Pro-Chavez (often also implies anti-opposition); Anti-Chavez (does not necessarily imply pro-opposition); Pro-opposition (implies anti-Chavez in most cases); Anti-opposition (does not necessarily imply pro-Chavez but often does):

1 – Who is Chavez?

Pro Chavez:
He is the first Venezuelan President to truly care about Venezuelans – to care about us, the 80% who have traditionally been excluded from Venezuelan society (and services) and who have been at the mercy of the 20% who have essentially owned and controlled everything. He has given us dignity and a voice which we never had before.

Anti-Chavez:
He talks too much and he doesn't act or speak like a real president. He is a troublemaker and won't leave things alone.

Pro-opposition:
He is a loud-mouthed, uneducated, “illiterate” monkey – and he is not from a good family. He knows nothing about politics or diplomacy. He isn't from traditional “diplomatic stock,” he uses foul language, he doesn't understand the fact that we, the wealthy, are the “job-givers” and the “educated” and that we are the true “Venezuelans.” It is unacceptable for Chavez to represent us because he is not in our league and not at all like us. He is also lacking in intelligence and has mental problems.

Anti-opposition:
Chavez is the first Venezuelan President who is honest, who is for-the-people, who is truly implementing long-needed health and education systems for the 80% – and who is combating the traditional opposition-led corruption which had been ruining Venezuela for the last 20+ years.

2 – Why has Chavez won so many elections/referendums in the last 5 years?

Pro Chavez:
Because he is sensitive, real and honest. He works hard for us (unlike any past president) and he speaks our language. Chavez knows reality and takes action. He makes things happen for the poor. Past presidents talked about making changes but never did anything except shortly before elections every four years. Chavez cares.

Anti-Chavez:
Because the poor people are uneducated and don't know the difference between a real president and a military man. Poor people appreciate his singing and his reciting of poetry from memory and they think he is intelligent. They like the fact that Chavez has a weekly TV program where he takes calls from citizens – but no real president should stoop to this level – as in talking with any average Venezuelan. He should leave things as they are.

Pro-opposition:
Because the poor people are uneducated and don't know the difference between a real president and fake one. The poor have been fooled by Chavez. They really believe that the social programs, the Missions, are effective and good for the country. They are being fooled, as usual, because the social programs are exclusive, meaning that the programs are only for the poor (the 80%) – therefore only benefiting the poor – and us wealthier Venezuelans are not getting any benefits. We are not getting any part of the action. Chavez is also not from “good stock” He is from a poor rural-area family and knows nothing about the world, about economics, about business or about politics. He is useless and hates the USA. We love the USA. Chavez thinks that people like him are as good as we are – as intelligent and as “professional.” We know the truth – people like Chavez will never be as superior as we are.

Anti-opposition:
Because Chavez is transparent. People get what they see – especially when comparing with politicians from the traditional opposition-led forces and the traditional corrupt mafias which were traditionally part of the Venezuelan political and government systems. For example, the person who was selected to replace Chavez during the April 2002 coup was Pedro Carmona, the president of the Venezuelan Chamber of Commerce. The coup was not only backed by the Chamber of Commerce, but also by the Confederation of Trade Unions and by the Venezuelan Episcopal Council. The Venezuelan opposition is still comprised mostly of these same groups.

3 – Who will win the referendum?

Pro Chavez:
Chavez! – oo, ah, Chavez no se va!

Anti-Chavez:
Don't know. I don't want Chavez to win, but I don't want any opposition person to run our government. They are just as bad or worse than Chavez. Opposition people talk less than Chavez but they do less than Chavez.

Pro-opposition:
Chavez will lose! He is out! Venezuelans and the world will know the truth! Everybody knows that at least 80% of Venezuelans want him out and that the government is trying to hold on to power by using fraud! Chavez is out! Chavez is out! He will never come back! – but, it may happen that the National Electoral Council (CNE) announces on August 15, 2004 that there are not enough votes to get rid of Chavez. If this is the case then we will have even more proof that the Chavez government is involved in corruption with the CNE and that the Chavez government has committed serious acts of fraud. It is impossible for Venezuelans to want to keep Chavez in power. He has ruined our country, our economy and our lives. If he stays – then there will be trouble. Chavez must go – by whatever means!

Anti-opposition:
I believe that Chavez will win. The Venezuelan opposition may have had a chance at winning such a referendum if they had not been so irrational and violent over the last three years. The Venezuelan opposition has made a very bad name for itself. They are the ones who brought down Venezuela's economy in 2002-03 by leading an industry sabotage and the sabotage of PDVSA. They have also been preaching violence and have been involved in leading violent attacks against embassies and others. Some of these opposition leaders are in exile and some are in jail. Others are in hiding. The Venezuelan people know exactly what the Venezuelan opposition is all about: crime and corruption and violence and dictatorships – so – Chavez will win the referendum – and the Venezuelan opposition, as it is today, will hopefully never win another election.

4 – What will happen if Chavez wins the referendum?

Pro Chavez:
The Bolivarian Revolution will be strengthened and we will continue to forge ahead in all areas of education, health, small business, agriculture, culture and cooperatives. The world will see that what we are doing is good for the people, not only for Venezuelans but for all peoples of the world who have traditionally been oppressed and repressed by the wealthy. We now have dignity and we now have a voice – and we are taking actions, taking life into our own hands and saying no to threats, no to corruption, no to abuses and no to the Venezuelan oligarchy! Chavez will stay! Viva Venezuela! Viva Chavez! Viva the Bolivarian Revolution!

Anti-Chavez:
Not much will happen. The Venezuelan opposition will continue to cause problems and Chavez will continue to talk and talk and talk. Eventually maybe, both sides will calm down and the country can go back to what it was like before where everyone knows his/her place. The rich are rich and the poor are poor. Politicians are politicians and military men are military men.

Pro-opposition:
Ahhhh! That cannot happen! Chavez is out! If he wins the referendum it will be because of fraud – and everybody knows it! We will call on the USA to help us get rid of him! We will call on the world to help us! Chavez has to go, no matter what! Even if he was elected it doesn't give him the right to lead our country. He will destroy us even further. He will continue to collect taxes from us – taxes we never really had to pay before. He will continue to increase the minimum wage and that will make our profits go down even further. He will continue to give free education and free health care to the poor and our private schools will go bankrupt and our private clinics will have to close down – our businesses will go bankrupt. Poor people without education or class will continue using our beautiful exclusive Teresa Carreno theater and it will end up filthy. We will have more and more buhoneros (street vendors) and they will take away our traditional profitable businesses. We will no longer be able to afford to have full-time maids, chauffeurs and servants.

Anti-opposition:
If Chavez wins, Chavez will have demonstrated to the world that true democracy works – participative democracy. Venezuela is perhaps the most democratic country in the world at the present time and the referendum process in itself is evidence of this. No newspaper or TV station has been shut down by the Chavez government. No media is being censored – as was traditionally the case before Chavez. No reporter has been jailed or assassinated by the Chavez government – as was common in the past. The country will continue to grow – but the Venezuelan opposition will continue to cause problems. The Venezuelan opposition will probably call for additional violence and will continue to prod the US government for additional financing through the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) in order to continue their sabotage of the country in their irrational and self-serving effort to oust Chavez. Hopefully however, after Chavez wins this referendum, more and more Venezuelan opposition leaders and supporters will leave the country and go live in Miami – where they belong.

5 – What does the future look like for Venezuela?

Pro Chavez:
Venezuela is the best country in the world. Venezuela will continue to be the example for the rest of the world – particularly for those countries which have traditionally been run by oligarchies – where 80% of the population has been undignified, abused and are poor. We are proud to be participating in the re-making of our country – which is finally getting away from the hands of the oligarch minority. Today we have dignity and we will continue to have dignity. We are becoming more educated now, we have started cooperatives and small businesses and some medium-sized businesses. We have started a new Chamber of Commerce called Empresarios por Venezuela and a new trade union central to replace the corrupt CTV. We have started hundreds of community and local newspapers, TV programs and radio stations – which we could not have done in the past. We intend to continue the Bolivarian process, making Venezuela interesting for outside investors – so long as they respect us and so long as they respect the environment. We have also come back to our true roots, our music, our culture and our arts – and tourism will grow – but tourists must respect our land and our people. We must preserve our culture, our way of life, our traditional foods and our local public beaches and tourist hideaways. We have been re-building and building roads, bridges and infrastructures throughout the country – even railroads and new subway extensions. We have been revamping the computer systems at customs to facilitate imports and shipping in order to make it more efficient and more corruption-proof. We have opened the doors to new investors and partners in the exploration and development of natural resources – but under new and more equitable arrangements. Venezuela will continue to thrive and to grow. Venezuela is for all Venezuelans and for non-Venezuelans who respect us – not only for the few who want everything for themselves at the expense of others.

Anti-Chavez:
Venezuela should be better than it has been in the last few years. The Venezuelan opposition has taken the country for a ride – a very bad ride, and this is why I do not support the opposition even thought I am anti-Chavez. At least the Chavez government has been able to recuperate a good portion of our country: PDVSA, the economy, and more. I still don't like Chavez but even with Chavez, Venezuela should be in better hands than in the hands of the opposition. If the opposition could get its act together and choose a rational leader who has real solutions and good ideas and is honest – then maybe Venezuela would be in better hands. The problem is that the opposition has not been able to do anything positive for the country. I just want things to be like they were before – we were doing ok then – we were used to it.

Pro-opposition:
It looks dismal – horrible! Imagine having to listen to Chavez for ever and ever? Imagine what Venezuela will look like in 5 years? It will be a disaster area, dirty and full of uneducated people thinking that they know what they are doing when in fact they have no clue as to how to run a business or a government. We can't have everyone (or just anyone) running the country. Co-ops are a communist way of doing business, if you can call it that. Free education and free health care are handouts – again, communist tactics. You will see, we all know that Chavez is a communist and that he will take Venezuela into a dictatorship. We have been predicting it for the last 5 years now – and it will happen. Good countries such as the USA, Canada and western European countries will no longer be able to do good business with Venezuela because Venezuela will be another Cuba. Chavez is a crazy man who wants to steal the money from Venezuela and wants to become another Castro. He is sick in the head and no country can survive under these circumstances. Chavez will continue to ruin the country and Venezuela will become another Zimbabwe.

Anti-opposition:
I believe that Venezuela's future is wonderful – for Venezuelans, for potential investors and for tourists and visitors. Unlike what the mainstream media has been propagating about Venezuela being a not-very-safe place, at the brink of civil war, etc., Venezuela is a country with wonderful people and wonderful culture. Venezuelans are peaceful, hard-working people (except for some radical opposition people who promote violence) – and there is much opportunity in Venezuela. Although most opportunities should be developed by Venezuelans, there is certainly room for outsiders to collaborate. One example is the fact that Venezuela has traditionally (under past governments) imported up to 70% of its consumer goods – which is outlandish -especially considering the fact that Venezuela has almost every natural resource and every human resource necessary to cultivate, harvest, design, transform and manufacture its own products. Corruption was so rampant before Chavez that it was discouraging (and financially disastrous) to many outside investors. Today, because of the Chavez government, corruption has been reduced – and dramatically in some sectors of society such as at the aclabalas (police check-points). Venezuela has great potential. However, I do hope that Venezuelans will be careful – and not lose their culture and their human values at the expense of development. That is, I hope Venezuelans will not trade their arepas for McDonald's hamburgers or trade their musica llanera for violent rap music. I hope that Venezuelans will always remember that it is important to honor their elders and take care of them – and not put them away in old-age homes to die alone as many people in the “developed” countries do. I also hope that Venezuelans will continue to enjoy life and not become robot-like-over-worked-stress-producing-machines like most of us up north have become – slaves to an inhuman system that revolves almost exclusively around show, gluttony, materialism and money. If it weren't for Chavez and his government, Venezuela would now be on the brink of complete economic disaster and Venezuela, by now, might have been sold off to the highest bidder – and Venezuelans would have had no say in it. It is a great and wonderful thing that Chavez showed up when he did. Now, finally – Venezuela is for Venezuelans – and Venezuela does not need to be sold off or “privatized” as the Venezuelan opposition is so anxious to do. Thanks to Chavez – Venezuela is in the hands of Venezuelans instead of in the hands of the few mafias who have run the country for the last several generations – in close collaboration with some very greedy and without-conscious extranjeros.

6 -What will happen if Chavez loses the referendum and he and/or his party do not get back into power?

Pro-Chavez, Anti-Chavez, Pro-opposition and Anti-opposition:
The opposition will eliminate all Missions: Mision Barrio Adentro (free healthcare), Mision Ribas, Mision Robinson and Mision Sucre (free education), Mision Vuelvan Cara (jobs coupled with technical training), and Mercal stores (anti-speculation food stores). The opposition will suspend construction of elementary schools and day care centers (over 3,300 built under Chavez) and will suspend all meals given to poor children in these schools. The opposition will stop all road repairs and road construction and will halt all projects related to building railways (as past governments have systematically done for over 40 years). The opposition will shut down all radio stations, TV stations and newspapers which are not pro-opposition. The opposition will shut down all arts and cultural programs and theater acts which reflect any anti-opposition sentiment – and they will jail, torture or murder all actors and artists who are pro-Chavez. Most of all, the opposition will hunt down fellow Venezuelans who are Chavistas and incarcerate them or assassinate them. The opposition will do everything to keep the poor poor and the wealthy wealthier.

Oscar Heck
oscar@vheadline.com

www.vheadline.com/heck More VHeadline.com commentaries by Oscar Heck

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