Yeah most of us know him here in America, the TV station closing is pretty big news. Other recent events he's known for around here:

Demanding an apology from the pope over some recent comments(can't remember exactly what they were.)

Funding 18 million dollars into actor Danny Glover's new film.

Of course less recent, his comments at the UN bashing Bush's administration. 

And his controvertial descision to supply cheap oil to poor residents of New York and Boston. 

men im gonna tell you something i really hate chavez, there all people fighting in the streets, there abuse of power from police officers you should see it in this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CFA8n7c5ko

this was like a week ago

He's the guy who gives cheap heating oil to poor people in the northeastern US isn't he?

im not saying that he those everything bad its seems like he has very good ideas but it has to be hes way or no way literaly, thats way so many people al leaving the country

He sucks more than our president(Nestor Kirchrner)(President of argentina)

Didn't kirchner save the Argentinian economy or was that someone else?

narj, me voy a Argentina este agosto. Eres cerca de Cordoba?

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In my country (Greece) he's portrayed in a positive way, that he raised the economy and appealed to the little man. But i think most of my compatriots are influenced by his anti-americanism, so we may be wrong. Better for a venezuelan himself to tell us about him.

Chavez is by far, one of the worst "presidents" in history.

Before I rant, yes, I'm pro-American and Pro-Bush.

But besides his anti-americanism, he's not just socialist. He's basically a more communist version of Putin and a "glorified" Castro. He's popular because he's subsidizing food and items to poor people, to get votes and "help" his people, despite killing off any support of major market-side economics and capitalism.

Him shutting down a non-state run TV station is just mere proof he's a true dictator and hardcore socialist/communist. He's using oil (like Russia is) to dictate national policy to nearby countries, and using it to gain political favors, rather than let it become free-market and become something of itself. Communism, socialism and such are not the answer for the world.

It is of no concern if he's anti-American, or anti-Bush, because he's the epitomy of a dumb dictator and communist from the 50s and 60s. Eventually, his country will unfortunately cap-size, go into anarchy, or starve, he'll be kicked out and a more pro-west, capitalist president at some point.

This is unless he institutes some sort of Martial Law and declares himself "el presidente" for life.

The US actually gets a decent bit of oil from Venuzaila (sp?). It's a dangerous thing for both countries. If Chavez (and his state-run Cigto Oil) decide to pull out of the US's oil industry, we'll collapse until we can find better alternatives (which we can't fully utilize thanks to only recent interest in alterative fuels, and stupid people in congress wanting Hydrogen instead of Ethanol and other currently available renewables).

However, it would also be a disaster for Chavez to pull the plug on the Citgo-US relationship, as we give him a large portion of the cash that helps feed his starving citizens. The time it'd take to re-proportion the oil contracts to other countries, create/route the new barges, would take months, or even years, and would collapse his country far quicker than it'd kill the US.

I am unsure what kind of answer your going to get from a Venuzuelan National, as Chavez enjoys very high approval ratings (primarily from those that get his free/cheap food and oil). However, anyone that has the internet there might be affluent enough to see behind government subsities and rationing to see the danger he possesses to his fellow countrymen.