Seumas Milne’s article in the Guardian, which I discussed in the previous post to the blog, has generated considerable reaction and debate. The most critical response has come from those who oppose Milne’s positive appraisal of Hugo Chávez and his role in reducing poverty and inequality in Venezuela.

Vanessa Neumann’s article, ‘No Chávez is not the answer to Venezuela’s poverty and inequality’, which also appeared in the Guardian, is typical of this criticism. In it, she argues that the recent reduction in poverty owes more to the oil boom than it does to Chavez’s economic and social policies. These, she argues, have had much less impact on poverty rates than Chávez claims, and have fuelled inflation and food shortages across the country.

As the articles by Milne and Neumann demonstrate, opinion about Chávez, both inside and outside the country, is extremely polarised. This is a theme addressed by the BBC’s Brian Hanrahan in a short video titled, ‘Chavez’s Revolution 10 years on’. The other key issue addressed in the film concerns the role of the poor in Venezuelan politics, which has increased significantly since Chávez came to power in 1998.