“The Devil”

In 2006, the then-President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez gave a very commanding speech to the United Nations. The focus of his speech was his stance on US imperialism in Latin America. He initiates the speech by referencing a Noam Chomsky book titled Hegemony or Survival: The Imperialist Strategy of the United States. Chavez uses this book as his basis for accusing the US President George W. Bush of being “the devil.” He attacks Bush’s intentions for Latin America, calling them imperialistic and evil. However, this speech is more than just a rant about a foreign leader he dislikes. Rather, Chavez used this opportunity to criticize imperialism as a whole.

He states that nations like the United States employ imperialism in Latin America in the name of democracy. Chavez scoffs at this notion by saying, “What a strange democracy. Aristotle might not recognize it or others who are at the root of democracy. What type of democracy do you impose with marines and bombs? (Chavez 2006). This was an excellent point raised by Chavez. He expands his criticism of US imperialism by providing evidence throughout Latin America. He turned to the example of the US attitude toward Evo Morales of Bolivia. Whether these leaders and countries are or are not extremist, Chavez’s argument is that it is not up to foreign powers to make that decision or take any action about it. This fits into the larger discussion of Latin American history because the region has historically been plagued by US and European imperialism, which has often caused more issues than it has solved.

Source:

“Document #23: ‘Address to the United Nations,’ Hugo Chávez (2006).” Modern Latin America.