Chavez’s energy policy fuels a real political alternative — and not just in Venezuela

THE re-election of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is a hugely significant development in global politics.

No longer can his political project be dismissed as a purely populist novelty.

His government has been seen to deliver to the greater number of people on fundamentals such as healthcare, education and the elimination of poverty.

This rights-based approach to the setting of political priorities is clearly popular in his own country and increasingly so throughout the region.

While it may be interesting to observe and debate happenings in South America, it would be useful also to compare the way Chavez and others approach politics with the consensus approach of most political parties in Ireland.

Chavez and his government have set priorities which are unashamedly ideological and demonstrably rights-based.

All economic activity is geared to addressing these priorities.

In the case of the oil and gas reserves found in Venezuelan territorial waters, Chavez had no difficulty in placing the interests of his people before that of the multinational oil and gas industry in order to finance the project.

To his great credit, Chavez has used some of the revenue also to help other countries in the region and beyond.

And all of this in the interests of alleviating poverty and dismantling the inequality that flows inevitably from it.

The junior partner in our own coalition Government — the PDs — overtly believe that inequality is a good thing for a society.

Fianna Fáil (and Fine Gael would be no different) also subscribe to neo-liberal economics, though they are much cuter in their public expression of it.

We, too, have natural resources — oil and gas — around our shores. The seabed has been parcelled out and given to a number of multinational companies.

Under the terms handed to these companies by disgraced former Fianna Fáil minister Ray Burke, and others, it is highly unlikely we will be able adequately to fund our critically deficient hospitals, top-quality school buildings, a modern, efficient public transport system, and so much more, from any of our natural resources.

Unless, of course, we look elsewhere and then consider politics in a different way.

Venezuela might be a good place to start

Vincent Wood

Newtown

Clogher

Claremorris

Co Mayo