Yeah, whatever. Given the mixed results of the election, an equally accurate description would be, 'Hugo Chavez, still popular' (and a helluvalot more popular in his country than Bush is with his citizenry). Nevertheless, the electoral success of the political opposition should (but won't, of course) put to rest any notion of Chavez as totalitarian dictator.
There's certainly an argument to be made for Chavez' mismanagement of aspects of the Venezuelan economy, particularly the failure to use oil revenue to develop a domestic manufacturing sector. On the other hand, as someone who most likely defends the neoliberal economic policies embraced by every American president beginning with and since Ronald Reagan, policies that have gutted our own manufacturing capacity and enabled a deregulated financial industry to leave Wall Street and Main Street potholed (not to mention your vigorous defenses of aggressive war, illegal surveillance, torture, rendition, and Rovian electoral shenanigans), you're probably a little exposed yourself to be commenting on Chavez' shortcomings.

rs, it says volumes that you defend Chavez and prefer him to Reagan or Bush.

You forgot Bush I or Clinton. I prefer him to them, too. Of course, it speaks volumes about you that you don't.

Good God - if I preferred a communist despot over a generation of American presidents, I think I'd bolt for that guy's country. Writing from Caracas, are we?

Right, he's a "communist despot", and Obama's a socialist, too.
baseballcrank.com, ever the bastion of rational and informed political discourse.

Ahem.

Cough.
The treatment the HRW officials received at the hands of authorities in Caracas is indeed deplorable. It's troubling that law enforcement in Venezuela finds it necessary to mimic the behaviour of federal, state, and city law enforcement in their treatment of press and demonstrators in Denver and Minneapolis during the Democratic and Republican conventions.
Pot, meet kettle.

harreatmerrumph

Game, set, match!
Congratulations, rs. You can jump over the net now.