i'm inclined to agree with anonymous at least partially: the previous venezuelan regime was incredibly, hopelessly corrupt with zero credibility beyond the (whiter) elites it supported.  Chavez was and is a folk hero, and at least some of his land-reform and consensus-democratic reforms have greatly increased the people's empowerment.

That being said, he has at times shown authoritarian tendencies-- shutting the opposition TV down was a big alarm bell-- and his ignorant foreign policy friendships with Iran etc. sure do make him look like a buffoon or even an anti-semite.  Only because there actually was a failed US-sponsored coup attempt against him, do I sympathize with his desire to tweak America at every opportunity in his foreign policy dealings.  Keep in mind, though, through it all, Chavez' Venezuela has remained America's biggest or close to biggest supplier of oil, without any extortion on price.