Hugo Chávez and the Politics of Race

The following article encapsulates the remarkable changes that have taken place under Chávez in regards to empowering the black and indigenous people of Venezuela and the rest of the Hemisphere.

By NIKOLAS KOZLOFF, Counterpunch

As the war of words heats up between the Bush White House and Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, the firebrand South American leader has boldly sought to forge ties with poor communities of color in the United States. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Chávez provided relief assistance to the poverty stricken and largely African American victims of the disaster.