Caracas, Venezuela – Invoking Christ and Castro as his socialist models, President Hugo Chavez began his third term Wednesday by declaring that socialism, not capitalism, is the only way forward for Venezuela and the world.
His first stop: Nicaragua, where leftist ally Daniel Ortega was returning to power with his own inauguration hours later. Chavez can now count on remaining president until 2013 – or later if he gets his way with a constitutional amendment allowing him to run again.
At the apex of a resurgent Latin American left, Chavez has been emboldened to make more radical changes at home after winning re-election with 63 percent of the vote, his largest share ever.
His next moves include nationalizing electrical and telecommunications companies, forming a commission to oversee constitutional reforms and asking the National Assembly, now entirely controlled by his supporters, to allow him to enact “revolutionary laws” by presidential decree.
His right hand raised Wednesday, Chavez declared in words reminiscent of Fidel Castro’s famous call to arms: “Fatherland, socialism or death – I swear it.”
He also alluded to Jesus: “I swear by Christ – the greatest socialist in history.”
In a speech, he said the central aim of his term will be “to build Venezuelan socialism.”
“I don’t have the slightest doubt that is the only path to the redemption of our peoples, the salvation of our fatherland,” Chavez told lawmakers to applause.
Chavez’s re-election capped a series of Latin American presidential votes, and his closest ideological allies were gathering Wednesday in Managua. Also on Ortega’s guest list were Ecuador’s Rafael Correa and Bolivia’s Evo Morales. Acting Cuban leader Raul Castro sent a high-level delegation.
