If Venezuelans like Chavez, what business is it of the US to call him a bad leader?

People want democracy to deliver what it cannot hope to deliver...perfect government. I agree with you. If the people support the leader then forget what the US says. The USA has enough corruption problems of their own with a democratic system being bankrolled by corporate America for their own capitalist ends. (Didn't mean to sound like 1960's european communist 'filthy capitalist pigs' type guy it just came out that way!)

He's a bad leader from the US government's point of view. He's in control of some substantial oil reserves which means the market price of oil can be affected by his actions. He's also bad for US business because they can't exploit Latin America as much as they used to do. Don't forget how dominant the United Fruit Company were in certain Latin American countries in the 50s and 60s. The US administration likes to keep Latin America US friendly. One of the major failings of Bush is that he has lost Latin America.

It is not any business of the US. If the Venezuelans like him then he should be their leader. It is better situation then here where a majority of people do not like Bush or the way he is running the government or the direction he is taking the country.

Socialism doesn't just suck. Socialism is slavery. Socialism is the death of a free and thinking mind. Socialism praises weakness and uses it as a weapon against the competent. Socialism encourages biting the hand that feeds you. Socialism...well, it sucks. Chavez makes millions off his oil, and aren't most of the people poor? Do they wait a long time for their free medical? Long lines for free food. Do they get to pick where they want to live? Is most of their houses nice and big enough for the whole family?

Thats like telling a family member molested child that its molester is bad. The child (Venezuelans) doesn't know any better. Somebody needs to tell them that he is a bad leader. Or should we just let the child keep being molested?

I'm a Californian, and I like Chavez just fine! In fact, I would love to shake his hand for his effort to expose the Bush administration's foreknowledge, conspiracy, and cover-up around the events of September 11, 2001. Get 'em, Hugo! I love ya, man!

"And believe me, Venezuelans do like Chavez" - Germans loved Hitler, Italians loved Mussolini and Russians loved Lenin - the masses are often not the best meter for judging a leaders worth.

Hugo Chávez has recently been accused of human rights violations and crimes against humanity that concern the conduct of the Chávez administration with respect to the violation of freedoms of speech, political freedom, and freedom of dissent.Chávez has been severely criticized, mostly by Venezuela's educated middle and upper classes. He has been accused of electoral fraud, human rights violations, and political repression,

Domestic criticisms

Other criticisms have issued from among some of Chávez's own supporters. Among these criticisms are that Chávez's own MVR is riddled with the same cronyism, political patronage, and corruption that Chávez himself constantly alleges are characteristic of the two old "Fourth Republic" political parties. Venezuela's trade unionists and indigenous communities have at various points during the Chávez administration participated in peaceful demonstrations intended to impel the government to speed up labor and land reforms. These communities, while largely expressing their sympathy and support for Chávez, criticize what they see as Chávez's slow progress in protecting their interests against managers and mining concerns, respectively.

From the Venezuelan opposition and private news media

Hugo Chávez is a passionately disputed personality. His most steadfast opponents state that Chávez is a dangerous militarist and revolutionary. They have stated their concerns that Chávez wishes to destroy a historically vibrant and stable Venezuelan democracy (which they strongly associate with former president Rómulo Betancourt). The opposition has implicated what it sees as his form of vulgar demogoguery as merely a tool to realize his ambitions for power and adulation. They have reported that the Chávez government has engaged in extensive electoral fraud throughout its duration, and is generally leading Venezuela towards a more authoritarian direction. Some in the opposition have also accused Chávez of building his own personality cult. More specific criticism arise from what opponents assert is his administration's politically biased application of the criminal justice system: they state that 90% of arrestees and prisoners are opposition affiliated Chávez opponents also state that Chávez used his so-called "revolution" in order to justify the ongoing corruption and mismanagement of his administration — resulting in that corruption increasing substantially.

In 2003, family members of the victims in the April 11, 2002 events represented by a team of lawyers from Venezuela and Spain filed a lawsuit at the International Criminal Court in The Hague against Chávez and several of his government officials for crimes against humanity. The lawsuit was first placed in Spain on January 28, 2003, but it was decided by Judge Fernando Andreu of the National Audience that the Spanish courts would not be able to try Chávez because of his position as an acting President. However, the Spanish State's Attorney and the magistrates of the Penal Court of Appeals stated that the lawsuit was well founded and the case was consequently forwarded to the ICC (The International Criminal Court June 2003, Victims Compensantion; Vol. 19, No. 6, 1578 words).[3]. On February 9th 2006 Luis Moreno Ocampo, Chief Prosecutor of the ICC, concluded that the requirements to continue the investigation were not satisfied according to the Rome Statute. However, this conclusion could be reconsidered in the light of new evidence.

Criticisms from human rights organizations

Violations of political freedoms

Human rights organisation Amnesty International has, as of December 2004, documented at least 14 deaths and at least 200 wounded during confrontations between anti-Chávez demonstrators and National Guard, police, and other security personnel in February and March 2004. Several reports of ill-treatment and torture at the hands of the Chávez government's security forces have also surfaced. There are reports of slow and inadequate investigations into these abuses, which Amnesty International had attributed to the lack of police and judiciary impartiality. The organisation also has documented numerous reports of both police brutality and unlawful extrajudicial killings of criminal suspects, as well as intimidation of witnesses to the abuses. Calls by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on the Chávez government to quell such threats and intimidation have also reportedly not been addressed, and Chávez himself has suggested that some international human rights defenders had intentions of fermenting turmoil and destabilizing the country. These allegations have been reported to result in endangering human rights defenders, including death threats.

Violation of freedom of expression

The Chávez government has been denounced by Human Rights Watch for its passage of legislation that threatens to stifle anti-Chávez criticism and dissent from Venezuelan media. The statements are leveled specifically at restrictive amendments to the Venezuelan Criminal Code that criminalize insults, disrespect, and libelous remarks from the news media aimed at either the president or other government authorities. Severe punishments, including sentences of up to 40 months, are part of the so-called "Law on the Social Responsibility of Radio and Television" personally endorsed by Chávez.