I’m one of those hesitant to give Chavez a blanket demonization.

Under his tenure the nation’s GDP quadrupled. Under his tenure the nation’s poverty rate halved. Under his tenure the infant mortality rate dropped from 26 to 20 deaths per thousand live births.

Basically, by most practical measures the lives of the general population improved under his tenure.

He was very anti-American and so I will not praise him. But he did right by his people and so I am hesitant to condemn.