Summary

Albright devotes Chapter 10 to the charismatic leader of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, who died in 2013 of cancer. Like other leaders who became Fascists, he began with the promise that he would help the impoverished majority of his country, narrowing the gap between rich and poor. He also promised to diversify the economy that depended heavily on oil revenues. Shortly after he was elected president, a gigantic rain storm flooded the coastal region of Venezuela, causing mudslides and a significant loss of life. The US sent immediate, short-term aide. But when the US was in the process of shipping bulldozers, tractors, and hundreds of Marines and Navy engineers to help rebuild infrastructure, President Chávez sent a message, saying “We'll take your equipment, but not your people” (122); the US turned the fully loaded ship around and headed home. Since Chávez's death, president Nicol...