Years ago, I argued that the only recourse left to individuals in countries ruled by totalitarian regimes is the use of violence. The supporters of Hugo Chávez, a definition of a totalitarian dictator, have thought that quoting me out of context somehow invalidates my views. However, in recent years, we have witnessed a profound radicalization of Hugo Chávez, who has evolved from a coup leader to a mad dictator, openly supporting totalitarian regimes and terrorist organizations around the globe.
The speech given by Obama upon accepting the Nobel Peace Prize yesterday in Oslo contains what could be interpreted as a justification for war based on certain moral grounds. Obama asserted that the nonviolent movements of King or Gandhi couldn’t have defeated Hitler. And he is right. Because both King and Gandhi faced governments that were, at the very least, aware of human rights, even though, in practice, these were systematically violated for some ethnic groups. Believing that the Jews could have undermined or weakened Hitler through nonviolent protests is a mistake. A more contemporary example is Cuba, where human rights and democratic groups are completely at the mercy of Fidel Castro and his brutally repressive security and intelligence apparatus. Certain individuals or groups simply refuse to acknowledge others as equal. This indicates that the consideration of others’ rights is, quite simply, out of the question.
The Nazis viewed Jews as subhuman. Islamic fundamentalists are equally convinced that infidels are as well. Terrorists tend to hold similar views. In such cases, dialogue is utterly pointless. One characteristic that defines Hugo Chávez is his distorted understanding of democracy and human rights. For Chávez, these are mere tools, convenient formulas to solve specific problems. For example, Hugo Chávez has claimed that Colombian narcoterrorists deserve recognition and belligerent status. He has asserted that Carlos El Chacal is one of Venezuela’s revolutionary heroes. Yet, he flatly refuses to accord the same consideration to Venezuelan political opponents, even when they are democratically elected. Practically speaking, this means that Chávez views his enemies similarly to those who commit abominable crimes for ideological reasons. Additionally, Chávez perceives his political opponents through a distinctly fascist lens. Let’s not forget that Chávez himself is directly responsible for many deaths that occurred in 1992 and 2002.
Obama stated something that rings true: “Because make no mistake: evil exists in the world. A nonviolent movement could not have stopped Hitler’s armies. Negotiations cannot convince Al Qaeda leaders to lay down their arms. Saying that force may sometimes be necessary is not a call to cynicism; it is a recognition of history, the imperfections of man, and the limits of reason.” One could think he was talking about Venezuela and chavismo, and I can only add that I completely agree with what Obama said yesterday.