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Hugo Chavez

Hugo Chavez Quotes

Former President of Venezuela

Hugo Chavez, born on July 28, 1954, and died on March 5, 2013, was a former President of Venezuela. After graduating from the Military Academy, Chavez participated in a coup but was captured and imprisoned. After his release, he entered politics and was elected president in 1998. During his tenure, he implemented a series of social and economic policies aimed at reducing the wealth gap. Chavez passed away in 2013.

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Famous Hugo Chavez Quotes

“We have to re-invent socialism. It can't be the kind of socialism that we saw in the Soviet Union, but it will emerge as we develop new systems that are built on cooperation, not competition.”

Kind Saws Built Competition Unions Socialism Cooperation Soviet Soviet Union

Author:Hugo Chavez

“Don’t let yourselves be poisoned by those wandering Jews.”

Author:Hugo Chavez

“When imperialism feels weak, it resorts to brute force.”

Feels Force Weakness Weak Imperialism Resorts Brutes Brute Force

Author:Hugo Chavez

“Everyday I become more convinced, there is no doubt in my mind, and as many intellectuals have said, that it is necessary to transcend capitalism. But capitalism can't be transcended from with capitalism itself, but through socialism, true socialism, with equality and justice. I'm also convinced that it is possible to do it under democracy, but not in the type of democracy being imposed by Washington.”

Mind Said Done Justice Democracy Doubt Type Capitalism Everyday Convinced Socialism No Doubt Can Not Equality And Justice

Author:Hugo Chavez

“Privatization is a neoliberal and imperialist plan. Health can't be privatized because it is a fundamental human right, nor can education, water, electricity and other public services. They can't be surrendered to private capital that denies the people from their rights.”

People Humans Water Rights Plans Fundamentals Deny Electricity Public Service Privatization

Author:Hugo Chavez

“The world should forget about cheap oil. The price will keep going up and some day arrive at US$100 per barrel.”

World Should Forget Oil Keep Going Barrels

Author:Hugo Chavez

“But Cuba doesn't have a dictatorship - it's a revolutionary democracy.”

Democracy Revolutionary Dictatorship Cuba

Author:Hugo Chavez

“That man, the king of vacations... the king of vacations in his ranch said nothing but, you have to flee, and didn't say how... that cowboy, the cowboy mentality.”

Men Said Kings Vacation Mentality Cowboy

Author:Hugo Chavez

“Knowing English is important, but for us Venezuelans I think it would also be important to know Portuguese. For that reason, we should evaluate the possibility of it being taught in our schools.”

Thinking Knows Should Important Reason School Knowing Possibility Taught Evaluate Portuguese Venezuelans

Author:Hugo Chavez

“The descendants of those who crucified Christ... have taken ownership of the riches of the world, a minority has taken ownership of the gold of the world, the silver, the minerals, water, the good lands, petrol, well, the riches, and they have concentrated the riches in a small number of hands.”

World Wells Hands Christ Water Numbers Taken Land Gold Riches Minorities Silver Ownership Descendants Minerals Small Numbers Petrol

Author:Hugo Chavez

“Let the dogs of the empire bark, that's their job; ours is to battle to achieve the true liberation of our people.”

People Jobs Achieve Dog Battle Liberation Empires Bark

Author:Hugo Chavez

“What they have implanted here, which is really a 'gringo' custom, is terrorism. They disguise children as witches and wizards, that is contrary to our culture.”

Children Culture Terrorism Contrary Customs Witch Disguise Wizards Venezuela

Author:Hugo Chavez

“It makes one sad to see the sell-out of President Fox, really it makes one sad. How sad that the president of a people like the Mexicans lets himself become the puppy dog of the empire.”

People President Dog Sells Empires Foxes Puppy Puppy Dog

Author:Hugo Chavez

“Israel has gone mad. It's attacking, doing the same thing to the Palestinian and Lebanese people that they have criticised - and with reason - the Holocaust . But this is a new Holocaust.”

People Reason Gone Mad Israel Holocaust Palestinian Attacking Lebanese

Author:Hugo Chavez

“Fascists are not human. A snake is more human.”

Humans Snakes Fascists

Author:Hugo Chavez

“If the United States was mad enough to attack Iran or aggress Venezuela again the price of a barrel of oil could reach $150 or even $200.”

Ifs States Enough United United States Mad Oil Iran Barrels Venezuela

Author:Hugo Chavez

“I nationalize strategic companies and get criticized, but when Bush does it, it's OK. ... Bush is turning socialist. How are you, comrade Bush?”

Doe Company Socialist Strategic Comrade

Author:Hugo Chavez

“Every factory must be a school to educate, like Che Guevara said, to produce not only briquettes, steel, and aluminum, but also, above all, the new man and woman, the new society, the socialist society.”

Men Said School Produce Men And Women Educate Factories Socialist Steel Aluminum

Author:Hugo Chavez

“It doesn't smell of sulphur any more. No, it smells of something else. It smells of hope, and you have to have hope in your heart.”

Heart Smell Having Hope

Author:Hugo Chavez

“I'm not loved by Hillary Clinton... and I don't love her either.”

Author:Hugo Chavez

“I don't want to die. Please don't let me die.”

Want Dies Please Let Me Wanting To Die

Author:Hugo Chavez

“I shook Obama's hand and I said, 'I want to be your friend.' My hand is still outstretched. I am not Obama's enemy, but it's difficult not see imperialism in Washington. Those who don't see it don't want to see it, like the ostrich.”

Want Said Stills Hands Difficult Enemy Imperialism Ostriches

Author:Hugo Chavez

“For us Catholics, John Paul II will be remembered as a traveling Pope ... and we should also remember he preached world peace. When the United States invaded Iraq, for example, John Paul II said it was an illegal and immoral act.”

World Should Said States Remember United United States Example Catholic Iraq Remembered Illegal Pope Immoral John Paul John Paul Ii

Author:Hugo Chavez

“The United States is like Count Dracula who at six o'clock in the morning has not sucked [any necks].”

States United Morning United States Six Clock Necks Count Dracula

Author:Hugo Chavez

“Democracy is impossible in a capitalist system. Capitalism is the realm of injustice and a tyranny of the richest against the poorest.”

Democracy Impossible Capitalism Injustice Tyranny Realms Capitalist Poorest

Author:Hugo Chavez

“I would like to invite the citizens of Great Britain and the citizens of the U.S. and the citizens of the world to come here and walk freely through the streets of Venezuela, to talk to anyone they want, to watch television, to read the papers. We are building a true democracy, with human rights for everyone, social rights, education, health care, pensions, social security, and jobs.”

“Mr. Bush is an illegitimate President. In Florida, his brother Jeb deleted many black voters from the electoral registers. So this President is the result of a fraud.”

Black President Results Brother Voters Fraud Florida Register

Author:Hugo Chavez

“I concern myself with Venezuela. However, some rightwing movements are transforming me into a pawn in the domestic politics of their countries, by making statements that are groundless.”

Country Movement Concern Statements Transforming Pawns Venezuela

Author:Hugo Chavez

“Latin Americans have gotten tired of the Washington consensus - a neoliberalism that has aggravated misery and poverty.”

Poverty Tired Misery Latin Consensus Latin America Neoliberalism Latin American Aggravated

Author:Hugo Chavez

“Venezuela has the biggest oil reserves in the world. And the biggest gas reserves in this hemisphere, the eighth in the world. Venezuela was a U.S. oil colony. All of our oil was going up to the north, and the gas was being used by the U.S. and not by us. Now we are diversifying. Our oil is helping the poor.”

World Helping Used Poor Oil Gas Reserves Colony Venezuela Hemisphere

Author:Hugo Chavez

“I do wish that the IMF and the World Bank would disappear soon.”

World Wish Disappear Imf World Bank

Author:Hugo Chavez

“Uruguay is one of the biggest producers of software. We are breaking with the neoliberal model. We do not believe in free trade.”

Believe Models Trade Producers Software Free Trade

Author:Hugo Chavez

“I'm not giving away oil for free. Just using oil, first to benefit our people, to relieve poverty.”

People Giving Firsts Poverty Benefits Oil

Author:Hugo Chavez

“What you want is one thing, and what you cannot really obtain is another.”

Want One Thing What You Want

Author:Hugo Chavez

“What would happen if we financed somebody in the U.S. to destabilize the government of George W. Bush? They would go to prison, certainly.”

Ifs Government Happens Prison

Author:Hugo Chavez

“We also exchange oil for software technology. Uruguay is one of the biggest producers of software. We are breaking with the neoliberal model. We do not believe in free trade. We believe in fair trade and exchange, not competition but cooperation. I'm not giving away oil for free. Just using oil, first to benefit our people, to relieve poverty.”

People Giving Firsts Believe Poverty Technology Benefits Models Fairs Trade Competition Oil Producers Cooperation Software Free Trade Fair Trade

Author:Hugo Chavez

“For a hundred years we have been one of the largest oil-producing countries in the world but with a 60 percent poverty rate and now we are canceling the historical debt.”

World Years Has Beens Country Poverty Percent Hundred Historical Rate Debt Oil

Author:Hugo Chavez

“The revolution will survive. It does not rely solely on oil for its survival. There is a national will, there is a national idea, a national project.”

Doe Ideas Revolution Projects Survival Oil Rely

Author:Hugo Chavez

“I love books. If they are good books, I love them even more. But even if they are bad books, I still love them.”

Ifs Stills Book Good Book

Author:Hugo Chavez

“I'm a reading addict. I can't live without it, like someone who is addicted to drugs.”

I Can Reading Drug Addict

Author:Hugo Chavez

“The ones who close the path for peacefull revolution, at the same time open the path for violent revolution.”

Path Revolution Violent Violent Revolution

Author:Hugo Chavez

“I am convinced that the path to a new, better and possible world is not capitalism, the path is socialism.”

World Path Capitalism Convinced Socialism

Author:Hugo Chavez

“I hereby accuse the North American empire of being the biggest menace to our planet.”

Planets Empires Our Planet Menace American Empire

Author:Hugo Chavez

“An infernal machine that produces every minute an impressive amount of poor, 26 million poor in 10 years are 2.6 million per year of new poor, this is the road, well, the road to hell.”

Years Wells Poor Millions Hell Minutes Produce Amount Machines Impressive

Author:Hugo Chavez

“We must confront the privileged elite who have destroyed a large part of the world.”

World Environment Environmental Destroyed Elites Privileged

Author:Hugo Chavez

“The left is back, and it's the only path we have to get out of the spot to which the right has sunken us. Socialism builds and capitalism destroys.”

Left Path Capitalism Socialism Spots Eugenics Capitalism And Socialism

Author:Hugo Chavez

“We're not perfect, but we do have democracy.”

Perfect Democracy Not Perfect

Author:Hugo Chavez

“No part of the human community can live entirely on its own planet, with its own laws of motion and cut off from the rest of humanity.”

Humans Law Humanity Community Cutting Planets Interconnection Laws Of Motion

Author:Hugo Chavez

“Venezuela has changed forever, there is no turning back.”

No Turning Back

Author:Hugo Chavez

“Convinced as I am and as I am from my government that the world needs a new moral architecture over all I believe that this should be the first topic to debate in our world of today, ethics, moral.”

World Needs Should Firsts Believe Government Today I Believe Moral Ethics Convinced Architecture Debate Our World Topics

Author:Hugo Chavez

About the Author

Born: July 28, 1954
Died: March 5, 2013
Known for: Former President of Venezuela
Quotes: 95

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