Madam, - Unlike Adrian J. English (March 10th), I cannot claim to be an expert on Latin America, least of all on military matters. But I can be certain that Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela, has never avowed any ambition to remain in office except by election.
Like his hero Simon Bolivar (the liberator of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia from Spanish rule), he believes in the unity of Latin America in opposition to the power of the United States of America.
If Mr English applies his historical skills to politics as well as armies and weapons, he will find that "the depressingly long line of megalomaniac Latin American despots" is composed of allies of the United States. Just think of Batista, Somoza and Pinochet as a representative sample.
Venezuela seeks good relations with many countries, including Iran. Iran, in common with Brazil and other petroleum-producing countries, helped Venezuela defeat the shut-down and sabotage of its oil industry in 2002. As both countries are targets of the United States, they clearly have interests in common, however different their societies are. As for Iranian nuclear weapons technology, it does not exist.
Venezuela is conspicuous among oil-rich countries in investing its wealth for the benefit of its people, of the poor majority. Visiting a poor barrio in the hills above Caracas, it was not hard to see what a monumental task Chavez has taken on. The beautiful new "Bolivarian" school is the only decent building there. A young Cuban doctor was providing a health service, in a place where no Venezuelan doctor had ever been. Imagine similar policies in oil-rich Nigeria, or Iran.
Venezuela has had oil wealth for a long time. A succession of venal governments neglected agriculture and industry while they and their supporters enjoyed unprecedented riches, and the poverty and deprivation of the majority grew. Hugo Chavez was elected with the support of this poor majority. As he says, "The only way to end poverty is to give power to the poor".
To bring education and health services to all, to turn around the economy, to restore and develop agriculture and industry in the interests of the people are no easy tasks. They inevitably clash with the interests of international big business and its Venezuelan partners.
The US, which supported the failed coup d'etat in 2002, is now trying to create a clash with Colombia. I have to agree with Mr English's closing sentence: "The threat to the hemispheric and even world peace and stability should not be underestimated." - Yours, etc,
SEÁN EDWARDS, Hillcrest View, Lucan, Co Dublin.