Did Chávez Help the Poor?

In a recent opinion piece, Venezuelan-American author Eva Golinger proclaimed the late Hugo Chávez was “a maker of dreams.” Chávez, she says, dreamt of eradicating poverty, and made those dreams come true. Much of what has been written—including by people critical of his legacy—repeats the same conclusion: Chávez improved the lives of the poor.

Sadly, this is not entirely true. While nobody can deny Hugo Chávez gave poor people money, goods and social services, some would argue he didn’t make their lives...

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