After reading Nathan Crooks’ description of present day Venezuela (“Chavez: champion or charlatan?,” Sept. 26th), I felt compelled to present the other side of the story. In August of this year I spent two weeks in Caracas as part of the Canadian delegation at the World Festival of Youth and Students.

The Venezuela I encountered during my time there was vastly different than the oppressive state that Crooks depicts. I found a warm, proud nation of passionate people, excited about the direction in which their country is headed.

While debate abounds concerning President Hugo Chavez and his time in power, facts are facts. Chavez’s rule has been legitimated by several electoral processes, including the ratification of his redrafted constitution and his reinstallation to power after being unjustly ousted in 2002. While Crooks cites widespread oppression, the poor in Venezuela are undoubtedly better off now than they were under previous dictatorial regimes. In particular the rights of indigenous peoples are now protected under the new constitution. Land ownership rights have been changed so as to transfer the ownership of indigenous land to the indigenous peoples themselves.

Crooks uses selective anecdotal evidence to support his claim of deterioration in Venezuelan society, but does not tell of the greater access to social rights made available since Chavez came to power. The driving forces behind these improvements are Chavez’s Missions-programs that bring literacy, food, and medical care to poor communities. These are set up in urban and rural areas alike, and are run by volunteers who live nearby and provide round the clock assistance to anyone in need.

I was fortunate enough to tour rural areas of Venezuela and see how these programs operate up close. Wherever I went, I found an infectious sense of optimism when I looked into the eyes of the people, and felt how their lives had been changed.

Chavez aside, a true description of Venezuelan society is incomplete without discussing the people themselves. Without the support of the majority, Chavez’s policies are nothing but good ideas. It is the people who make progress happen through their work and dedication. In perhaps his most important feat, Chavez has sown genuine hope and a positive sense of national identity among the citizens of Venezuela.

Analyzing politics can often be an exercise in frustration and depression. The political realm can seem like a huge, amorphous mass of corruption, inefficiency, and injustice. The question of how to alleviate these ills can be even more daunting. After seeing the fruits of the Bolivarian Revolution first hand, I learned just how simple it really can be. I learned there is hope, and there are real tangible successes.

Chavez is just one man, but he has become the face of something truly remarkable that transcends any single person. While there is still room for growth in Venezuelan society-particularly regarding political expression, as Crooks poignantly mentions-there is another, inspirational side to Venezuela that must not be ignored.