people ARE freezing in Maine

In response to Chris’ letter about “freezing in Maine”.

A common argument used against Chavez is that he is all talk/ rhetoric but does not actually do anything for the Venezuelan people. They say that he puts on a tremendous show by bashing the US and gives cheap oil to poor Americans but does it all for political gain and to stay in power.
First of all every winter many people do die in the US because they do not have heating and US citizens die in the summer because they do not have air conditioning! Providing subsidized heating oil is saving lives! Also poverty exists in the United States just like anywhere else. People often forget that. I do not see any of the greedy US oil companies giving cheap oil to the poor.
Then the argument that Chavez is wasting Venezuela’s resources on foreign programs and not taking care of Venezuela’s is ludicrous; under Chavez Venezuela has eradicated illiteracy, More than 17 million poor Venezuelans now have free, quality healthcare, thousands of community health clinics and radio stations have been built, the rights of women and indigenous people have been greatly expanded adn advanced, and the list goes on and on. BUY CITGO!!