Here's what I would have said to Hugo Chavez, had I seen him at the last

[Benton D Struckcheon]

22. Oh please, get a grip.

Lula was elected at more or less the same time. Not surprisingly, he doesn't show up on that net worth list. Can't imagine why.
Don't think he's going to be put on permanent display after his death either.
Latin America was before him and will continue after him and even in spite of him to be a place with thoroughly mature politics where leftists are freely elected and serve their countries well. They don't need some maximum leader to make that all cool or something. Sheesh.

As to Venezuela, it's a supply region, that is, a place that earns its way by exporting commodities for use by advanced nations. In places like that, the politics is all about grabbing those commodities and enriching yourself. I'm not surprised this is what Chavez did, to be fair to him, it's SOP in these kinds of places. See Putin or the Saudi royal family for other instances. The only thing I'm surprised at around here is this unbecoming adulation of a man who was nothing more or less than a typical supply region pol.