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Watch Hugo Chavez: Capitalism is the way to the destruction of the planet
Yesterday Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela, made a passionate and courageous speech at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. Chavez criticized President Obama's "laughable" promise to help climate change and also said that capitalism ...

Copenhagen 2009

We must go from capitalism to socialism to tackle climate change, says Hugo Chavez

Friday, 5 February, 2010
By Simon Leufstedt

In an interesting interview during COP15 Amy Goodman from Democracy Now asks Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela, about his view of the climate summit in Copenhagen, climate change, USA, and the huge oil reserves in Venezuela. Watch it:

“AMY GOODMAN: What level of emissions are you willing to support reductions of emissions?

PRESIDENT HUGO CHAVEZ: [translated] One hundred percent. One hundred percent. We must reduce the emissions 100 percent. In Venezuela, the emissions are currently insignificant compared to the emissions of the developed countries. We are in agreement. We must reduce all the emissions that are destroying the planet. However, that requires a change in lifestyle, a change in the economic model: we must go from capitalism to socialism. That’s the real solution.”

You can read a rush transcript of the interview here. Amy Goodman and Democracy Now had a great coverage of the Copenhagen climate conference which is worth a look if you missed it.

Simon Leufstedt is the editor of Green Blog. Simon has previously studied Global Environmental Justice and is currently studying Human Ecology and Political Science at Lund University in Sweden. Simon is also blogging over at the Swedish 350 website and working with the Swedish TckTckTck organisation. You can follow Simon on Twitter and on Google+.
View all posts by Simon Leufstedt →

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hankyt

Hugo Chavez's perspectives might have more credibility if he was leading his own country
in the direction of democratic socialism, rather than the family-run kleptocracy that it has become.
- http://www.enviro-space.com/ Simon
  
  I do agree with you that one could wish that Chavez would have re-thought some of his decisions. But I don't trust the US media in most of their coverages. Also the US politics actually looks more like a “family-run kleptocracy” than Venezuela's.
projectbutton

Emissions are so low in Venezuela because the is in tatters. They haven't maintained their infrastructure let alone upgraded it and as a result, they don't even have enough power to light their towns and cities. Rolling blackouts and food lines are a result of his policies.

Yup, they are actually shooting protestors in the street down there, but they are green! Actually, communist countries often have terrible enviornmental records. The same people that run the factories also write the laws, so they just exempt themselves. China and Russia are prime examples of this.
- Joe The Public
  
  You wrote: “The same people that run the factories also write the laws, so they just exempt themselves. China and Russia are prime examples of this.”
  
  The same could be said for the USA you know… But I guess ignorance works the best for you.
- http://www.enviro-space.com/ Simon
  
  Actually it's worth knowing that during the Soviet Union era the communists passed some of the most advanced environmental protection laws in the whole world. And ecologically the Soviet Union pioneered in various forms of environmental reforms and policies. Unfortunately when Stalin and his Stalinist bureaucracy came in power in the 30's these laws and policies were in practice disregarded and unenforced because of the capitalistic goal of expanding production.
  
  I also wouldn't label Venezuela as an communistic dictatorship. Venezuela is an democracy.
eritter

I live in Venezuela and I can tell you that what Chavez says has nothing to do with what he does. We are more dependent on oil than ever, and rivers than had been said to be cleaned up few years ago are even worse. If someone wants to recicle, It's on It's own, no help from government. Chavez criticizes media, but he is very good using It. Come and judge by yourselves.
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