The male chauvinist nature of castro-chavism

Authors:
Luis Alberto López Rafaschieri and José Alberto López Rafaschieri
www.morochos.net

We always remember that the governments of Cuba and Venezuela are enemies of democracy, but few times we consider the impact of such authority models on the so-called gender equality.

It is not possible to build a more equitable society, in terms of social roles of men and women, where a military warlord assumes he is the one with the right to govern. In Cuba and Venezuela, the scheme of one man that holds indefinitely the highest authority of the nation reinforces the stereotype that men are superior to women.

Worse, in the case of Cuba or Venezuela, it is not only that the same man is always occupying the role of head of state, but also the government is exercised with abuse of power and repression, inculcating despotism in the male population.

Even something as simple as Chavez's constant radio and television official interruptions symbolize the political discrimination against women under the Cuban-Venezuelan schemes. Meanwhile Chavez spoke in all media, for hours, no women in Venezuela have a similar right, which is understood by the general population, especially children and adolescents, as if the man had more right to speak and lead.

So serious are these issues that the third Millennium Development Goal of the UN seeks "greater participation and representation of women in politics and decision-making of States", and UNICEF indicates that "the distribution of socially constituted roles too often frustrate the potential of girls and women". Few days after the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, it is not a bad idea to include the Castro-Chavista authority model in the Latin American debate on gender equality.

---

Related articles:

• Gaddafi and the Latin American left
• The Cuban Perestroika
• US legislative elections, Chomsky and Stiglitz