Bush & the US media: Chavez is a demagogue. Right or wrong?

Sure sounds wrong, but I'm open to credible evidence. If the article below is true, it's hard to imagine we won't be funding Venezuelan "freedom fighters" in the very near future.

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=45&ItemID=9098

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This Orwellian declaration upended the realities of Chavez’s Venezuela and Bush’s America. Elected to the presidency in 1998, Chavez received 56 percent of the vote, while as the world knows Bush in the 2000 elections lost the popular vote to his Democratic opponent.

During Chavez’ seven years in office, Venezuela has proved to be the most democratic government in the recent history of the Americas. Eight elections or referendums have taken place, including the election of a constituent assembly to draft a new Bolivarian constitution that established the principles for a participatory democracy. In each instance of voting, fifty-six to sixty percent of the participants have supported Chavez or his initiatives, including his reelection as president under the new constitution in 2000. Bush it should be noted in his reelection in 2004 received only 51% of the votes, the lowest for an incumbent since Woodrow Wilson in 1916. No international observers have uncovered fraud in any of the Venezuelan balloting, while in the United States there are still serious questions about the fairness and integrity of the 2000 and 2004 elections.

The Bush administration’s most ignominious assault on the new democratic spirit in Venezuela occurred with a coup attempt in April 2002. After meeting with the coup conspirators in Washington for months before hand, the United States was the first and only government in the hemisphere to recognize the “golpistas” headed by Pedro Carmona, the president of the Venezuelan business association. Chavez was restored to power in 48 hours, thanks to a massive popular demonstration combined with military support, principally among junior officers and common soldiers.

As in the lead up to the Iraqi war, the US media, including the liberal press, proved to be a conveyor belt for the Bush line on Chavez. While the coup was in progress the New York Times editorialized: “Venezuelan democracy is no longer threatened by a would-be dictator.” The Times, also echoing the position of the Venezuelan elites, insisted that Chavez was a “demagogue.”

Demagoguery is apparently a label imposed on any leader who attempts to mobilize and improve the lot of the popular classes at the expense of the wealthy. In a country of 25 million, illiteracy has been virtually eliminated as 1.4 million learned to read and write during the early years of Chavez’ tenure. Three million adult Venezuelans previously outside the education system due to poverty enrolled in schooling programs.

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Real freedom.

is an issue. Is it because he dares to speak against bush? The biggest demagogues are in our government and Chalabi.