VOA标准英语2013--Latin America's Left Sees Void After Chavez

（单词翻译）

Latin America's Left Sees Void After Chavez

In death, as in life, Hugo Chavez won acclaim¹ from the leaders of Latin America's new left, united in their opposition² to what they see as U.S. domination of the region.

For them, the late Venezuelan leader has joined the pantheon of Latin American revolutionary heroes.

"We are fully³ committed to continuing with these battles, to give continuity to the dreams of Bolivar, Sandino, Marti, Fidel, and Hugo Chavez," said Daniel Ortega, president of Nicaragua.

During his lifetime, Chavez tried to fulfill⁴ the dream of Simon Bolivar, the 19th century South American liberator⁵ who aimed to unite the continent.

Former Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wrote in the New York Times that history will remember Chavez for this effort and his commitment to alleviate⁶ poverty.

To this end, he formed regional blocs⁷, aimed at countering the free market and free trade policies promoted by Washington, to advance what he called 21st century socialism.

The rise of like-minded leaders in Latin America helped push these projects forward. But it's unclear if anyone can take Chavez's place, according to Michael Shifter who heads the Inter-American Dialogue, a policy group.

"His money was an important part of his power base and he helped a lot of people. So he really created a sense of loyalty⁸ and allegiance among a lot of people and a lot of governments in Latin America. And there’s not going to be anybody who is going to fill his shoes in the region," Shifter said.

Because Venezuela is a major oil producer, money was readily available.

And Cuba became a major beneficiary, receiving heavily discounted oil and other subsidies⁹ from the late Venezuelan leader, who viewed Fidel Castro as a mentor¹⁰.

Cuba paid to tribute to Chavez after his death with a 21-gun salute¹¹. But the honors did not ease the anxiety of some.

"It is a loss, because Chavez helps our country a great deal. Without him I think things will be a bit more difficult," said housewife Yuney Valladares.

While Cuba has been able to reduce its dependence¹² on Venezuelan oil by developing its own resources, there is still concern - says Philip Brenner, a Cuba specialist at American University in Washington.

"Venezuela clearly was a ready source of oil and it’s not a ready source anymore if there’s going to be a change there," Brenner said.

But no immediate¹³ change is expected, given that acting¹⁴ President Nicolas Maduro is favored to win next month's election. Even though he was handpicked by Chavez, analysts¹⁵ say he will likely focus primarily on Venezuela's domestic needs instead of fostering Latin America's left.