Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, a former paratrooper turned socialist revolutionary and regional leader, declared a national holiday for February 2, the tenth anniversary of his being in power. On the day of the newly mandated celebration, Chávez reminded Venezuelans of the prosperity the country has witnessed over the last decade. He rallied his supporters with a speech proclaiming that his administration had encapsulated ‘three words: revolution, independence and socialism.’ He proclaimed to the thousands of sympathizers lining Caracas’ streets that the spirit of Venezuela’s forefather, Simon Bolivar, had been revived in him ten years ago, and assisted in the effort to liberate the Venezuelan people. Chávez, the founder of the Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (United Socialist Party of Venezuela), also used the occasion to issue a new document, ‘The Achievement in 10 years of Revolution.’ It outlines the government’s accomplishments such as economic reform, social welfare, and the prospect of major land reform. Chávez triumphantly told his followers that, ‘We have done in 10 years what couldn’t be done in one century.’

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