President Pérez's legacy

The latter years of the life of Carlos Andrés Pérez were, at least inside Venezuela, controversial and chequered.

During his last presidency, Pérez faced popular street protests against economic austerity; survived two coups, including one by current president, Hugo Chávez; was impeached for allegedly misappropriating public funds; and was finally convicted for embezzlement.

Mr Pérez eventually died in exile in Miami on Christmas Day, aged 88, eliciting a quip from President Chávez that he hoped Mr Pérez's style of politics had died with him.

President Chávez's verdict and the controversies around Mr Pérez, notwithstanding, people in the English-speaking Caribbean, esp-ecially Jamaica, and the rest of the developing world are likely to have a more respectful view of Mr Pérez. Indeed, President Pérez not only broadened Venezuela's relationship in the Caribbean, but understood the value of developing countries working together.

For instance, President Chávez's PetroCaribe preferential oil facility has its roots in the San José Accord initiated by Mr Pérez and Mexico's José Lopez Portillo. There were, too, Mr Pérez's attempts with the late Michael Manley to develop JAVAMEX, a project that would have used Venezuelan and Mexican energy to smelt Jamaican alumina. Pérez was also a key figure with Tanzania's Julius Nyerere in establishing the South Commission that mapped economic-cooperation possibilities between the countries of the South.

Some of those ideas remain relevant today.

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