RUTHFULLY YOURS

The death of Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela President Hugo Chávez may have been untimely, but it couldn’t have come soon enough for those of us who believe in the values of the free world. This is why many experienced what my son Noam wittily referred to as “Chávezfreude” when the 58-year-old tyrant was laid to rest on Thursday.

Much has been written over the past two days about the Chávez legacy, with discussions on whether he was actually a dictator. Whatever one wants to call his 14-year stranglehold on power, it was characterized by socialist policies and Communist methods that turned Venezuela into the most backward and broken-down country in Latin America.

It was also marked by a despotic quashing of opposition, and employing narcissism and megalomania to try to control the hearts and minds of the masses. This Chávez did by constantly appearing on television, giving performances that were a creepy mixture of charisma and clown-like craziness.

Contrary to what progressives like former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and documentary filmmaker Michael Moore assert about El Presidente’s concern for the poor, Chávez was far more focused on his hatred of Western democracy than on easing the economic, social and educational plight of his people. They were his pawns, not his project.

This is not only illustrated by the untreated sewage, power outages, and poverty to which his citizenry was subjected; it is also reflected in the global alliances he forged.

Let’s start with Iranian President Mahmound Ahmadinejad, whose close political and personal ties with Chávez were born of a mutual hatred for the United States. Both leaders spent their lives denouncing American “colonialism and imperialism.” Ahmadinejad calls it the “Great Satan.” Chávez attacked Christopher Columbus for being “the spearhead of the biggest invasion and genocide ever seen in the history of humanity.”

This match made in hell — also cemented by shared anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism — resulted in the establishment of an “Axis of Unity” against the U.S., which involved Venezuela’s assisting a nuclearizing Iran to get a foothold in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Nicaragua. Chávez visited Ahmadinehad in the Islamic republic 13 times. Ahmadinejad’s trip to Caracas for the funeral was his seventh.

Upon receiving the news of Chávez’s death, Ahmadinejad declared a national day of mourning in Iran for the “martyr” — and said that his friend’s cancer and heart attack were “suspicious.”

Another old pal and aspiring nuclear hegemon with whom Chávez enjoyed warm personal and trade relations was the late North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il. When the latter died two years ago, Chávez gave a most heartfelt eulogy, expressing his “sincere sorrow” at the loss of his “comrade.” Now successor and son Kim Jong-un — who is currently threatening the United States with a preemptive nuclear strike — is shedding a tear over the passing of his father’s ally.

Then there’s Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Chávez not only visited the Syrian dictator regularly, he sent Syria shipments of fuel, to help it contend with sanctions spurred by the regime’s ongoing mass murder of its populace.

“How can I not support the Assad government? It’s the legitimate government of Syria,” Chávez announced mere months ago, blaming the West for instigating the bloodshed and “backing the rebel terrorists.”

Finally, no fraternity whose members bemoan the demise of an anti-American icon would be complete without the Palestinians. In 2010, Chávez hosted Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad honchos in military intelligence headquarters in Caracas. The summit, organized at Ahmadinejad’s behest, was held to discuss Venezuelan aid to the terrorist organizations.

But even the so-called “moderate” Palestinian Authority ministers looked up to Chávez. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said it in so many words on Wednesday. “My loyal friend Chávez left us, and by his departure, all freedom fighters around the world lost a great leader. But the fight for a better world, for an end to all occupations, will never stop; we are sure that the principles that Chávez carried and fought for will be followed by other committed leaders.”

It is this kind of president that Abbas admires and would emulate — not the “amigo” in the White House.

A Spanish saying with which Chávez was undoubtedly familiar is particularly apt in this context: “Dime quienes son tus amigos y te diré quien eres” — tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are.

Ruthie Blum is the author of “To Hell in a Handbasket: Carter, Obama, and the ‘Arab Spring.'”