Hugo Chavez as a leader?

Anyone have an opinion on Huga Chavez? I like many Americans have always seen him cast in a glim and evil light. All the news reports in America show him as a dictator who controls the media in his country and suppresses uprisings with an iron fist. But overall if you really want to learn about him it seems he has less censorship of his media than we see right here in America. The second largest media outlet in Venezuela openly supported a US backed coup that attempted unsucessfully to overthrow him. They urged citizens to take to the streets and rebel. Yet when Chavez was back in power once again he didn't even shut down the station. Imagine what Bush or Obama would do if CNN began to openly urge Americans to rebel against there government. Chavez simply didn't allow there broadcast license to renew so he in my mind atcually allowed more freedom of press than we will ever see in here in America. Anyways he has also directly challenged the corruption that has rotted away at South America for years. He finally and most importantly was democratically elected and has continued to be. I just feel like America doesn't want to be the world police for justice but instead enforce policies that are the most friendly financially to those running the country and that is why we in America are lead to beleive what we beleive.