On a Column's Past, With One Parting Toast

The first time Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez came to The Washington Post seven years ago, the former paratrooper spoke about the poverty in the hinterlands of his native country, which he had toured by donkey. He vowed then to be a reformer, to crush corruption and to lift millions of Venezuelans from poverty.

We wondered, would he prove to be a dictator or a true populist and innovator?

A bullying streak was manifested when he barked at his wife as she coached a waiter on what to serve him while he was speaking. "Pardon," she whispered.

Chávez hinted last week that he would come to U.N. meetings in New York on horseback if he had to, evoking a romanticized image of himself. His brash performance there Wednesday merits closer scrutiny of how he fits into the Latin American puzzle and U.S. policy on that continent. His visits to Baghdad, Damascus and Havana have been intriguing, to say the least. He has hosted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on his private plane.

Over the past decade, some remarkable characters have wandered into Washington, focusing my attention and yours on their struggles, their causes and their peculiar forms of leadership.

Among them was John Garang , the late leader of southern Sudan who commanded a separatist movement for many years but came to recognize the importance of bridging differences in a diverse country. The legacy he sought is still being tested as the world tries to help disgruntled segments of Sudanese society find a peace with a highly centralized national government.

The many novice ambassadors from sovereign countries that emerged after the breakup of the Soviet Union more than a decade ago have come back for visits as foreign ministers, prime ministers and presidents of democracies in progress.

The passing of Jordan's King Hussein in 1999 as one of the last enlightened Middle East leaders, as a man who learned from mistakes and became a visionary and peacemaker, have also been noted in this column. Prisoners, activists, actors and ordinary people who have made their mark have shared their stories and crusades with us.

Jung Sung San , a North Korean who was arrested and tortured for listening to a South Korean radio broadcast when he was a soldier, triumphed over his fate and is bringing a musical to Washington this fall.

Shirin Ebadi , Iran's first and last female judge, was interviewed here seven years before she became a Nobel laureate. She returned for a visit this year, but her office offering pro bono help to Iranians who were treated unjustly was shut down by Iranian authorities this summer.

Other women have risen to prominence as noted decision-makers, such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel . Diplomatic Dispatches talked to them, profiled some and recorded their incredible stories.

Last night, the diplomatic party season kicked off with the Ambassadors Ball, hosted by Jeanne Oates Angulo , chapter president of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, who is retiring after 12 years of goading embassies into making a charitable cause more glamorous.