The Venezuelan Revolution: 100 Questions—100 Answers

193 Pages·2006·17.282 MB·English

by  Chesa Boudin, Wilmer Rumbos, Gabriel González

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GURREIIT
"An important contribution to educating people
in the u.s. aboutvenezuera. The introducfion ls t.
excellent, and the quest¡ons are idealfor presenflng
the Bolivarian revolution of Chávez to a publlc
that knows very litile about it."
-Howard Zinn
0il-rich venezuela's democratically-elected government has survived repeated
u.s.-supported coup attempts. lts leader. Hugo chávez. is neither communist nor lE VENETUELAN
capitalist. and claims to be creating an alternative soc¡alist state. what is the real
story behind th¡s Latin American leader? ls he a petro-populist in the tradition of ri
Perón and Fujimori, or does he lead a truly progressive. homegr0wn revoluti0n that
LUTI()N
will addrËss the region's economic and social inequities? EV()
R
The curiosity 0f a North American living in venezuela and the expert¡se 0f two
venezuelans-one an adviser t0 chávez. the other a journalist with a weekly column in
a leading venezuelan newspaper-present insiders' answers t0 outsiders' questions OUESTIONS l OO ANSWERS
such as:ls Chávez a dictator? Whatwas the role of the Bush administration in the 2002
military coup? What is Chávez's political platform? Does he work with terrorists?
ì F
?.329 ,l ,'
A graduatn cf Yale and a Rhades Srhclar. CHESA BOUDIt{ earned his ma$ter"E; 8,.3 B w have Veneausla and ths U.S. hsËn hävirlg
7A(tÇ
d*gree from üxfsrd" His wurk has benn published in the ff¿fior. The Chicaga Tribuns.
anrlnn Salsn.com. t{n lives in Caracas. GABRIEL OOl,tZÁUeZ has previuu*ty "h,attle 0f the micr0phrne$"? What
do
puhlished Thren hooks in Veilezuela and Ecuador. lle curre nlly works wilh Presirlenl
l
thåun¿'s leam nf advise rs. Wl LM E R RU M BOS writes a weekly politicalcolumn
for tas tilt¡nas r1ûficí¿Ts. one nî Veneru0la's largest daily ne wspapers. Bne2uela's new stnategic allianËss msänT
rsBN 1-56025-773-3 it true that VenË¿uelä gives free s¡l t*
dlilIilUJJil[|lllll|]tll ffi itfififll uba? Will there be arr0ther rüilp ättBmpt?
University of
@ *vENEztIELAN
Mass achusetts
Amherst
LIB ARY REVOLUTION
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*VENEZUELAN
REVOLUTION
100 Ouestions 100 Answers
Chesa Boudin, Gabriel Gonzillez, and Wilmer Rumbos
Thunder's Mouth Press
New York
*VENEZUELAN
REVOLUTION
100 Ouestions 100 Answers
Chesa Boudin, Gabriel Gonzillez, and Wilmer Rumbos
Thunder's Mouth Press
New York
To our fathers and mothers, who brought politics to ow liqtes
THr. VpNrzuslau RsvoLurtoN
100 Questions-100 Ansqrers
Published bY
Thunder's Mouth Press
An imprint of Avalon Publishing Group Inc.
245 \Vest 1?th Street, 1 lth Floor
New York, NY 10011
AYALON
Copyright O 2006 by Chesa Boudin, Gabriel Gonzdlez, and Wilmer Rurnbos
First printing FebruarY 2006
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording,
or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented,
without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to
quote briefpassages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine,
newspaper, or broadcast.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available'
ISBN:1-56025-773.3
ISBN 13: 978-1-56025'773'8
987654321
Book design by Maria Elias
Printed in the United States of America
Distributed by Publishers Group lWest
To our fathers and mothers, who brought politics to ow liqtes
THr. VpNrzuslau RsvoLurtoN
100 Questions-100 Ansqrers
Published bY
Thunder's Mouth Press
An imprint of Avalon Publishing Group Inc.
245 \Vest 1?th Street, 1 lth Floor
New York, NY 10011
AYALON
Copyright O 2006 by Chesa Boudin, Gabriel Gonzdlez, and Wilmer Rurnbos
First printing FebruarY 2006
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording,
or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented,
without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to
quote briefpassages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine,
newspaper, or broadcast.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available'
ISBN:1-56025-773.3
ISBN 13: 978-1-56025'773'8
987654321
Book design by Maria Elias
Printed in the United States of America
Distributed by Publishers Group lWest
CONTENTS
MAP x1t,
LIST 0F ABBREVIATIONS xc,
INTR0DUCTI0N xo"
TIMELINE rxq.,
I. THE POLITICS OF THE BOLIVARIAN REVOLUTION
l) Who is Hugo Chiivez? I
2) ls Venezuela ruled by a dictatorial regime? 3
3) How have relations between Venezuela and the United States evolved
since Chiivez came to power? 5
4) What is the political ideology underlying the "Bolivarian"
revolutionary process? Z
5) ls the current government communist? 9
6) What happened to the traditional political parties? I I
7) What are the most significant structural changes that have occurred
since Chiivez was first elected? l2
8) What problems has the revolution failed to resolve? I4
9) ls this just another military government? l5
l0) Are the changes in Venezuela truly revolutionary? 17
II. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Il) What is the Venezuela-U.S. "battle of microphones"? 1e
l2) What are Venezuela's new strategic alliances? 2t
l3) ls Venezuela starting a regional arms race? 23
CONTENTS
MAP x1t,
LIST 0F ABBREVIATIONS xc,
INTR0DUCTI0N xo"
TIMELINE rxq.,
I. THE POLITICS OF THE BOLIVARIAN REVOLUTION
l) Who is Hugo Chiivez? I
2) ls Venezuela ruled by a dictatorial regime? 3
3) How have relations between Venezuela and the United States evolved
since Chiivez came to power? 5
4) What is the political ideology underlying the "Bolivarian"
revolutionary process? Z
5) ls the current government communist? 9
6) What happened to the traditional political parties? I I
7) What are the most significant structural changes that have occurred
since Chiivez was first elected? l2
8) What problems has the revolution failed to resolve? I4
9) ls this just another military government? l5
l0) Are the changes in Venezuela truly revolutionary? 17
II. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Il) What is the Venezuela-U.S. "battle of microphones"? 1e
l2) What are Venezuela's new strategic alliances? 2t
l3) ls Venezuela starting a regional arms race? 23
l4) Why is Venezuela opposed to the Free Trade 32) What are the impacts of participatory democracy? 50
Area of the Americas (FTAA)? 25 33) How have marginalized groups become active in the
15) Why has there been tension between Venezuela and Colombia? 26 Political Process? 52
l6) Does Chdvez's government ally with "terrorist" governments? 28 34) What is the idea of one big middle class? 53
l7) What do people mean when they talk about 35) How have women been affected by participatory democracy? 54
an oil foreign policy? 29
36) How has this model of democracy impacted crime, urban security,
l8) How does Venezuela prioritize relations with and people in Venezuelan jails and prisons? 56
Latin American countries? 30
37) How has this model of democracy impacted the
l9) Why has Venezuela positioned itself as a leader among opposition to the Chrivez government? 58
developing countries 31 38) How has this new model of democracy impacted state-run
20) What are the primary weaknesses and strengths of Venezuela's corPorations? 59
foreign PolicY? 32 39) How has this model of democracy been received outside of
Venezuela? 6l
III. THE NEW CONSTITUTION 40) What is innovative about this model of democracy? 62
2l) What was the significance of the change from the
Fourth to the Fifth Republic? 35
V. THE MISSIONS AND SOCIAL PROGRAMS
22) Wny did Venezuela write a new constitution? 36 4l) What are the missions? 65
23) What was the legal process for writing and passing the
42) Whal are the successes and failures of the Mission Barrio Adentro
new constitution? 3Z
("ln the Neighborhood")? 66
24 Does the new constitution guarantee human rights and
43) What are the Bolivarian Schools? 62
civil rights? 38
44) Whal are the educational missions
25) ls this constitution really innovative? 39 (Robinson, Ribas, Sucre, Simoncito , . .\? 69
26) How was the new constitution received outside of Venezuela? 41 45) What is Mission Habilal? 70
27) Haue the Venezuelan people accepted the new constitution
46) What is Mission Vuelvan Caras? 72
as their own? 42
47)Whal is Mission Mercal? 72
28) What were the consequences of the "enabling laws"? 43
48) What is Mission Guaicaipuro? 74
29) How did the new constitution change the political
role of the mililary? 44 4e) What is Mission Mianda? 75
30) What kind of government does the new constitution establish? 46 50) What are the primary failures and successes of the missions? 76
IV. PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY VI. THE APRIL 11, 2002, COUP
31) What is participatory and "protagonistic" democracy? 49 5i) What happened on April 11 and 12, 2002? 7e
l4) Why is Venezuela opposed to the Free Trade 32) What are the impacts of participatory democracy? 50
Area of the Americas (FTAA)? 25 33) How have marginalized groups become active in the
15) Why has there been tension between Venezuela and Colombia? 26 Political Process? 52
l6) Does Chdvez's government ally with "terrorist" governments? 28 34) What is the idea of one big middle class? 53
l7) What do people mean when they talk about 35) How have women been affected by participatory democracy? 54
an oil foreign policy? 29
36) How has this model of democracy impacted crime, urban security,
l8) How does Venezuela prioritize relations with and people in Venezuelan jails and prisons? 56
Latin American countries? 30
37) How has this model of democracy impacted the
l9) Why has Venezuela positioned itself as a leader among opposition to the Chrivez government? 58
developing countries 31 38) How has this new model of democracy impacted state-run
20) What are the primary weaknesses and strengths of Venezuela's corPorations? 59
foreign PolicY? 32 39) How has this model of democracy been received outside of
Venezuela? 6l
III. THE NEW CONSTITUTION 40) What is innovative about this model of democracy? 62
2l) What was the significance of the change from the
Fourth to the Fifth Republic? 35
V. THE MISSIONS AND SOCIAL PROGRAMS
22) Wny did Venezuela write a new constitution? 36 4l) What are the missions? 65
23) What was the legal process for writing and passing the
42) Whal are the successes and failures of the Mission Barrio Adentro
new constitution? 3Z
("ln the Neighborhood")? 66
24 Does the new constitution guarantee human rights and
43) What are the Bolivarian Schools? 62
civil rights? 38
44) Whal are the educational missions
25) ls this constitution really innovative? 39 (Robinson, Ribas, Sucre, Simoncito , . .\? 69
26) How was the new constitution received outside of Venezuela? 41 45) What is Mission Habilal? 70
27) Haue the Venezuelan people accepted the new constitution
46) What is Mission Vuelvan Caras? 72
as their own? 42
47)Whal is Mission Mercal? 72
28) What were the consequences of the "enabling laws"? 43
48) What is Mission Guaicaipuro? 74
29) How did the new constitution change the political
role of the mililary? 44 4e) What is Mission Mianda? 75
30) What kind of government does the new constitution establish? 46 50) What are the primary failures and successes of the missions? 76
IV. PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY VI. THE APRIL 11, 2002, COUP
31) What is participatory and "protagonistic" democracy? 49 5i) What happened on April 11 and 12, 2002? 7e