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Features: Bolivarian Project

Venezuela’s 21st Century Socialism and the Difficult Journey from ‘Me’ to ‘Us’

The Venezuela of today is a nation mobilized in defense of a new ideal – a proposal for the future referred to simply as Socialismo del Siglo 21, or 21st Century Socialism. In this analysis, Rosales seeks to contextualize a few of the guiding principles being used by the Venezuelan people in their struggle to consolidate a socialist society, and takes a brief glimpse at the challenge faced by 21st Century Socialism in the fight against capital’s culture of consumption that remains quite present in the Venezuela of the Bolivarian Revolution.

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Venezuela’s Dreams and Demons: Has the Bolivarian Revolution Changed Education?

An Alternative School student holding up her placard made for the march to protest the bullfighting in Merida (Tamara Pearson)

Through two very different interviews we get a glimpse of the bureaucracy, corruption, clientelism, achievements, inspiration, and political growth within Venezuela’s education system, all of which are representative of the broader demons and dreams faced in the Bolivarian Revolution and its aim to create the “new person”.

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An Assessment of Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution at Twelve Years

On the 12th anniversary of Chavez’s first oath of office as president of Venezuela on February 2, 1999, one can easily get the impression from the international mainstream media that Venezuela is trapped in a terminal spiral towards becoming a state socialist dictatorship. 

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A New Opportunity for Venezuela’s Socialists

The recent National Assembly election represents a new opportunity for the governing socialists to learn from past errors and to move forward in their program to construct 21st century socialism. But it also represents a comeback for Venezuela's once moribund opposition.

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Latin America & Twenty-First Century Socialism: Inventing to Avoid Mistakes, Chapter 2

We have said that, in order to judge a government, it is not so important to consider the pace at which it advances as the direction it is taking. This goal, this direction, has been defined by several of our governments as “twenty-first century socialism.”

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Latin America & Twenty-First Century Socialism: Inventing to Avoid Mistakes, Chapter 1

Twenty years ago, left forces in Latin America and in the world in general were going through a difficult period. The Berlin Wall had fallen; the Soviet Union hurtled into an abyss and disappeared completely by the end of 1991. Deprived of the rearguard it needed, the Sandinista Revolution was defeated at the polls in February 1990, and Central American guerrilla movements were forced to demobilize. The only country that kept the banners of revolution flying was Cuba, although all the omens said that its days were numbered. Given that situation, it was difficult to imagine that twenty years later, left-wing leaders would govern most of the Latin American countries.

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The Insidious Bureaucracy in Venezuela: Biggest Barrier to Social Change

Jose Castro, community council spokesperson (Tamara Pearson)

Endless queues, waiting months or years for pay or certificates or signatures, the tedious and repetitive letters humbly addressed to all the necessary institutions, public servants and a party leadership often disconnected from the people and going against the working class: Bureaucracy in Venezuela; how bad is it, why is it as bad as it is, what impact is it having on popular organising, and what is the Bolivarian Revolution doing about it?

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An Important but Risky Victory for Venezuela and for Socialism

The ten percentage point victory (55-45%) that President Chávez and his movement achieved on Sunday represents a very important victory for the effort to create socialism in Venezuela. However, Chávez and his supporters ought to recognize that this victory comes with a certain degree of risk because it increases the Bolivarian movement's dependency on its charismatic leader.

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Wilpert Takes Stock of the Bolivarian Revolution

Wilpert has not just produced a comprehensive look at the social, economic and political transformation that has shaken the foundations of Venezuela over the past decade; he has also delivered a sharp rebuke to one of the trendiest, if dubious, political theories to appear on the academic left in recent years.

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Venezuela's Chavez: Socialism Still Our Goal

A collective discussion is occurring throughout the revolutionary movement led by President Hugo Chavez following the defeat of the proposed constitutional reform proposals — that were intended to deepen the revolution to help open the way towards socialism — in the December 2 referendum.

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A Revolution is Just Below the Surface

Prof. Noam Chomsky leafs through the book Don Quijote, which the Chavez government distributed for free to Venezuelans (Credit: Juan Carlos Yegres)
An Interview with world-renown linguist and political analyst Noam Chomsky. Chomsky discusses popular power, U.S. intervention, the media, and the possibility of a revolution in the U.S.

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The Trial (And Errors) of Hugo Chavez

Venezuelans are debating whether Chávez is putting the country's windfall revenue to good use or squandering it through disorganization, corruption and misplaced priorities. The debate over government performance is significant because much of the country's oil wealth is being invested in novel social programs to help the poor.

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Where Is Venezuela Going?

Where is Venezuela going? This article will (1) analyze the rise of Chávez within the context of Venezuelan history and politics; (2) examine the government’s economic, social, and political policies; (3) evaluate the Venezuelan revolutionary process from the standpoint of classical Marxist theory; and (4) outline a strategic approach towards the Chávez phenomenon for those committed to anti-imperialist and revolutionary socialist politics.

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Noam Chomsky on Recent Developments in Venezuela

Linguist and political analyst Professor Noam Chomsky discusses changes in Venezuela under Chavez, nationalizations, Chavez's enabling law, and Latin American integration.

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The Decline of the US, the Rise of Latin America

Anyone following the news in recent times cannot be unaware of the wave of progressive change sweeping Latin America and the Caribbean. For many lonely years Cuba held high the torch. Then in 1999 came Hugo Chavez, the U.S.’s latest worst nightmare in the region.

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