Venezuelan President Outlines Socialist Party Strategy for next Two Years

In preparation for the nation’s upcoming presidential election of 2012, Venezuelan head of state Hugo Chavez revealed last Monday a draft copy of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela’s (PSUV) political strategy for the next two years.

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During a televised broadcast, Chavez, together with his council of ministers, spoke of the need of the governing PSUV party to consolidate its base and formulate a new strategic map to strengthen its popular support en route to victory in 2012’s presidential contest.

According to the Venezuelan President, the draft political strategy, called the Great Admirable Campaign 2011 – 2012, will be discussed further on December 11 and 12 in a national forum of party activists to be held in Caracas.

“This document is the base for a great social and national debate as a means of strengthening the party, forming patriotic alliances and achieving the great strategic victory of December 2012 to ensure the continuation of the democratic, pacific, and revolutionary process,” Chavez declared.

Although the governing PSUV won the vast majority of legislative seats in contention during the National Assembly elections that took place last September 26, many government supporters recognize that the margins of victory did not meet party expectations.

That realization has led to a revamping of the government’s political strategy based in what Chavez has called “constructive self-criticism” and the “3 Rs” – Revision, Rectification, and Relaunching of the PSUV’s program.

“The PSUV, more than just a political machine, should help generate the best revolutionary leaders. The party should be the vanguard of the people, it should be a political school, creating ideological principles in the transformation of the Venezuelan reality,” the Venezuelan President explained.

According to Chavez, the national debate to be held in December will serve to “apply a strategic balance to the moments that we have lived over the past few years as well as the present. We’ll be talking about the 3Rs with the leadership.”

Expanding the PSUV’s base of support has also been a priority for the party’s leadership.

Middle Class

As such, the Chavez administrationhas made a concertedeffort to reach out to membersof the country’s middle class,placing emphasis on protectinghomebuyers from predatory realestate firms who through shamcontracts have defrauded thousandsof Venezuelans.

“The middle class doesn’t haveto be the enemy of this process andthis process is not the enemy of themiddle class,” Chavez stated.

The Venezuelan President alsomentioned the importance of thestudent movement in nationalpolitics, following a national studentmarch held last Sunday insupport of the government’s educationalpolicies.

Regional Elections

In addition to preparing for the presidential race of 2012, Chavez emphasized on Monday the importance of 13 regional elections that will take place in the country this December 5.

The elections, which the Venezuelan head of state referred to as a “warm-up” for the presidential race, include 2 gubernatorial contests in the states of Guarico and Amazonia as well as 11 mayoral elections in various municipalities across the country.

According to Vice President Elías Jaua, the upcoming regional elections represent “important spaces to win and to preserve en route to the big [presidential] victory in 2012”.

During the televised broadcast, Chavez presented the 13 candidates and spoke of the need to sustain “resistance and counterattacks” against the foreign intervention emanating from the United States.

“The aggressions against Venezuela and the funding of millions of dollars to the ultra-rightwing and its destabilizing forces have already begun,” he said.