Bolivarian Revolution

A set of policies adopted by Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez and focused on improving living conditions of Venezuela's large population of poor people has been termed the "Bolivarian Revolution."

The name derives from Simon Bolivar (1783-1830), sometimes referred to as the George Washington of Latin America, who lead pro-independence victories over Spain in what is today Bolivia, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.

In the case of the contemporary Bolivarian Revolution, the perceived colonial power-reflected in economic power, rather than direct political control-is the United States, and for this reason Chávez has placed himself in opposition to American policies in the region, as well as in opposition to domestic policies that seem to support American economic interests in Venezuela.

At the root of the Bolivarian Revolution are social welfare policies to increase adult literacy, improve schools for poor children, and to provide rudimentary medical care for the country's population of poor, estimated to represent about 80% of all Venezuelans. As the "revolution" has progressed, Chávez has increasingly used the term "socialism" to describe his aims. Especially galling to the United States has been Chávez's close relationship to Cuban leader Fidel Castro, reflected in an arrangement under which Venezuela provides Cuba with discounted petroleum in exchange for Cuba sending doctors to help staff Chávez's social welfare program.

Who Is Hugo Chávez

Hugo Chávez (b. July 28, 1954) is a former army colonel who was elected president of Venezuela in 1998 with 56% of the popular vote. His reputation had been earlier tarnished by his leadership of a failed military coup in 1992.

Chávez graduated from a Venezuelan military academy as a second lieutenant in 1975 and became a paratrooper. He also took political science courses at Simon Bolivar University in Caracas.

As punishment for his role in the failed 1992 coup Chávez was imprisoned and barred from any political role. But in 1994, responding to popular agitation, then-President Rafael Caldera pardoned Chávez. Upon his release Chávez organized the Fifth Republic Movement with other army officers and four years later campaigned for president on a platform of radical reform of Venezuela's economy and society. At the heart of his campaign was adoption of a new constitution aimed, Chávez said, at rooting out endemic corruption. Partly because of his platform and partly because of his background in the failed 1992 coup, some observers mistrusted him (and still mistrust him) as an ambitious army officer who could not be trusted to perpetuate democratic rule in Venezuela.

Nevertheless, after his election in 1998 Chávez drafted a new constitution-which he called the Bolivarian Constitution--and submitted it to a popular referendum in December 1999, the first time a Venezuelan constitution had been submitted to a vote. It passed overwhelmingly (71.8% 'yes' vote).

Among the newly introduced provisions of the Bolivarian constitution were guarantees of human rights that include free education, free quality health care, a clean environment, and the right of indigenous people to practice their traditional cultures, religion, and language. The new constitution also declared the new name of the country to be Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela-a symbolic change (from just Republic of Venezuela) suggesting a new round of "independence" for Venezuela from U.S. economic domination.

In the summer of 1999, six months before the new constitution was adopted, the popularly-elected Constitutional Assembly established a "judicial emergency provision" that led to dismissal of 190 judges for "corruption" without participation of the legislature. Similarly, a "legislative emergency" was declared and a small committee took over the function of the legislature. Chávez's opponents charged that the new president was acting to violate the separation of powers as a step toward excessive presidential power.

The new constitution was hardly without controversy. One provision consolidated the legislature into a single body (from two houses), and limited its powers. Another provision required judges to undergo public examinations, rather than simply be appointed by the legislature as before. The constitution also established a new office, the Public Defender, with the authority to check the powers of the president. Nevertheless, critics of the Bolivarian Revolution objected that the new constitution expanded the power of the president at the expense of the legislature and judiciary.

Essential Positions

As expressed in the new constitution and in subsequent legislation, the Bolivarian Revolution comprises six essential policies:

• Venezuelan control over its economy and politics without foreign interference-meaning interference by the United States.
• Grassroots political participation in referenda on essential issues-presented as a blow against political domination by the country's economic elite.
• Economic self-sufficiency in key sectors such as food and consumer products-a blow against the hemispheric free trade zone favored by the United States.
• Equitable distribution of oil revenues, which are diverted to funding basic social welfare programs such as education and medical care for the country's large population of poor.
• Elimination of government corruption.
• An ethic of patriotic service.

A centerpiece of Chávez's Bolivarian Revolution has been strong criticism of American policies in Latin America, which Chávez describes as supporting the interests of the United States and of a narrow band of wealthy property-owners against the interests of the poor, especially the population of indigenous peoples.

Coup & Recall

On April 11, 2002, opponents of Chávez undertook a military coup that resulted in the arrest of Chávez and installation of a businessman as president. The coup was short-lived; many elements of the military refused to support the new president and the coup sparked a popular uprising (also described as riots) that the Caracas police could not control. Within 48 hours Chávez had been restored to power-but not before the United States had acknowledged the temporary government. (The U.S. condemned the coup after Chávez had been restored to power, suggesting to some critics that the Bush administration had a hand in the attempted overthrow of Chávez-an accusation strongly supported by Chávez himself.)

A second effort to remove Chávez from power occurred two years later, following provisions in the 1999 constitution for a recall election mid-way through the president's term. A recall vote took place on Aug. 15, 2004, largely reflecting continuing tensions created by Chávez's restructuring of Venezuela's political structure. Chávez won the recall vote with almost 60% of the vote, a result ratified by an international team of observers headed by former President Jimmy Carter.

The net effect of the coup and the recall was to reinforce Chávez as the popular choice for president.

Influence in Latin America

The term "Bolivarian Revolution" was deliberately chosen to cast the reforms advocated by Chávez in the larger context of Latin American independence from American influence, both economic and political.

A year after Chávez's victory in the recall election, the implications of this broader appeal of his revolution became clear in two events: a Western Hemisphere economic summit held in Mar del Plata, Argentina, and the presidential election in Bolivia.

In Argentina the main topic of the November 2005 economic summit was the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas, a sort of "common market" favored by the United States and intended to include the entire Western Hemisphere except Cuba. The plan was strongly opposed by Chávez. Sometimes violent demonstrations were held near where the heads of state were meeting, with particular emphasis on protesting the policies of President Bush. Chávez, on the other hand, was popular among the demonstrators-partly for his frequent references to Bush as "Mr. Danger" and to the "American empire." The economic summit ended without agreement on advancing the Free Trade Area and the summit was widely viewed as an embarrassing defeat for Bush and a victory for Chávez.

A month later, in December 2005, a leftist candidate for president of Bolivia, Evo Morales, was elected on a platform that included, among other provisions, legalization of coca growing (strongly opposed by the United States) and economic reforms similar to those in Venezuela under Chávez. The victory of Morales, candidate of the Movement Toward Socialism party, suggested to some observers that the principals of the "Bolivarian Revolution" had spread to a second country. Like Venezuela, Bolivia has a large majority of poor citizens dominated by a small, wealthy elite. And like Venezuela, economic divisions in Bolivia also reflect ethnic differences between the large majority of indigenous peoples who are economically subjugated by a minority of citizens of Spanish ancestry Morales himself is from an indigenous people and received overwhelming support from this part of the population.

On Jan. 3, 2006, Morales visited Chávez in Caracas after first visiting Fidel Castro in Cuba. At their meeting Chávez referred to himself, Morales, and Castro as the "axis of good," a jab at Bush's "axis of evil" to describe Iraq, Iran, and North Korea. Chávez also promised to supply Bolivia with diesel fuel to help the impoverished nation's economy. Morales was also expected to seek Venezuelan help in exploiting its large deposits of natural gas, a potential source of significant foreign income.

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On the Web

Constitution of Venezuela (unofficial translation).