Hugo Chavez , livre ebook

Hugo Chávez
Revolutionary Lives
Series Editors: Sarah Irving, University of Edinburgh; Professor Paul Le Blanc, La Roche College, Pittsburgh
Revolutionary Lives is a series of short, critical biographies of radical figures from throughout history. The books are sympathetic but not sycophantic, and the intention is to present a balanced and, where necessary, critical evaluation of the individual’s place in their political field, putting their actions and achievements in context and exploring issues raised by their lives, such as the use or rejection of violence, nationalism, or gender in political activism. While individuals are the subject of the books, their personal lives are dealt with lightly except insofar as they mesh with political concerns. The focus is on the contribution these revolutionaries made to history, an examination of how far they achieved their aims in improving the lives of the oppressed and exploited, and how they can continue to be an inspiration for many today.
Also available:
Salvador Allende: Revolutionary Democrat Victor Figueroa Clark
Leila Khaled: Icon of Palestinian Liberation Sarah Irving
Jean Paul Marat: Tribune of the French Revolution Clifford D. Conner
Sylvia Pankhurst: Suffragette, Socialist and Scourge of Empire Katherine Connelly
Ellen Wilkinson: From Red Suffragist to Government Minister Paula Bartley
Gerrard Winstanley: The Digger’s Life and Legacy John Gurney
www.revolutionarylives.co.uk
Hugo Chávez
Socialist for the Twenty-first Century
Mike Gonzalez
First published 2014 by Pluto Press 345 Archway Road, London N6 5AA
www.plutobooks.com
Distributed in the United States of America exclusively by Palgrave Macmillan, a division of St. Martin’s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
Copyright © Mike Gonzalez 2014
The right of Mike Gonzalez to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN    978 0 7453 3466 0    Hardback ISBN    978 0 7453 3465 3    Paperback ISBN    978 1 7837 1029 4    PDF eBook ISBN    978 1 7837 1031 7    Kindle eBook ISBN    978 1 7837 1030 0    EPUB eBook
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data applied for
 
 
 
 
 
This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental standards of the country of origin.
 
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Typeset from disk by Stanford DTP Services, Northampton, England Text design by Melanie Patrick Simultaneously printed digitally by CPI Antony Rowe, Chippenham, UK and Edwards Bros in the United States of America
For Nella With my love my thanks and my admiration
Contents
List of Illustrations
Glossary
Timeline
Introduction: A Man for Difficult Times
1 .
The Plainsman
2 .
The Dream of Simón Bolívar
3 .
From Insurrection to Election
4 .
Episodes in the Class War
5 .
The Bolivarian Revolution Advances
6 .
The Contradictions of Twenty-first-century Socialism
7 .
The Legacy of Hugo Chávez
Notes
Index
List of Illustrations
1.1
Hugo Chávez
2.1
Chávez entering military academy
3.1
3D reconstruction of the face of Bolívar, ‘The Liberator’
4.1
Chávez in prison
5.1
Chávez addresses the crowd from the balcony at Miraflores, the presidential palace
6.1
Chávez during the literacy campaign – the Misión Robinson
7.1
Chávez at an advanced stage of his illness
8.1
Public grief at Chávez’s death
Glossary
AD
Acción Democrática – A social democratic party founded in 1941 by Rómulo Betancourt among others, originally to support the Presidential candidacy of Rómulo Gallegos.
ALBA
The Bolivian Alternative for Latin America. An organisation for Latin American integration formed by Venezuela and Cuba in 2004.
Bandera Roja
Red Flag – formed in 1970 after splitting from MIR, it was a hard line Marxist-Leninist guerrilla group. It joined with the right wing opposition to Chávez and is currently part of the right-wing anti Chávez opposition coalition.
Cantv
Venezuelan Telephone Company.
Causa R
Radical Cause, a radical party formed in 1971 by Alfredo Maneiro after he split from the Communist Party. Influential particularly among trade unionists in industry in Guayana. It later divided over question of support for Chávez. Pro Chávez elements formed PPT.
Celac
Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, and including 33 states excluding Canada, the US and French and Dutch colonies. Formed in 2011.
Coordinadora Democrática
Democratic Coordinating Committee.
COPEI
Christian Democratic Party, founded 1946 by Rafael Caldera.
CTV
Venezuelan Trade Union Congress, led by Carlos Ortega who played a leading role in the coup against Chávez.
FALN
Armed Forces of National Liberation – Guerrilla organisation formed in 1962. After his split from the Communist Party Douglas Bravo became its acknowledged leader.
Fedecámaras
Federation of Chambers of Commerce (National Employers Federation).
FBT
Bolivarian Labour Front, formed to replace the CTV under Chávez, led by Marcela Maspero and Franklin Rondon.
MAS
Movement Toward Socialism – a split from the Communist Party led by ex-guerrilla Teodoro Petkoff, later to split over its attitude to Chávez.
MBR-200
Bolivarian Revolutionary Movement – clandestine group within the army formed by Chávez and three others.
Mercosur
Common Market for Latin America.
MIR
Movement of the Revolutionary Left – split from AD in 1960 and merged with MAS in 1988, after several splits of its own.
MUD
Democratic Unity Roundtable, political alliance formed in 2008 to bring together opposition to Chávez.
MVR
Movement of the Fifth Republic – Political organisation formed by Chávez and allies for the 1998 elections.
OPEC (OPEP in Spanish)
Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries formed in 1960.
PCV
Venezuelan Communist Party – founded in 1931, the party has suffered a number of splits. In 1998 it joined the Polo Patriótico to support Chávez in the presidential election. It became estranged from him after the formation of PSUV.
Pdvsa
Venezuelan National Oil Corporation.
Polo
Patriótico Patriotic Pole – Electoral coalition formed to support Chávez’s candidacy in 1998.
PPT
Patria Para Todos – A nation for all. Split from Causa R in 1998 over support for Chávez’s presidential bid. Included Alí Rodríguez Araque, Aristóbulo Istúriz and others.
PRV
Party of the Venezuelan Revolution – formed by Douglas Bravo after his expulsion from the Venezuelan Communist Party in 1966.
PSUV
United Socialist Party of Venezuela – formed by Chávez after his re-election in December 2006.
RCTV
Radio Caracas TV – television and radio broadcaster.
Unasur
Latin American intergovernmental union formed in 2008 merging Mercosur and the Andean Commercial Union (CAN). Its headquarters are in Ecuador.
UNT
National Labour Union – formed originally in 2003 by a group of left organisations. Its first Congress, in April 2007, was disrupted and UNT subsequently split.
URD
Radical Democratic Union – a small radical party it was in alliance with AD after the overthrow of Pérez Jiménez in 1958. It split from AD in 1960 over its attitude to Cuba. Its leader Fabricio Ojeda later joined the guerrillas.
Timeline
1783
Birth of Simón Bolívar in Caracas.
1786
After his mother’s death, Bolívar is entrusted to the care of his black maid, La Negra Hipólita, and various tutors, the most important and influential of whom was Simón Rodríguez, alias ‘Robinson’.
1807
Bolívar returns to Venezuela from Europe.
1811
Venezuelan Independence Act passed.
1812
( March ) Caracas earthquake. ( June ) Battle of Carabobo between independence fighters, led by Bolívar, and Royalist forces. Bolívar is victorious.
1813
Bolívar launches his ‘Admirable Campaign’.
1821
State of Gran Colombia created with Bolívar as president.
1824
Battle of Ayacucho at which General Sucre inflicts a definitive defeat on the Spanish armies.
1830
( April ) Bolívar resigns as president of Gran Colombia. ( December ) Death of Bolívar from tuberculosis in Santa Marta, Colombia.
1912
First Venezuelan oil well drilled near Maracaibo.
1908–35
Dictatorship of Juan Vicente Gómez.
1948
Brief (ten months) presidency of Rómulo Gallegos.
1952
Marcos Pérez Jiménez takes power in a military coup.
1954
Hugo Chávez Frías born in Sabaneta, Barinas province, Venezuela.
1958
( January ) Marcos Pérez Jiménez overthrown by a mass insurrection. ( December ) Rómulo Betancourt of Acción Democrática elected to the presidency.
1959
Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro triumphs.
1971
Chávez enters Military Academy.
1973
( September ) Salvador Allende, head of Chile’s Popular Unity government, is overthrown in a military coup led by Augusto Pinochet. Allende is killed. ( October ) Oil price rise as a result of the Arab–Israeli War.
1974
150th anniversary of the battle of Ayacucho. Chávez visits Peru.
1975
Chávez graduates from the Military Academy.
1976
Military dictatorship established in Argentina.
1979
( July ) Nicaraguan revolution led by the Sandinistas ends the Somoza dictatorship.
1983
Military dictatorship in Argentina falls in the wake of the Falklands/Malvinas conflict.
1989
Carlos Andrés Pérez elected to the Presidency. Caracazo (a wave of protests) begins after the announcement of austerity measures.
1992
( February ) Coup led by Hugo Chávez. It fails and he is arrested. ( November ) Attempted coup led by Admiral Grueber and Air Force General Visconti.
1994
Chávez released from prison.
1996
Carlos Andrés Pérez imprisoned after being convicted on fraud charges.
1998
( December ) Hugo Chávez Frias elected to the Presidency of Venez