The debate between reformism and revolution is longstanding in Latin America. In Chávez The Radical V, Chávez places himself unequivocally in the revolutionary camp. Capitalism – the source of Venezuela’s oil dependence, class inequality, and subordination to foreign financial centers – must not merely be tamed or checked with regulations; it must be fully replaced…
In this video, Chávez states that negotiating with the capitalist opposition is futile. The interests of capitalists and socialists cannot be balanced indefinitely; eventually one side must prevail. This struggle between oppressors and the oppressed has defined the course of human history, he explains. From Jesus Christ to Karl Marx to Venezuela’s own independence leader…
Defenders of capitalism use fear tactics to convince people that socialism will hurt them. Corporate media outlets grimly warn that domineering socialist bureaucrats will snatch homes, confiscate possessions, and restrain innovation and technological progress. In Chávez The Radical XI, President Chávez exposes the falsehood of these claims and explains that socialism will bring common ownership…
Chávez sought a new economic path on which Venezuela would overcome two economic legacies: domination by the capitalist oligarchy internally, and oil dependence linked to imperialism externally. In Chávez The Radical I, he proposes a state company to manage all exports, imports, and currency exchange. This policy would help reduce the power of domestic capitalists…
Chávez The Radical III calls on Venezuelans to continue their historical legacy of rebellion against oligarchic rule. Chávez highlights the active role played by enslaved and oppressed Venezuelans in nineteenth-century liberation struggles, from the fight against Spanish rule to the landless peasants’ rebellion. Taking up arms – rifles, machetes, farm tools, or any other weapon…
Defenders of the status quo cast radicals as naive dreamers, anti-social disruptors, or even irrational extremists – anything to discredit and derail radical movements for change. In reality, radicalism is about digging to the root of things and finding their essential nature. The dominant classes seek to obscure the roots of their illegitimate privilege because…
In Chávez The Radical VIII, President Chávez recounts the incalculable damage wrought by the oil industry sabotage and military coup of 2002. That coup was facilitated by a practice we continue to see today: the deliberate manipulation of images by the corporate media to create the illusion that pro-Chávez demonstrators were firing upon peaceful opposition…
In Chávez The Radical VII, President Chávez reiterates his assertion that the Bolivarian Revolution is feminist. This declaration does not mean that the oppression of women has been eradicated from Venezuela; it highlights that the revolution has advanced gender equality in several concrete ways, while reinvigorating dialogue about the ways that sexism persists in Venezuelan…
Last Sunday, Venezuelans initiated the process of rewriting their constitution through democratically elected representatives. The final document will be subject to a nation-wide up or down vote. This process, enshrined in the 1999 constitution written after Chavez was elected, virtually unparalleled in democracies worldwide, presents an opportunity for the Venezuelan people to breathe life into…
Venezuelans will soon democratically elect an assembly to re-write their constitution. Although the mainstream media cast it as a political ploy, the referendum holds the potential to re-energize political participation and open avenues for social movements to contribute to a dialogue on how to resolve the current crisis, at a time when polls show three…
