AN ANALYSIS OF THE VENEZUELAN POLITICAL-ECONOMIC PROCESS OF THE BOLIVARIAN GOVERNMENT OF HUGO CHÁVEZ (1999-2013)
Bolivarian Revolution; Block in power; Classes and fractions of classes; Socialism of the 21st Century; Venezuela.
The purpose of this study is to analyze the Venezuelan political process known as the Bolivarian Revolution and, through it, to evaluate the Bolivarian government of Hugo Chávez (1999-2013). From this perspective, this study provides an overview of Venezuelan history before Hugo Chávez reached power, analyzing the main moments that were important until his arrival in the government: "Pacto de Punto Fijo" and "Caracazo". This research tries to understand, through a qualitative and bibliographical analysis, the articulations between the different fractions of classes in the power block that expresses the government of Hugo Chávez, since these articulations generate specific effects in the State apparatus and public policies - especially in social policies. The analysis of the power bloc is based on two hypotheses, which are related to each other. These are seen in the context of the deepening of the capitalist world crisis - since 2008 - and the consequences of falling commodity prices, which affected the main source of Venezuelan income: oil. The first hypothesis is that Venezuela would be facing a "boliburguesia". In this, we defend the idea that the Venezuelan government could be Bonapartist or Cesarean. The second hypothesis is that there is no road to socialism in Chavista Venezuela because private bourgeois property is not questioned. Thus, we consider that this research is based on an analysis of the bloc in power during the Chávez administration, which allows us to identify elements based on economic aspects established in Venezuela, which are not only internal but also external.