By
Alan Stewart
Hugo Chavez
and the Bolivarian Revolution:
Richard Gott,pbk, 368 pp,
Verso Books, London, 2011, £10.99.
In
1958 -a year before Castro's victory in Cuba- radical elements in the
Venezuelan military, based in Maracay, staged a revolt. There was also rioting in the capital
Caracas. When a left wing Patriotic
Junta appealed for a General Strike the dictator Marcos Perez Jiminez
resigned. But when the dust settled it
was Romulo Betancourt and his US backed Accion Democratica party that held the
reins of power.
Indeed
Venezuela soon came to be run -like neighbouring Colombia- on the basis of a
two party carve up. Under the so-called
Pact of Punto Fijo (1958) Accion Democratica had the hegemonic, dominant role
but it would alternate periodically with the Christian Democratic Party,
COPEI. Other parties, of both left and
right, would effectively be precluded from power. Many left wing Venezuelans
followed the example of the Cuban revolution, took to the hills and launched a
guerrilla insurrection that endured until the late 60's.
In
the meantime corrupt politics continued behind the democratic facade. Carlos Andres Perez in particular had a
"penchant for stealing from the state" when he was President from
1974-1979.
Perez
returned to power in 1989 and tried to restructure the economy on neo-liberal
lines. When the price of petrol rocketed
and bus fares doubled the poor, particularly those who lived in the surrounding
shanty towns, descended into the capital city for a week of
"indiscriminate looting." The
"unexpected, unorganised rebellion" spread to other towns and cities
including Maracay, Valencia, Barquisimeto, Cuidad Guyana and Merida. Several hundred were killed in the rioting
itself and in the repression that followed.
A
certain Hugo Chavez had already been organising a Bolivarian Revolutionary
Movement within the ranks of the military.
But when the 1989 "Caracazo" occured they were caught
unaware. They simply weren't ready to
seize the opportunity!
In
February 1992 however Chavez was a commanding officer of a parachute regiment
in Maracay. The planning was now coming
to fruition. Chavez say a chance to
overthrow the "corrupt politicians, improve the conditions of the poor and
chart a new course" for Venezuela. In the event his attempt to take the
Presidential Palace failed (even though the rebellion attracted wide support
elsewhere) and Chavez ended up in San Francisco de Yare jail.
But
he was out within two years. Carlos
Andres Perez was under house arrest on corruption charges. And Chavez, with his own political movement
-drawing support initially from
progressive military figures, left wing journalists and intellectuals- was able
to win a Presidential bid in 1998.
Richard
Gott explains in his newly updated book how Chavez has ruled -and been
re-elected- since on the basis of his willingness to challenge
"globalisation and neo-liberalism."
It is a riveting read.
