Bolivarian Revolution
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The Bolivarian Revolution is the social and political movement founded by Hugo Chávez that is based on an interpretation of the ideals of Simón Bolívar, an early 19th century Latin American Independence hero who liberated most of northern South America from Spanish rule. Hugo Chávez declared the revolution upon being elected in 1998, vowing to do away with corruption in government and to renew democracy in Venezuela. Chávez began to make sweeping reforms including putting into motion a Constitutional Congress to rewrite the old constitution. After a lengthy process, involving representation from all levels of the society, the new constitution was put to a vote and approved by 80% of the Venezuelan electorate (with a 54% abstention) It became law on March 24, 2000. The new constitution is a landmark in the history of world politics and places human and civil rights above property rights. It guarantees all Venezuelans the right to education, health, work and dignity. It also allows for the recall of elected officials by the people, as well as reforms that he hoped would greatly aid Venezuela's massive poor population.
After the 2002 coup attempt, the attempted lockout of Venezuela's oil industry, and a referendum over Chávez's leadership in 2004, in which Chávez disputedly won a landslide victory, the Revolution began to more greatly involve the Venezuelan poor. Groups of citizens began to form Bolivarian Circles in communities all over Venezuela with the purpose of pushing forward the Revolution. After the coup many in the movement, including Chávez himself, have begun advocating socialism as being the correct direction that the Bolivarian Revolution should progress in.
In 2004, a group of trade unionists occupied the Venepal paper mill, the largest supplier of paper products in Venezuela, and called for its nationalization under workers' control. Chavez expropriated the Venepal mill and nationalized it. The example of Venepal has inspired many of Chávez's supporters to call for a completely socialist planned economy. Some within Chávez's political party believe that nationalizing the economy would incur retaliation from the United States, nonetheless the Bolivarian Revolution is quickly developing into a socialist movement.
See also
External link
- Richard Gott, The Guardian, May 30 2005, Chávez leads the way (http://www.guardian.co.uk/venezuela/story/0,12716,1495371,00.html)
- Christian Parenti, The Nation, 11 April 2005, "Hugo Chávez and Petro Populism" (http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20050411&s=parenti)de:Bolivarianische Revolution