VENEZUELA'S BOLIVARIAN REVOLUTION
A Modern Day Socialist Revolution - by Matthew McLean
When we speak of revolutions, and in particular socialist revolutions, we are immediately prone to discussing events like the Russian revolution of 1917 or the Paris Commune of 1871. These of course were great events, hugely significant to the movement and should be studied carefully. However, if we are to speak of revolution in the present day then we can look towards Latin America, and in particular Venezuela for a prime example of the masses taking direct control over their lives.
The left populist president Hugo Chavez was elected in 1998 in an unexpected landslide victory. Venezuela is a country rich in resources and is a large oil supplier to the United States. Yet, under capitalism the wealth of the country did not filter down to those who worked, the state run oil company was managed like a private company and it's aim was to line the pockets of managers and other such bureaucrats. Chavez promised to use the wealth and resources of Venezuela to tackle poverty, illiteracy and other problems facing the Venezuelan people. Instantly this set him on a collision course with the oligarchy that have lived so well sucking the working class dry, and of course US imperialism which correctly saw Chavez and his followers as a great threat to their interests in Latin America and worldwide.
GAINS OF THE REVOLUTION
The Venezuelan revolution is unique in a sense, the fact that an elected government has played extremely positive role acting as a catalyst for change is something that is rarely, if ever seen. Since the election of Hugo Chavez in 1998 many tremendous gains have been won for the people of Venezuela.
One million additional children have been brought into the education system, 657 new schools were built and 36,000 additional teachers hired (the education budget has more than doubled in just two years). Four universities have been created since 1998 and three million people enrolled in literacy and education programs.
2.2 hectares (5.5 million acres) of land have been distributed to 116,000 families organised in co-operatives.
Health programmes have targeted 17 million Venezuelans. With over 13,000 Cuban doctors now in Venezuela, some 1.2 million people who had originally been denied health care have been treated in health centres.
A new Bolivarian Constitution also guarantees the public ownership of Venezuela's oil and the distribution of wealth to all citizens.
THE OPPOSITION
We live in the age of imperialism, imperialism being the highest stage of capitalism. Because capitalism still exists in Venezuela, and because of the global nature of imperialism any radical left movements such as the Bolivarian revolution of Venezuela will be naturally opposed by US imperialism and the capitalist classes of Latin America who view the movement as a colossal threat to their comfortable lifestyle (at the expense of workers and indigenous peasants).
It was clear from the start that capitalism would use any means necessary to defend itself by attempting to crush the Bolivarian revolution. If President Chavez was guilty of one thing it might be that he was too soft on the right wingers and money men who financed campaigns against him through the many private television channels of the country, spreading poisonous lies and slander at every opportunity. Chavez - until very recently had relied on one single state television channel to get his message across. The fact that he maintained massive levels of support throughout this speaks words in itself.
The opposition, backed heavily by US imperialism, has tried many dirty underhand tricks to destabilise and overthrow Chavez and crush the revolution. One of the most significant was the Bosses lock outs which began around December of 2001 where major factories and workplaces were closed to the workers in an attempt to 'create' a general strike. Whilst these events took place the opposition made further plans, along with the US government to oust Chavez in a Coup d'état.
The coup was carried out following the events of April 11th 2002, when a demonstration said to be 350,000-strong was organised against the Chavez government. Since the media in Venezuela are virulently anti-Chavez, this figure is almost certainly exaggerated. Press agency reports put the real number as no more than 50,000. Government security forces and pro-Chavez militia were alleged to have fired into a crowd of unarmed anti-Chavez protesters, killing 15 and wounding 157 people. The right wing used this as an excuse to demand the resignation of President Hugo Chavez. But in fact, later reports have indicated that most of those killed were pro-Chavez demonstrators who were apparently shot by snipers on rooftops. The whole thing was a manifest provocation.
The class interests behind the coup were obvious. The head of the counter-revolutionary government was a wealthy businessman, Pedro Carmona - the chief of the bosses' association. His first action was to rescind Chavez's so-called anti-investment laws - that is, all those laws intended to defend Venezuela's interests and raise the living standards of the masses. The corrupt and rotten Venezuelan bourgeoisie is incapable of playing a progressive role. Its plans would signify putting the country and its considerable oil wealth firmly in the grasp of US imperialism. The PDVSA managers had already drawn up a plan for restoring and expanding production that could bring Venezuela 300,000 barrels per day above its OPEC quota.
DEFEAT OF THE COUP
The anger and astonishment of the Venezuelan masses and supporters of Chavez sparked immediate protests all over the country and in particular in Caracas. It wasn't long before hundreds of thousands of people had gathered outside the presidential palace demanding the return of Chavez, the Man they had democratically chosen to lead the country.
As the newly formed and self proclaimed 'government' inside grew increasingly concerned and began to argue as the wheels came off their plan, a number of soldiers inside the palace who had remained loyal to Chavez decided to take action, they arrested the feuding coup hopefuls locking most of them up in rooms inside the palace, unfortunately however Carmona and a handful of leading opposition figures managed to escape somehow. The soldiers soon appeared on the palace roof flying the Venezuelan flag to the euphoria of the masses outside. As Chavez's government ministers began to return one by one plans were made to bring the President back by helicopter from the island in which the opposition had been holding him captive. It wasn't long before joyful scenes of celebration unfolded as Chavez returned, the opposition had suffered a crushing defeat.
THE REFERENDUM
As expected, the opposition regrouped and planned their next attack. They aimed to take advantage of the democratic Bolivarian Constitution of Venezuela to collect just under two and a half million signatures which would enable them to force a presidential recall referendum. After much campaigning and controversy – it was reported that they were forging the signatures of mentally ill people and even dead people to further their cause – a referendum was granted by Chavez much to the anger and disappointment of the masses. Although their frustration soon turned to determination as the Bolivarian circles, workers community groups, trade unionists and militant students began to prepare for the election and to deliver another heavy blow to the corrupt and stubborn opposition.
On Monday 16th August 2004 the blow was delivered Chavez had won by a massive 60%. Again it was the key role of the masses that held firm the revolutionary principles and kept Venezuela on track to build a socialist society of workers and peasants democracy. Although the opposition have been battered and bruised by the masses they will not give up, and in order to safeguard the heroic gains of the revolution efforts must be stepped up to abolish capitalism and remove the remaining powers of the vultures who uphold it.
FORWARDS TO SOCIALISM
"Everyday I become more convinced, there is no doubt in my mind, and as many intellectuals have said, that it is necessary to transcend capitalism. But capitalism can't be transcended from within capitalism itself, but through socialism, true socialism, with equality and justice. But I'm also convinced that it is possible to do it under democracy, but not in the type of democracy being imposed from Washington,"
These were the words of President Hugo Chavez recently, reaffirming his growing determination to fight alongside the working classes to rid Venezuela, Latin America and ultimately the entire planet of the rotting, decaying barbaric capitalist system that has long since ran out of any usefulness to mankind as a whole.
This year has seen a much needed move towards the building of socialism with a number of nationalisations taking place in major factories such as Venepal. Moves like these are designed for workplaces to be co-run by the State and the workers and can result in much needed progress and better conditions for all. If we look at a classic example of workers control, the Zanon ceramics factory in Argentina which was originally closed down by the owners claiming it wasn't making enough profit, the plant's former workers simply occupied it themselves and went back to work. Since then the cooperative running the factory, situated in Neuqeun Province in Argentina's Patagonia region, has taken on 50 per cent more workers than was the case under the previous management and overseen a 300 per cent increase in production levels. Workers at the factory have also built a health clinic for the local community, who had waited 20 years for the government to provide such a facility.
Here we witness the magnificent benefits of workers control, but this is just a single factory. When you imagine the possibilities of having an entire country or continent ran in such a manner you will understand why the imperialists are so incredibly terrified and taking such extreme measures to attempt to defeat the revolution before it can reach a point of no return – this would see the permanent defeat of imperialism and an end to poverty and suffering on a worldwide scale. We must throw our weight behind this revolution, not only as the Venezuelan revolution but as the beginning of the worldwide revolution, the final uprising of the working classes and the realization of our dreams of socialism, freedom and liberation.
[Back To Politics/Current Affairs Section]
|
|
|