Hugo Chávez calls for the formation of the fifth international during a speech before the First International Encounter of Leftist Parties in 2009. He stresses the necessity of grassroots leadership in the construction of a new type of socialism informed by the experiences of the Socialist Internationals, breaking down critically their historical evolution and presenting…
There’s a saying, «If it hadn’t been for reformism the revolution would have triumphed on a world scale.» Historically, revolutions have had to confront not only powerful imperial powers, endogenous oligarchies, and the stateless bourgeoisie but also the reformism which inevitably develops within them. It begins asymptomatically but quickly metastasizes throughout the architecture of the…
Although the current crisis in Venezuela is not, as is so often stated in the mainstream media, solely the result of corruption and mismanagement within the government, the administration of Nicolas Maduro has not managed to effectively communicate the nature of the “economic war” being waged by the traditional ruling class of the pre-Chávez Venezuela….
Throughout the revolutionary period led by Comandante Chávez, the Venezuelan state managed to control an important part of the economy in the form of state property despite the hegemony of the bourgeoisie and its forms of private property over most of the Venezuelan economy. During the planning, management, and organization of the state controlled sectors,…
In Chávez The Radical XIII, Chávez calls on his movement and government to engage in self-criticism and to welcome criticism from the people. This does not damage the revolution, he says; it strengthens it. Contrary to what some politicians from his party suggest, the revolution is not flawless, and criticism is not tantamount to opposition….
What would governing institutions look like in a just, peaceful, and democratic society? Would they be essentially the same as the current institutions, but with less corruption, less abuse of power, better representation of women, and other progressive gains? Or would they be fundamentally transformed? In Chávez The Radical XII, President Chávez says that the…
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…
