Hugo Chávez, a charismatic leader of the populist movement in Venezuela, inspired by

the ideas of Simon Bolivar, proclaimed himself “an interpreter of the Venezuelan peoples’
demands,” and in 1998 with his entry for the presidency, he started the Bolivarian Revolution,
the purpose of which was the proclamation of “twenty-first-century socialism”. Came to power
as a result of the support of the poor disappointed the liberal democracy, Chávez wanted to
construct “a system that he calls participatory democracy” and an economy based less on the
competition of the market, and more on relations of solidarity.
For this purpose, Chaves gradually dissolved the old government, wrote a new
constitution, and established new institutions of the legislative branch. Furthermore, he
strengthened state control over the most profitable spheres of Venezuela’s economy – the oil and
gas industry – in order to increase the expenditures on the array of social programs. Hugo
Chávez was re-elected three times: in 2000, 2006, and 2012, and after his death in 2013 Vice-
President Nicolas Maduro became a new president. Despite the fact that some people believe that
Chávez used populism to concentrate power in his hands, it is undeniable that the era of his
populist presidency is marked by a significant improvement in the living conditions of the poor
sectors of Venezuelan society.
On the whole, the key to the concept of Chavez's populism is the “antagonistic duality
between a virtuous ‘people’ and an incorrigibly venal and elite”. From the very beginning of his
political career, Chávez employed these populist means to gain support and govern the
Venezuelan nation.
Populist features; type of populism.
Hugo Chavez was a prominent figure in the left-wing political movement. This political
ideology combines left-wing politics with populist rhetoric and themes. Its rhetoric often
includes elements of anti-elitism, opposition to the Establishment, and speaking for the "common
people". Recurring themes for left-wing populists include economic democracy and social
justice.
Why Did Venezuelans Elect Hugo Chavez President?
In 1992, there were two coup d’états against the Pérez government. The first was led by
Hugo Chávez, which brought him to the forefront of the public consciousness and won him
popularity as someone who was willing to stand up against a government that was seen as
corrupt and not taking care of the Venezuelan people.
Finally, Chávez became the face of opposition to Venezuela’s traditional two-party
system – which was seen by many people to have failed.
All in all, this system involved the Acción Democrática and COPEI, with all of the
presidents prior to Chávez in the democratic era having been a member of one of the two.
«A lot of people felt as though these political parties had abandoned them, that they were
not looking out for the common Venezuelan, and they looked to Chávez as an alternative»
Lastly, in December 1998, Chávez got elected president.
As a consequence, what he brought to the Venezuelan people was the idea that a new
constitution could be written that would do away with the privileges that the political parties had
previously been afforded, and also do away with the privileged positions that the church had had
in Venezuelan society.
 Instead, he would bring in a socialist type government and a military that participated in
the Venezuelan process. And people had high hopes.
They believed that finally they had a president who was going to look for solutions to the
questions of, “How can I help the poor?”, “How can I help the indigenous groups?” etc. So, after
attempting a coup, Chávez ultimately got brought to power by the democratic process.
Advantages of Populism in Chávez Era
Due to Chávez’s populist policy, the economic and social conditions of Venezuela have
improved significantly. In contrast to his political predecessors that “have squandered the
country’s oil wealth through poor management and endemic corruption”, Chávez employed all
the favorable economic factors in order to improve the living conditions of the poor.
Therefore, the spike in oil prices between 2004 and 2008 fueled a high rate of economic
growth in the country. Moreover, such economic boom contributed to the strengthening of state
control over the oil industry that met the main goal of the Bolivarian Revolution, which
consisted in the nationalization of the country’s resources for future investment of social
programs. As a result, President Chávez implemented an array of approximately 25 social
missions in spheres of education, healthcare, environment, culture, and housing, “as well as
targeted programs for indigenous rights and services for street children, adolescents, and mothers
at risk”.
According to the statistics, as a result of the investment of oil resources in the social
sphere, the poverty rate in Venezuela has decreased almost twice, from 48% in 2002 to 25% in
2012.
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However, during his presidency, the accumulation of power in the executive branch and
the erosion of human rights guarantees enabled his government to intimidate, censor, and
prosecute Venezuelans who criticized the president or thwarted his political agenda. To sum up,
president Chávez and his supporters used their powers in a wide range of cases involving the
judiciary, the media, and human rights defenders. Prison violence and police abuse remain
serious problems.
On balance:
In conclusion, Hugo Chávez came to power, inspired by the ideas of populism, and
throughout his career constantly developed his political thought, concluding that “the only way
to save the world is through socialism”. Thus, he proclaimed the “twenty-first-century
socialism”, in which Venezuela has nationalized oil and gas industries, strengthening the
country’s economy, as well as improving the social sphere. Chávez was re-elected three times,
and after his death, the economic mismanagement of the new government has led to an economic
and political crisis. All these factors speak in favor of Chávez’s regime and justify the populist
measures to which he resorted in order to achieve better living conditions for the poor.