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The Role of President Hugo Chavez in Venezuela Essays

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The Role of President Hugo Chavez in Venezuela

Introduction

Venezuela is a late bloomer in regard to having complete independence and in terms of running its own democratic government. Right now, the Venezuelan people are in the midst of the same debate that has historically plagued countries all over the world; the country is torn between class lines and is another classic example of the haves versus the have-nots. Caracas is the capital and the Andes region is home to two-thirds of the population. Mestizos make up 67% of the population, with 21% descending from white Europeans (primarily Spanish and Portuguese), blacks are 10%, and Amerinds are 2%. Unfortunately, the middle class has declined by as much as 25% since the …show more content…

In support of this tumultuous political tactic, along with the upper class, were the both the Venezuelan and U.S. media, and the U.S. government; examining their interests is the key to understanding why these groups are against Chavez and what hand they played in helping an undisciplined regime coordinate the coup. Furthermore, a look at the country's economic structure, its historical political leadership, Chavez's political stances, and the role of the media will help us to understand what has led Venezuela to this point of extreme division and political chaos.

Economy

Venezuela is one of the top ten producers of oil in the world and has become dependent on the country's primary export product. Although Venezuela possesses a lot of power due to its oil production for the international market, the Venezuelan economy is drastically affected by the world market's demand and price. A common theme in Venezuelan economic development has been the call to “sow the petroleum,” meaning to use the revenues and comparative advantages that petroleum brings to support government programs and other sectors of the economy. Since oil became the nation's number one export in 1925, until international petroleum prices plummeted in 1986 (a period during most of which Venezuela was the world's leading exporter), the nation was blessed by nearly steady economic growth (Ellner 7). Any decline in global commodity prices, as in the 1990s, places the government under stress

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