Chávismo and Its Discontents: International Left Intellectuals Respond to Venezuelan Government’s Le
January 20, 2016
Chávismo and Its Discontents: International Left Intellectuals Respond to Venezuelan Government’s Legislative Election Setback
by Roger Harris – Chuck Kaufman
Five hours after the polls had closed, the National Electoral Council (CNE) announced a landslide victory for the opposition in Venezuela’s the National Assembly elections.
Almost immediately after, President Maduro addressed the nation accepting “these adverse results,” the worst defeat for the followers of Hugo Chávez in the 20 elections since 1998. Maduro subsequently has called for a “deep process of revision and self-criticism” in the wake of the December 6th, 2015, election.
The response of international left intellectuals has ranged from critical support to outright rejection of the socialist project in Venezuela. We argue for the importance of recognizing the overarching influence of US imperialism and for the acceptance of using the state as an instrument of popular power by the international solidarity movement.
Report from Venezuela
Reporting from Venezuela three weeks after the election, Lisa Sullivan (pers. com.) comments: “In my experience, I have witnessed a whole generation of my neighbors and friends gain access to dignified housing, free education, stable jobs with honorable wages, free health care and a sense of profound citizenship as full participants in rebuilding their country.”
More:
http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/01/20/chavismo-and-its-discontents-international-left-intellectuals-respond-to-venezuelan-governments-legislative-election-setback/
