The Revolutionary Communist Group (RCG) and our newspaper Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! (FRFI) have been covering and supporting the process in Venezuela for over a decade. Follow the links to previous articles to learn more about the history of the Bolivarian revolution.
In April 2002 the US backed opposition staged a failed coup against Chavez who was exiled for 48 hours. Due to the loyalty of the base of the armed forces and mass popular action on the streets, the coup was defeated.
The failed 2002 coup was followed by economic sabotage by the bosses of the oil industry in the oil ‘lock outs’ of 2003. This attempt at economic disruption was also defeated thanks to the revolutionary action of workers who bypassed their bosses and restarted oil production.
Hugo Chavez was elected under the movement for the fifth republic (MVR) a broad coalition of various groups and organisations. In 2007 Hugo Chavez began to form these groups into the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) provoking a lot of debate and discussion.
In 2007 Chavez began a referendum on the constitution agreed in 1999 following governmental and popular proposals aiming towards the replacement of the bourgeois state with the communal state and removing the restrictions on re-electing presidential candidates. Analysis of the reform proposals can be found here.
Following widely distributed propaganda from the opposition, the referendum was narrowly defeated, reflecting political uncertainty and the fact that the proposal contained too wide a variety of issues in each block
In 2009, parts of the original referendum were broken down and voted on again, including the removal of restrictions on the re-election of presidential candidates which was passed with 55% in favour.
2009 and 2010 saw a string of nationalisations of banks and primary industries sparking debates and struggles for workers control.
The creation of ALBA-the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas in 2004 has influenced struggles and movements across the continent, promoting regional integration and undermining the US dominated Organisation of the American States
In 2012, the current presidential election is gathering pace and has been marked by media manipulation and political violence on the part of the opposition MUD coalition and their candidate
