2002 Venezuelan Coup

2002 Venezuelan Coup

Hugo Chavez is an unusually firebrand leader whose snarling rhetoric has made his objective of improving the lot of his vote bank , the poor of Venezuela only more difficult . His derisive remarks about his opponents in public have contributed to the divisive political atmosphere in Venezuela . He condemns the past governments for their 'neo-liberal policies , condemns them as capitalists , corrupt and coup plotters Chavez on the other hand has implemented many measures to improve the conditions of the poor . He has challenged the maintenance of the elitist rule

where the economy only benefited the rich and business class . He initiated food subsidies for the poor , committed his government to improving literacy , public health and by his policies has challenged the corruption and greed in Venezuelan society

Hugo Chavez pro Castro views , his visit to Iraq and Libya in 2000 , his criticism of US war in Afghanistan as 'Fighting Terror with Terror ' did not United States . Chavez other snarling rhetoric has not helped relations between the two countries . Despite all of these positive and negative attributes Chavez remains immensely popular with the majority of the population in Venezuela , the poor . The previous name democratic governments were highly corrupt and only created vast gap between the rich and poor . Chavez 's argument that the political system required massive change to improve the condition of the majority won gave him landslide victory in 1998 election . Chavez and his leftist alliance parties have their vote bank among the poorest classes whose standard of living had actually fallen considerably during the previous two decades

Chavez anti US rhetoric and his socialist policies won him both friends and enemies at home and abroad . However he has managed to command widespread popular support among the masses at home . The business and elite class in Venezuela and anti US international policies , attempts to gain state control on large independent state oil company and foreign oil companies created further opposition and finally created the opportunity for the military to topple the Chavez government in 2002

This essay explores various aspects of the coup and the reasons of its failure . The theoretical framework of political science and the praetorian role of military in many countries are also explored . The political science theories are then analyzed for their application to the Venezuelan coup and its failure

Venezuelan failed coup of 2002 and US encouragement for the coup also provides us an opportunity to study how the United States policies have impacted the world and damaged the cause of democracy so vociferously advocated by the United States . Now that the Cold War is over , it was hoped that the developing countries will be able to develop true democratic system irrespective of the shade of government and United States will be a little more magnanimous in tolerating democracies that follow a path different to the free-trade , capitalist , pro-US democracies acceptable to the United States

US policies for Latin and South American countries are not affected by the War-on-Terror , Islamic...