Public Policy and Governance

Misunderstanding Hugo? Reading Chávez from Álvaro Uribe’s Colombia

Sep 18, 2008 | International Relations, Venezuela

On January 10, 2007, heads of state from all over the world attended the inauguration of Daniel Ortega as president of Nicaragua. As usual, photographs of the event found their way into the international pages of the world’s press. A particularly striking photo shows Hugo Chávez whispering conspiratorially with fellow presidents Evo Morales of Bolivia and Rafael Correa of Ecuador. Chávez, resplendent in red shirt and black slacks, is …

A “Revolutionary Process” Unfolds: In the Absence of a Well Defined Plan

Sep 17, 2008 | Venezuela

What do you think of Hugo Chávez? Are you for or against him? Venezuelans inevitably confront these questions when we travel or meet people unfamiliar with our ideas. Unless one stands at one of the two opposite poles dominating political life in Venezuela during this last decade, it is hard to answer them. A generalized Manichean mind-set tends to push and flatten every position towards the extreme ends and nuanced views …

After the Referendum: Reading the Defeat

Sep 17, 2008 | Democracy and 21st Century Socialism, Venezuela

English + Español
On December 2, 2007, Venezuela voters rejected President Hugo Chávez’s proposed constitutional reform. That reform, broadened by the National Assembly to encompass a total of 69 articles, would have led Venezuelan society at an accelerated pace towards “socialism of the 21st century.” With 94% of the results reported, the National Electoral Council’s second bulletin announced that slightly more than half …

Chávez’s Venezuela: A New Magical State?

Sep 16, 2008 | Venezuela

What do you think of Hugo Chávez? Are you for or against him? Venezuelans inevitably confront these questions when we travel or meet people unfamiliar with our ideas. Unless one stands at one of the two opposite poles dominating political life in Venezuela during this last decade, it is hard to answer them. A generalized Manichean mind-set tends to push and flatten every position towards the extreme ends and nuanced views …

Differential Disasters

Dec 30, 2007 | Hurricanes of History, Natural Disasters: Coping with Calamity

Every Puerto Rican knows this plena and can sing its chorus, and on that island where from July to October everyone frequently checks the weather reports and looks to the sky, the song…

Theme: Public Policy and Governance

Misunderstanding Hugo? Reading Chávez from Álvaro Uribe’s Colombia

A “Revolutionary Process” Unfolds: In the Absence of a Well Defined Plan

After the Referendum: Reading the Defeat

Chávez’s Venezuela: A New Magical State?

Differential Disasters