This authoritative book offers a comprehensive assessment of contemporary Venezuela. Analyzing the multifaceted phenomenon of Hugo Chavez, leading scholars move beyond his flamboyant style to focus on the concerns of popular social and political movements. The book challenges the misleading notions that for several decades glorified Venezuelan "exceptionalism" and minimized the role of important actors. After setting the historical and socio-economic contexts, the contributors explore racial issues, social and labor movements, electoral politics, economic and oil policy, and United States support for the Venezuelan opposition. Underscoring the complexity of Chavez and his popularity, the book highlights the need to avoid simplistic assessments of the past and present and offers a clear-eyed understanding of Venezuelan reality today. Contributions by: Christopher I. Clement, Steve Ellner, Maria Pilar Garcia Guadilla, Daniel Hellinger, Jesus Maria Herrera Salas, Edgardo Lander, Dick Parker, Miguel Tinker Salas, and Cristobal Valencia Ramirez

About the Author
Steve Ellner is professor at the Universidad de Oriente, Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela. Miguel Tinker Salas is Arango Professor of Latin American History and Chicano/a studies at Pomona College.

Reviews
The authors of this edited volume provide a generally positive portrayal of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez and the reforms he has introduced since he was first elected in 1998. Recommended. * CHOICE *
The sociology and history in the book are . . . illuminating. -- George Philip * Journal of Latin American Studies *
Steve Ellner and Miguel Tinker Salas meet the need for a measured and accessible synthesis of the arguments around the decline of Venezuelan 'exceptional' democracy and the concomitant rise and presidency of Hugo Chavez. . . . The contributions are all of high quality. . . . Achieves its goal of introducing contemporary Venezuela to a student audience. . . . The volume successfully stimulates discussion and covers relevant topics at an accessible level for today's universities, colleges, and schools, while it is also more widely valuable to the inquiring general public. * Estudios Interdisciplinarios De America Latina Y El Caribe *
Steve Ellner and Miguel Tinker Salas meet the need for a measured and accessible synthesis of the arguments around the decline of Venezuelan 'exceptional' democracy and the concomitant rise and presidency of Hugo Chavez. . . . The contributions are all of high quality. . . . Achieves its goal of introducing contemporary Venezuela to a student audience. . . . The volume successfully stimulates discussion and covers relevant topics at an accessible level for today's universities, colleges, and schools, while it is also more widely valuable to the inquiring general public. -- Michael Derham * Hispanic American Historical Review *
With the rise and presidency of Hugo Chavez, Ellner finds himself uniquely positioned to commentate on and explain the drivers of contemporary change and political evolution in Venezuela, where he has lived for over 30 years. Unlike many of those currently writing on the country and its president, he brings an objective and informed perspective, one that transcends subjective accounts and the current polarization of assessments. More importantly, his writing and explanatory frameworks are accessible and engaging, making his latest book both an excellent introduction for those bewildered and new to the Chavez phenomenon and also an invaluable read for long-term observers of Venezuela and the South American region more broadly. * Bulletin of Latin American Research *
An excellent overview of the collapse of Venezuelan democracy, the rise of Hugo Chavez, and what Venezuela looks like under Chavez. -- Judith Ewell, The College of William and Mary



Book Information
ISBN 9780742554566
Author Steve Ellner
Format Paperback
Page Count 236
Imprint Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Publisher Rowman & Littlefield
Weight(grams) 349g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 155mm * 19mm