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Archive / Policy Brief

Bolivia and Venezuela: different political paths

23/03/2009 By Susanne Gratius, Laura Tedesco

J. Barreto/AFP/Getty Images

Bolivia and Venezuela have transformed their states, constitutions and democracies. Nevertheless, they are walking down different political paths. Apart from some resemblances in the ways of doing politics, the projects are not the same.

Whereas president Evo Morales is trying to reconstruct a State and to build a democratic regime which includes the indigenous population; Hugo Chávez is trying to reconstruct the Venezuelan state implementing a concentration of power in his hands, the militarization of politics, the polarization of society and a charismatic and authoritarian-populist leadership. The EU´s response should emphasize these differences rather than equal them.

 

 

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Keywords

Bolivia Conflict Democracy Democratic control EU Latin America & Caribbean Venezuela

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Bio author: Susanne Gratius

Latin America. Emerging powers. Brazil. Cuba. Venezuela. EU-Latin American relations.

Bio author: Laura Tedesco

PhD from Warwick University. She is now Visiting Professor at the Department of Political Science Department of the University Autónoma of Madrid.