The scientists of the IVIC in the evolution of science and technology policy during the Chávez administration in Venezuela

Abstract

Hugo Chávez’s assumption of the presidency in late 1999 brought about major institutional change in Venezuela, and in its science and technology. Some authors speak of a breakage of the scientific community’s “social contract” with the state through the inroads of a new political bias or politicization, and of a replacement of decision-making among the scientific community traditionally responsible for the direction of science and technology policy (STP) – in which the scientific community of the Venezuelan Institute of Scientific Research (IVIC) had been a historically influential, not to say dominant, actor – by other actors of Venezuelan society. This study aims to elucidate the changes occurring in the Chávez administration’s STP and, especially, in the role played by one of its actors – the scientific community of the IVIC – while identifying the political actions of the key actors responsible for that policy and highlighting the power they wielded, gained, or lost over its development.

Keywords

• scientific and technological policy (stp) of hugo chávez
• venezuelan scientific community
• ivic
• science and power
• science and policy