Bolivarien : un adjectif porteur de mémoire ? Du souvenir à l’oubli du Libertador

Abstract

Does the adjective bolivariano, derived from the proper name Simón Bolívar, carry a memory connected to this great name? This adjective is ambiguous—due to its morphology—and President Hugo Chávez uses it abundantly, which allows him to mobilize the positive values that are associated in the collective memory with this mythical figure. Then, when circulating within the Venezuelan press, the adjective bolivariano retains traces of these usages and takes on a new meaning, becoming associated with the figure of Hugo Chávez from then on.

Keywords

• Venezuelan political speech
• adjective bolivariano
• proper name
• collective memory
• dys-memory