Armed Forces and Politics in the Bolivarian Revolution

Abstract

The set of changes which were introduced in Venezuelan society in February 1999 with the establishment of the Bolivarian Revolution found a privileged expression in the National Armed Forces members’ way of thinking, organization and action, to the point that it significantly impacted the civil‑ military relations model Venezuela implemented during the liberal representative democratic system (1958‑1998). Currently, an emerging type of civil military relations has been established which is mainly marked, by military politicization and the military colonization of Venezuelan civil services. A critical interpretation of this process is the focus of this paper.

Keywords

• Venezuela
• Bolivarian Revolution
• Hugo Chávez
• Venezuelan National Armed Forces
• Politicization of Venezuelan National Armed Forces
• military colonization of Venezuelan civil service