BYU NewsNet - BYU Professor Explains Chavez

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's rise to power and hatred toward the United States was the topic of Wednesday's Kennedy Center Lecture.

In a lecture entitled "Hugo Chavez and Populism in Venezuela," Kirk A. Hawkins, an assistant professor of political science, talked about Chavez's domination of political power in Venezuela and how governments can better understand him.

Chavez was elected president of Venezuela in 1998.

"By populist ... I mean that Chavez and his movement have a particular political discourse or world view that perceives history as a cosmic struggle between good and evil," Hawkins said. "Good is the will of the people, or the natural, common interest of the citizens ... and evil is a conspiring elite that has subverted this will."

During Chavez's final campaign speech in 2006 he said the following: "Let no one forget that we are confronting the devil himself. Sunday, 3 December at the ballot box we will confront the imperialist government of the United States of North America - that is our real adversary."

When asked why Chavez called the United States "the devil himself," Hawkins said, "The populist has to seize an enemy out there; in the case of Chavez the identity of that enemy has changed over time."

At first his enemies were the traditional political parties, but due to certain activities between Venezuela and the U.S. in 2002, Chavez blamed the CIA and the U.S. and made them his enemies, Hawkins said.

Hawkins offered four recommendations for understanding populism and Chavez better.

First, "Be realistic yet sympathetic. Populism is largely home grown, rooted in problems of corruption and the rule of law. Unless outside, pluralist governments are willing and able to offer solutions, they will have to show some patience."

Second, "Promote good governance. Promotion of good governance may also provide short-term tools for responding to populist governments such as that of Chavez. Populist movements come to power as an explicit response to corruption, yet they are typically incapable of creating the kinds of institutions or attitudes required to implement the rule of law."

Third, "Be sophisticated. Populism can take a variety of forms; Chavismo is only one instance."

Fourth, "Understand the rhetorical challenge. Chavez and his supporters see themselves as enacting true democracy. This makes it difficult for the U.S. government or any other pluralist one to effectively criticize the Chavez administration on democratic procedural grounds."