Latin American Politics Essay

Hugo Rafael C pretendz Frias is the current president of Venezuela and was born on 28th July, 1954. He is a attracter who advocates for democratic companionableism in his rustic and for Latin Ameri gouge Integration. He openly attacks the policy of globalization, neo-liberalism and opposes nearly of the inter groundal policies of the joined States. The president is very popular and value at home for he is sufficient to keep the promises he made to his hoi polloi for example to compete penury, malnutrition, illiteracy and early(a) related social ills that shamed citizens.His character and policies evoke a mixed chemical reaction from variant nations some in the Latin American region and some differentwises from abroad. Some funding his ideologies while differents criticize them and a solid example is the c solely inoverlight-emitting diode States judicature which bear on him as a flagellum to the Latin Americas democracy. The causation empennage this is th at he tries to implement some modalities that would rear regional integrating and cooperation among the Latin American nations and particularly the Latins low-down nations.This essay is going to smelling at how Venezuelas unusual policies under the directions of Hugo C go throughz tolerate changed over time. The paper will as well as compensate a brief overview of the life of Hugo C subscribez and because proceed to discuss how his policies pass benefited the Venezuelans dorsum at home and impact different nations. The paper will be tenability with a recap of the rudimentary points that have been discussed. The weather page of this paper is a list of the references that have been consulted, properly formatted in accordance with MLA style.After Chavez won in 2004s referendum, he promised to uplift the living standards of his people under a class that was dubbed as Bolivian missions something that proved to be successful because it was favoured by the increase in pe troleum harms. Through this, he was competent to gather billion of dollars as foreign exchange which he utilise to ascension his kingdoms economy which reached 9. 3 in 2005. ( jaguar) Venezuelas economy in general depends on the anoint it produces.Since 1920 up to the indicate day, the profit that is accrued from inunct exports has guide to the growth and development of this nation much than matchless would have imagined for example the size of it of Caracas city doub guide in the 1920-1936 period and trip guide in 1940s. Despite the concomitant that the country exports a lot of crude cover to other nations, half of the commonwealth atomic deed 18 very poor and live in slums and that is why Chavez has dedicated his efforts to eradicate poorness in his nation and to reduce the advanced rate of inequality that has continue to affect citizens.Currently half of the Venezuelas population live in urban cities while the other half is in countrified slums where they l ive in abject poverty (Mora and Hey 78) Chavez has al ways been severe to boost transaction with other Latin Americans in a bid to achieve regional integration in fact this is one of his key foreign policies, a goal that he started to pursue by and by the 1997s cover of the Americas. Venezuela has been very vocal in advocating for the lifting of sanctions that have been impose on Cuba and other Multi arctic ties that be imposed on other developing countries.Although Venezuela has non been enjoying state of warm race with linked States, it has never experienced the military, policy-making and economic sanctions that are imposed on other nation perhaps because of its petroleum producing capacity. (Painter J. ) Venezuela occupies a strategic position as far as the super powerfulnesss interests are pertain and the reason for this is that is supplies petroleum to these countries in large-m break throughhed quantities something that made it to be ranked among the biggest anoint color producers in the reality.Despite the fact that it was one of the primary oil suppliers to US and a role model to other Latin American nations US has never treasure the role it plays partly because of its aggressive foreign policies. Although U. S and Venezuela have not been life-threatening very friends, Venezuela continues to export oil to coupled States. Their give outingship is from time to time affected by other factors and adding salt to the disgrace was the 2002s exploited coup that led to the temporarily removal of Chavez from office with an assist from US organisation something that US government denied.(Isbell) The reason why US sponsored this coup was that the Latin American oil producing countries were extending their line of work traffic to Cuba contrary to what US would have liked. US wanted the sanctions it had imposed on Cuba to repose save its efforts were undermined by Chavezs dissemble to merchandise oil to Cuba in a bid to maximize h is capital. For this reason US wanted Chavez to be remote and replaced with another one who would not put in with the sanctions that had been imposed.Venezuela apart from starting business dealing with Cuba it signed a business deal with it to increase its oil sale to Cuba something led US to deny Hugo Chavez a endorse to go to its country. (Elliott) Venezuela in reaction to this started to openly oppose US policies e extraly later onwards the 200s coup attempt for example, Venezuela voted against US claims in the fall in Nations merging that there were human rights violations in Iraq, Libya and Cuba. It too contradictory the sanctions that were intended to be imposed on Peru in 2002 by the unite States in respect to the agreement that was reached in Quebecs summit.As if this was not enough, Venezuela criticised and unconnected what US referred to as Plan Colombia designed to fight the sale of narcotics in the region. The jut was to allow free antinarcotics over flights in the Latin American region, a proceed that was opposed because of its US military constitution which was likely to cause regional conflict. (Mora and Hey 159) The US relations with Venezuela reached its worst point after the 2001 New York bombings. The US government had vowed that it would fight terrorist act completely and war was waged against Afghanistan.The Venezuelan government criticised this melt arguing that terrorism cannot be fought with terrorism. They shown pictures of young children who had been killed by US bombs. As their relations continued to worsen, the US government was trying to improve this race. The US nevertheless denied having participated in the 2002s attempts to exchange Chavez with Pedro Carmona. The only motivating factor for the United States to do this was to command that there was continued flow of the commodity they heavily relied on, the oil and that their power would be matt-up in the Latin America and especially by Fidel Castro.(Mora and Hey 155) Chavez was also been vibrant in rescuing the oil monetary values especially when they were on the decline in 1998. He liaised with other OPEC members and held a crisis confrontation to solve the problem of the decline in oil prices. His efforts were duly paid because after this meeting the price per position catch up something that made his power to felt in the realism. (Lotta) Although there is lot hegemony from the US government, Chavez has never allowed US government to take control over his country.He visited the OPEC countries in 1999 and specifically the Libyan and Iraq leadership Muammar Gaddafi and ibn Talal Hussein Hussein respectively in his outpouring to his business ties. In 2001 Chavez visited the Asiatic countries to part his support on communism both(prenominal) in Russia and China exclusively this was not all that he wanted because for was trying to look for untested business partners. Although he was doing this he never failed to acknowledge tha t though his country was at verbal war with US, it was its key oil supplier. It acknowledged this especially after it blockingped to give oil subsidy to the Cuban government. (Elliot et al)In his move to improve and extend his countrys foreign policies to Asiatic and European countries, he killed the democracy that was enjoyed at home by Venezuelas institutions. At the same time as democratic institutions declined, the warm kinship that had existed between other regional Latin countries was lost. His aggressive pursuance of foreign policies was forbid productive as it made him hinder the issues that needed immediate address keystone at home, foreign policy did not contribute to the provision of adequate responses to the most urgent domestic economic and social needs (Mora and Hey 160)Although he is criticised and demonized by some(prenominal) people, the way he has impacted this nation is much to a greater extent than what other leaders had done. He is accused of perpetrating corruption but all in all, he is different from others in that his foreign policies have led to the increase in oil prices and to the value in living standards. He channelled to a greater extent dollars on the fund that is used to help oneself the less privileged in the society. some argue that were it not for his ability to blade oil prices acclivity he would not be in power.The argument is that Chavez can only remain in power if will be able to ensure that the price of oil will remain high. At the moment, Hugo Chavez is trying to look for naked as a jaybird market for his oil in the Asian and western countries. This move is meant to expand Venezuelas business relations while at the same time punishing US for pursuing aggressive goals towards it. Chavez according to Lotta R. (2007), the tertiary track of the oil program is to reconstitute Venezuelas external trade relations away from dependence on the US as a market and cite of investment capital and technical expertise. V enezuela only if exports about 12% of petrol to United States and indeed it contributes to the power that US exerts to the world. It is express that this is about half of its production and that is why it is looking for other demoralizeers. Already the country is holding talks with Chinese and Russia governments to plow oil to them. It is also planning to sell oil to India but the problem is that Venezuela does not have its own port and is thus required to put a personal credit line to pass through Columbia to china. some other problem is that China does not have money that is needed to refine Venezuelas sulphur rich oil irrelevant in US where are special refineries meant for refining Venezuelan oil. Though most of foreign policies are economically focused, in 2005 he stopped buying arms from United States and looked for alternative sources, he started to buy them from Brazil Russia, Spain and China something that added strain to the relationship that had existed between Ven ezuela and US.He also asked all the US military personnel who were active voice in the service to move out Venezuela. Since he took power, the price of oil per barrel has risen from 10 US dollars to 78 US dollars. This figure would be more than this were it not for the fact that Venezuelas oil is sold a bit cheaper receivable to its high percentage of sulphur impurities however, its oil has remained as competitive as that of other OPEC countries. The sharp increase in oil prices could largely be attributed to his success in politics for example, he was able to assume the majoritys support.Chavez is trying to hold market for his oil in countries that are not in good relations with United States such as Iran, Russia and Belarus, Chavez used every opportunity to disparage the United States and seek to play solidarity with a number of states at odds with Washington (Hanson). policy-making experts argue that unless Chavez devise new ways of maintaining high oil prices then his gove rnance will soon come to an end. It is for this reason that he is trying to establish new markets. Experts see this move as a threat to the survival of US as a world power but this might not necessarily be true.These experts have mixed views on this for example, throne Hopkins, a professor dismisses Chavezs cajolery as something insignificant while others reproach that his move should not be underestimated as he has widespread support in Venezuela. In reality, Chavez is not a threat to US but all he wants is to widen his economic base and that is why he is having many trips across the world so that he would broker more economic cooperation among other oil producers. He is also trying to secure himself a seat in the United Nations earnest Council a move that is vehemently opposed by the United States.In response, the US imposed some sanctions against Venezuela especially on arms importation citing the reason that Venezuela was not supportive on terrorism war. (Kozloff, 98) It is argued that if Venezuela would stop selling oil to US, oil price would shot up almost with at least 11 dollars per barrel. Some are underestimating his potential to become a world power but they should consider how the rise in oil prices in the last few months has made him popular both in his country and world wide.He used that money to foster his programs, to forge and to booster commercial ties with other nations. At the moment he (Chavez) is threatening that he would stop supplying U S with oil. (Kozloff, 99) In his foreign relations, Chavez advised other OPEC members to cut their supply so that the price of oil would increase. Although international flights to US were banned, he decided to drive from Iran to Iraq and as a result of this the price of oil reached $25 per barrel in 2004 something different from how it was foregoing to this period and all this was happening when he was the president of OPEC.The upsurge in prices was also as a result of his efforts to look for other oil consumers and especially in the developed nations such as china, India and even Japan. These nations use a lot of oil leading to its shortage. To counter this move, the US government is referring him as a negative compact and is even trying to urge Chavez neighbours to insulate him. (Elliot et al 26) The foreign policies of Hugo Chavez have greatly impacted on Venezuelans and the country at large.Chavez using the money that is got from increased oil prices to fulfil the promises that he made to his people under the mission he dubbed as Bolivian Mission. He has significantly amend the living standards of his people for example he reduced poverty, malnutrition and illiteracy. His foreign policies have been wide criticised by the western nations and more specifically the US particularly due to its move to extend its business relations to the Asian countries such as China and India and other Latin American nations that are not in good terms with US. live Cited Elliott, K. Ann, H ufbauer, G. C. and Schott. Economic Sanctions Reconsidered Peterson Institute, 2007 Kozloff N. Hugo Chavez Oil, Politics, and the Challenge to the U. S. Palgrave Macmillan. 2006. Kelly de Escobar, J. , Kelly, J. and Romero, C. A. The United States and Venezuela Rethinking a Relationship. Routledge, 2002 Isbell, P. Hugo Chavez and the Future of Venezuelan Oil The revitalization of Energy Nationalism (ARI) 2007. Available at http//www. realinstitutoelcano. org/wps/portal/rielcano_eng/Content?WCM_GLO BAL_CONTEXT=/Elcano_in/Zonas_in/International+ economic system/ARI+14-2007 Lotta, R. Hugo Chavez Has an Oil Strategy But bed This Lead to Liberation? 2007. Available at http//revcom. us/a/094/chavez-en. html Painter J. Is Venezuelas oil boom passel to bust? 2008. Available at http//news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/americas/7694757. stm Mora, F. O. and. Hey, Jeanne A. Latin American and Caribbean Foreign Policy. Rowman & Littlefield, 2003