Research Catalog

Title

Dismantling democracy in Venezuela : the Ch́ávez authoritarian experiment / Allan R. Brewer-Carías.

Author

Brewer Carías, Allan-Randolph.

Publication

New York : Cambridge University Press, 2010.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

xiv, 418 p.; 24 cm.

Summary

• "Examines the process of dismantling the democratic institutions and protections in Venezuela under the Hugo Chávez regime. The actions of the Chávez government have influenced similar processes and undemocratic manoeuvrings in Ecuador, Bolivia, and Honduras. Since the election of Hugo Chávez as president of Venezuela in 1998, a sinister form of nationalistic authoritarianism has arisen at the expense of long-established democratic standards. During the past decade, the 1999 Venezuelan Constitution has been systematically attacked by all branches of the Chávez government, particularly by the Supreme Tribunal of Justice, which has legitimized the Chávez-ordered constitutional violations. The Chávez regime has purposely defrauded the Constitution and severely restricted representative government, all in the name of a supposedly participatory democracy controlled by a popularly supported central government. This volume illustrates how an authoritarian, nondemocratic government has been established in Venezuela"--Provided by publisher.
• "This book examines the process of dismantling the democratic institutions and protections in Venezuela under the Hugo Ch̀vez regime. The actions of the Ch̀vez government have influenced similar processes and undemocratic maneuverings in Ecuador, Bolivia, and Honduras. Since the election of Hugo Ch̀vez as president of Venezuela in 1998, a sinister form of nationalistic authoritarianism has arisen at the expense of long-established democratic standards. During the past decade, the 1999 Venezuelan Constitution has been systematically attacked by all branches of the Ch̀vez government, particularly by the Supreme Tribunal of Justice, which has legitimized the Ch̀vez-ordered constitutional violations. The Ch̀vez regime has purposely defrauded the Constitution and severely restricted representative government, all in the name of a supposedly participatory democracy controlled by a popularly supported central government. This volume illustrates how an authoritarian, nondemocratic government has been established in Venezuela - a government lacking all the essential elements of a true democracy as defined by the 2001 Inter-American Democratic Charter"--Provided by publisher.

Subjects

• Democracy > Venezuela
• Chávez Frías, Hugo > Influence
• Venezuela > Politics and government

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents

Machine generated contents note: Part I. The Political Assault to State Powers Through an Elected but Exclusionist Constituent Assembly and the Framework for Authoritarianism: 1. The 1999 constitution making process as an instrument for framing an authoritarian political regime; 2. The 1999 constitution: from an exclusionist constitution making process to its distorting implementation; 3. The endless and illegitimate transitory regime preventing the effective enforcement of the constitution; 4. The outcome: the consolidation of authoritarianism defrauding democracy; Part II. Institutional Developments for the Consolidation of Authoritarianism: 5. The reinforced centralization of the federation; 6. Powers' concentration and authoritarian government; 7. The catastrophic dependence and political subjection of the supreme tribunal of justice; 8. Statization, nationalization, expropriation and confiscation of private assets; Part III. The Constitutional Reforms Proposals Designed to Consolidate Authoritarianism: 9. The failed attempt to consolidate an authoritarian, socialist, centralized, repressive and militarist state in the constitution; 10. The alternate principle of government and the 2009 constitutional amendment on continuous reelection.

Call Number

JHE 10-728

ISBN

• 9780521195874 (hardback)
• 052119587X (hardback)

LCCN

2010018536

OCLC

YBP 2010018536

Author

Brewer Carías, Allan-Randolph.

Title

Dismantling democracy in Venezuela : the Ch́ávez authoritarian experiment / Allan R. Brewer-Carías.

Imprint

New York : Cambridge University Press, 2010.

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Research Call Number

JHE 10-728