Center for Social Theory and Comparative History; Co-sponsored by Latin American Center's Working Group on Political Economy and Public Policy

Monday, February 6, 2006
2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Bunche 6275
Los Angeles, CA 90095

Presentation by

Professor Steve Ellner,
Universidad de Oriente, Venezuela
(Co-editor of: Venezuelan Politics in the
Chávez Era: Class, Polarization and Conflict, 2003)

and

Professor David Myers,
Pennsylvania State University
(Co-author of: The Unraveling of Representative
Democracy in Venezuela, 2004).

In the recent conflicts inside Venezuela both sides marched under the banner of democracy. The anti-Chavez forces accused him of undermining Venezuelan democracy, and the US supported them on the same basis. Chavez and his supporters said they were defending the constitution, building popular power, and aiming to improve the living standards of the poor. Steve Ellner and David Myers will discuss the social forces shaping Venezuelan politics, the role of the United States, the process of political conflict and its likely outcome, and what this portends for the future of the Venezuelan polity and society.

Moderator, Prof. Robert Brenner, History Department, UCLA

For more information please contact

Tom Mertes, Center for Comparative History and Social Theory, UCLA, mertes@.ucla.edu or César Ayala, Sociology Department, UCLA, cjayala@.soc.ucla.edu

Cost : Free and open to the public.

Sponsor(s): Latin American Institute, Center for Social Theory and Comparative History