Questions for Hugo Chavez Packet. Sources #1, #2, #3, #5

Questions for source #1(time line)  and source #2 "The Petrostate that Was and the Petrostate that Is," by Francisco Toro.

For source #1 – use this as a resource as you read (in general) and add your own important dates to it as you find them.
1) Is Hugo Chavez a “democrat”. In the timeline, do you see elections which he won? Are there any surprising entries in this timeline?
In source #2
2) What was AD?
3) Who was Carlos Andrés Perez?
4) According to this author, what are some of the problems with the Accion Democratica Model as it existed in Pre-Chavez Venezuela?
5) How did CANTV work in the pre-Chavez era? Why does the author use this example?
6) Explain what the author means by the title of part 3 (“From institutional clientelism to the Chavista cult of personality”) This is central to the author’s vision of Venezuela and his critique of the system.
7) In general, how is Chavez portrayed in this article?

Questions for source #3 "The Perils of Petrocracy"  by T. Rosenburg.  in Hugo Chavez packet:

1) t/f  The global trend toward privatization has affected the oil industry; the amount of oil produced by state-run companies is going down.
2) t/f  Because Hugo Chavez thinks of himself as a socialist, he kicked all foreign investment out of the oil industry in Venezuela.
3) In the first section of this article, Tina Rosenberg talks about “the paradox of plenty.” What does this mean. (By the way, this paradox is forther explained in section VIII of this article)
4) When and why was Venezuela’s oil nationalized? Did Chavez do this? Why did the nationalization backfire in a way? (Note: Remember the lecture when I talked about oil and State run industries? I mentioned briefly that Venezuela had been the most successful country in Latin America at changing the contracts/conditions under which large foreign oil companies operated in the country. Section III in this article highlights that success.)
5) t/f  According to Tina Rosenberg, finding oil is the greatest blessing a country can have.
6) What was Pdvsa like in the 1970s and 1980s? (Mention the Orinoco contract and the foreign refineries).
7) t/f  When Tina Rosenberg wrote this article in 2007, Hummer dealerships (six of them) were forced out of Venezuela by Chavez’ anti-business attitude.
8) t/f  Chavez subsidized oil for some of Venezuela’s neighbors and allies.
9) t/f   Chavez gave oil away to poor people in the U.S.
10) What is Fonden?
11) Does Rosenberg explain, “the mystery of the missing rigs” which she brings up at the start of section V?   How?
12) How did Pdvsa get involved in politics in 2002? What was the result/aftermath?
13) In section VII, describe how Felix Caraballo is able to go to school? How much does he pay for this education?
14) What does Rosenberg write about poverty in Venezuela at this time?
15)  t/f   Price controls are effectively keeping the most basic foods affordable in Venezuela.

Questions for source #5  “In Search of Hugo Chávez.” by  Michael Shifter,  in Hugo Chavez Packet. OJO: there are very brief questions/comments on sources #6-8 also)

This author has a much more negative take on Chávez than any of the others we’ve seen so far. Nevertheless, his message is for a U.S. policy-making reader – As you read, look for Shifter’s view on the best course for the US. That is, what should our general approach be to Venezuela and Hugo Chavéz?

1) What should our general approach to Venezuela (and Latin America) be according to Shifter? (AS YOU READ, don’t forget that this was written during the Bush presidency).
     1-a) Answer this separately (although it is crucial to first questions): What “turning point in the increasingly troubled U.S.-Venezuelan relationship came...” in April 2002? (If you look at the bold text in source #4, you can add to what Shifter says here.)

2) Find five different criticisms of the Chávez presidency in this source. (easy) Do you think any of the examples you have chosen relate to the question I asked when we started reading this packet? Is Venezuela under Hugo Chávez a democracy? (explain).

3) t/f there is no privately owned media left to criticize Chávez. (Add a sentence about the press in Venezeula).

4) How has the nature of the Venezuelan opposition contributed to Chávez’ hold on power?

5) In a number of places there are references to Chávez relations with the rest of Latin America --i .e. don’t just take one quote out of the essay because we’re dealing with different countries/groups of countries. How do other countries in the region feel about Chávez? (What evidence or examples are in the article?)
By the way, I have written the name “Lula” on the board several times and I don’t want you to miss the connection in this article because Shifter uses his full name: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the president of Brazil (until Jan. 1, 2011). In class I noted that “Lula” was part of what analysts are calling the “New Left” in Latin America. This wave of successes in presidential elections for “leftist” leaders includes Hugo Chávez’s election and administration.

SOURCE #6 is just interesting in terms of how the U.S. presence (control) in Venezuela went deeper than what we might normally think. The idea of who ran the software for PDVSA and how that may have compromised State control sheds light on... Well, this is just food for thought. This relates to the turning point in Chavez’s presidency (the strike or lockout of PDVSA administration against Chávez efforts to exert control over company's administration).

SOURCES #7 and #8

FASCINATING! These came out of the recent wiki leaks documents... Just read them briefly to answer how Hugo Chavez is currently viewed, at least by the U.S. embassy in Caracas.