Zone 3- Americas. Microscopic Analysis: Continent Wide Protests Against Hugo Chavez. Week #83, Dated 30th Aug-5th Sept.

Critics of Hugo Chavez marched in cities across the globe last week, in protests organized from the Columbian platform, calling the Venezuelan president a dictator, violator of human rights and hard-line populist who had placed his nation’s freedom of expression in jeopardy.

Chavez, who came to power in 1998, has become a charismatic global leader, but a polarizing figure at home and abroad for his unapologetic policies aimed at creating a socialist state. His use of Venezuela's oil wealth to fund social programs has won him the admiration and support of the poor and working classes who make up a majority of the country's population. However to critics his policies seem unsustainable.

Demonstrations were organized by Colombian activists after Mr. Chavez criticized Colombia for allowing US forces access to seven military bases. Accusations have also been levied against Chavez for supporting the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, Colombia's Marxist rebels who have been fighting the government for more than 45 years.

Protest organizers used a number of social networking sites to organize the anti-Chavez demonstrations, where Facebook and Twitter were the prime means for organizing the protestors.

An estimated 5,000 people took part in protests in the Colombian capital Bogota, and thousands more in the capitals of Venezuela and Honduras. Smaller demonstrations were held in other Latin American capitals, as well as in New York and Madrid. In Venezuela, President Chavez's supporters, in relatively smaller numbers, also marched through the capital, Caracas, to show their solidarity with the socialist leader.

The BBC's Will Grant was of the view that conflict over Mr. Chavez is nothing new, but many Venezuelans are becoming disillusioned with the extent to which both sides seem to focus more on protests than policies.

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Discussion Questions:

· Since Chavez derives his support from the poorer segment of the society who often lack access to modern technology, could the use of social networking websites as an organizing tool have put him at a disadvantage?

· Does the fact that protests went through in Venezuela depict the falsehood of the allegations against suppression of speech, or is it simply a consequence of the media revolution that impedes despotic control of information sources?

· Does the continental level of protests, organized beyond national boundaries depict an erosion of state sovereignty in the face of relocation of power to transnational elements?

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