Populism, rentism and 21st Century Socialism:

Communication Leader - Followers

– The Plebiscite logic– Permanent campaign – Communicative State (El Estado

Comunicador) Centered on Chavez• Aló Presidente• Presidential Broadcastings

– Sophisticated Technological Platform… A sort of Direct Democracy

– Sociopolitical Networks directly linked to Chavez: Top-bottom Communal Councils

– Political Organizations: MVR Circulos & PSUV

– Participatory Organizations

Social Composition of Chavism

• Followers mainly from lower classes and most recently from rural areas classes.

Electoral Composition

Chavez’s political elites Military. Lower and middle

class. Professional educationCivilian. Lower and middle class

Professionals. Middle age and leftist social and political activists.

Conclusions• Chávez as the empty signifier in

1998.• The political struggle during his

first term. • The State centralization.• The Constitutional amendment and

Chavez authoritarian tendencies.• The weakening of democratic

institutions.