Bolivarian Circles

Bolivarian Circles
Círculos bolivarianos
Foundation21 December 2001; 22 years ago (2001-12-21)
Dissolved10 April 2006; 18 years ago (2006-04-10) (domestic circles)
HeadquartersMiraflores Palace, Caracas, Venezuela[1]
Size2.2 million (2003)[2]
Preceded by
MBR-200
Succeeded by
Colectivos
Communal Councils

The Bolivarian Circles (Spanish: Círculos bolivarianos) are political and social organizations of workers' councils in Venezuela, originally created by President Hugo Chávez on 21 December 2001.[3] The circles have also been described as militias and compared to Cuba's Committees for the Defense of the Revolution[4][5][6] and Panama's Dignity Battalions.[7]

Following the involvement of Bolivarian Circles in defending President Chávez during the 2002 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt, the government sponsored the creation of official communal councils on 10 April 2006,[8] some of which became armed colectivos instead.[9]

  1. ^ Arenas, Nelly; Gómez Calcaño, Luis (January–June 2001). "Los Círculos Bolivarianos. El mito de la unidad del pueblo". Revista venezolana de ciencia política (in Spanish) (25). University of the Andes: 5–37.
  2. ^ Chavez, Rodrigo; Burke, Tom (30 July 2003). "ZNet | Venezuela | The Bolivarian Circles". Z Communications. Archived from the original on 22 February 2004. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  3. ^ http://www.bauleros.org/TEMAS/PAISES/ARGENTINA/2001-12-21_emancipacion.html. A version of Bolívar's oath had also been used by Chávez at the foundation of the "Ejército de Liberación del Pueblo de Venezuela" on 17 December 1982. See http://elies.rediris.es/elies27/APONTE_MORENO_FINAL_THESIS.pdf.
  4. ^ "Venezuela: Armed Bolivarian Circles". Stratfor. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  5. ^ Yergin, Daniel (2012). The Quest : energy, security and the remaking of the modern world (revised & updated ed.). New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0143121947.
  6. ^ Morsbach, Greg. (BBC, 12 June 2002). "Chavez accused of fostering militia links". Retrieved 13 Jun 2006.
  7. ^ Nelson, Brian A. (2012). The silence and the scorpion : the coup against Chávez and the making of modern Venezuela. New York: Nation Books. p. 16. ISBN 9781568586861.
  8. ^ "Ley de los Consejos Comunales" (PDF). REPÚBLICA BOLIVARIANA DE VENEZUELA. 10 April 2006. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  9. ^ Venezuela: A Mafia State?. Medellin, Colombia: InSight Crime. 2018. pp. 3–84.