Bolivarian propaganda

A billboard of Hugo Chávez's eyes and signature in Guarenas, Venezuela.
A political painting saying, "For the love of Chávez. President Maduro." with the popular "Chávez eyes" visible.
House painted with propaganda and woman in clothing supporting Hugo Chávez in Maracaibo, Venezuela.

Bolivarian propaganda (also known as chavista propaganda[1] and Venezuelan propaganda[2][3][4]) is a form of nationalist propaganda, especially in Venezuela and associated with chavismo, Venezuelan socialism. This type of propaganda has been associated with Hugo Chávez's Bolivarian Revolution,[5] which used emotional arguments to gain attention, exploit the fears of the population, create external enemies for scapegoat purposes, and produce nationalism within the population, causing feelings of betrayal for support of the opposition.[6][7]

The World Politics Review stated in 2007 that, as Chávez began "transforming Venezuela into a socialist state", propaganda was "an important role in maintaining and mobilizing government supporters".[8] The image of Chávez was seen on sides of buildings, on T-shirts, on ambulances, on official Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) billboards, and as action figures throughout Venezuela.[8][9] A 2011 article by The New York Times said Venezuela has an "expanding state propaganda complex"[10] while The Boston Globe described Chávez as "a media savvy, forward-thinking propagandist" that had "the oil wealth to influence public opinion".[11]

Chávez's successor, Nicolás Maduro, has continued using obligatory broadcasts on television known as cadenas. Maduro became unpopular among Venezuelans, especially throughout the Venezuelan protests, with The Economist noting that "Chavistas used to be good at propaganda. Now they cannot even get that right".[12] Essayist Alberto Barrera Tyszka has stated that citizens viewing state propaganda see well-fed Bolivarian officials living in "decadence", which offends the "poverty of Venezuelans” and has damaged the government's image, with the majority of Venezuelans suffering from malnutrition under Maduro's government.[12]

  1. ^ Eric Biewener (4 September 2007). "Venezuela: Propaganda Blurs the Lines". North American Congress on Latin America. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  2. ^ Vyas, Kejal; Olson, Bradley (8 November 2018). "Chevron Stayed in Venezuela Long After Rivals Quit. Then It Had Second Thoughts". Wall Street Journal. ProQuest 2130870838.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Juan-Carlos Molleda (10 April 2015). "Venezuelan propaganda infects and undermines Latin American PR professional organizations". The Conversation. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  4. ^ Peter Young (October 2022). "Opening a Second Western Front Against Putin: Russia's Latin American Proxies" (PDF). Henry Jackson Society. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  5. ^ Manwaring (2005), pp. 8–13.
  6. ^ Lansberg-Rodríguez, Daniel (June 2015). "Alo Presidente! Venezuela's Reality Show Authoritarianism". Beyond Propaganda June 2015 – The New Authoritarians: Ruling Through Disinformation (PDF). London, United Kingdom: Legatum Institute. pp. 2–12. ISBN 9781907409837.
  7. ^ Manwaring (2005), p. 11.
  8. ^ a b Moloney, Anastasia (29 January 2007). "Photo Feature: Chavez's Propaganda". World Politics Review. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
  9. ^ Grant, Will (November 23, 2010). "Venezuela bans unauthorised use of Hugo Chávez's image". BBC News. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
  10. ^ Romero, Simon (February 4, 2011). "In Venezuela, an American Has the President's Ear". The New York Times. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference Channeling was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ a b "The declining quality of Venezuela's propaganda". The Economist. 27 April 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2017.