Venezuela's Polarized Politics: The Paradox of Direct Democracy Under Chavez

During Hugo Chávez’s presidency, Venezuelan society underwent a sudden—and vicious—split between the Chavistas and the Opposition. What accounts for the extreme intensity of the split? How did differences so quickly become irreconcilable? What role did the media play? Answering these and related questions, Ana Mallen and María Pilar García-Guadilla explore how participatory democracy led to profound social polarization in Venezuela.

CONTENTS:

• Polarization and Democracy in Venezuela.
• Participatory Democracy and the Public Sphere.
• Political Ghettos in Caracas.
• Media Wars.
• The Fragmentation of the Public Sphere.
• The New Student Movement: Dreams of Unity.
• Unabated Polarization in Venezuela.