Boudreau, J.A., R. Keil et D. Young (2009). Changing Toronto : Governing the In-Between the Global and the Local. Toronto : University of Toronto Press. 247 pages.
Boudreau, J.A. (2000). The Megacity Saga : Democracy and Citizenship in this Global Age. Montreal : Black Rose Books. 198 pages.
Rebotier, J., O. Compagnon et S. Revet, (eds.) (2009). Ouvrage collectif : Le Venezuela au-delà du mythe, Chavez, la démocratie, le changement social. Editions de L’Atelier, Paris, 240p.
What becomes of Venezuela ten years after Hugo Chávez Frías’ accession to power ?
Beyond the simplistic slogans criticizing the draconian despot or praising the new liberator of Latin America, this book provides a detailed and contrasted review of the political, economic and social development of contemporary Venezuela. Based on the massive redistribution of oil profits, Chavez’s policy has helped to reduce social inequalities and to include traditionally excluded populations into the political sphere. But loopholes and questions remain : what will be the future of these policies once oil prices collapse ? Are we looking at real changes in the political and social structures ? Can tensions between state institutions and municipal councils (tools for strengthening participatory democracy) lead to a populism that denies the complexity of the political debate ?
Directed by leading specialists on Venezuela, this book – the fruit of lengthy field studies –is destined to become a reference for anyone interested in the fate of the Venezuelan experience – and, more broadly, in the future of a Latin America seeking alternatives to neoliberalism.
