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The Bolivarian missions are a series of social programs implemented under the administration of former Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez[1] and continued by Chávez's successor, Nicolás Maduro; with the programs focusing on social justice, social welfare, anti-poverty, educational, and military recruiting. They draw their name from the historical South American hero, Simón Bolívar.
Using increasing oil prices since the early 2000s and funds not seen in Venezuela since the 1980s, Chávez created "Bolivarian missions",[1] which entailed the launching of government anti-poverty initiatives,[2] the construction of thousands of free medical clinics for the poor,[3] indigenous rights,[4] the institution of educational campaigns[5] and the enactment of food[6] and housing subsidies.[7] The Bolivarian missions are overseen with widespread experimentation in what Chávez's supporters call "citizen- and worker-managed governance."[8]
Mission Robinson (literacy), Mission Barrio Adentro (free medical coverage), and Mission Mercal (affordable food) are considered among the most important missions.[9]
Many of these programs involve importing expertise from abroad; Venezuela is providing Cuba with 53,000 barrels (8,000 m³) of below-market-rate oil a day in exchange for the service of thousands of physicians, teachers, sports trainers, and other skilled professionals.[18]
In February 2010 seven Cuban doctors who defected to the US introduced an indictment against the governments of Cuba and Venezuela and the oil company PDVSA for what they considered was a conspiracy to force them to work under conditions of "modern slaves" as payment for the Cuban government' debt.[19] In 2014, it was reported by Miami NGO, Solidarity Without Borders, that at least 700 Cuban medical personnel had left Venezuela in the past year and that up to hundreds of Cuban personnel had asked for advice on how to escape from Venezuela weekly.[20] Solidarity Without Borders also stated that Cuban personnel cannot refuse to work, cannot express complaints and suffer with blackmail from threats against their family in Cuba.[20]
The Bolivarian missions have been praised for their effect on poverty, education and health, being described as "ways to combat extreme forms of exclusion" and "the mainstay of progress in the fight against poverty."[9] The platform showed an increase in spending on social programs and the construction of free health care clinics, subsidized food and created small manufacturing cooperatives. However, it has been stated that the Chávez government may have overspent on social spending without saving enough money for future economic distresses, which Venezuela experienced shortly before and after Hugo Chávez's death and during the Economic policy of the Nicolás Maduro government.[21] Poverty, inflation and shortages then began to increase in Venezuela as a result.[21] A multi-university study in 2015 questioned the effectiveness of the Bolivarian missions, showing that only 10% of Venezuelans studied benefitted from the missions.[22] Of that 10%, almost half were not affected from poverty.[22] According to El Universal, experts have also stated that the missions have been worsening conditions in Venezuela instead of accomplishing their goal.[23]
Mission Barrio Adentro, one of the flagship Bolivarian Missions of widest social impact, has drawn praise from the Latin American branch of the
As a result of Chávez's policies, the durability of Bolivarian missions was put to the test shortly before and after Chávez's death, when poverty increased, inflation rose and widespread shortages in Venezuela occurred, with such effects growing especially into the presidency of Nicolas Maduro.[21][22][35] In 2014, Venezuela entered and economic recession.[36] Estimates of poverty by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and Luis Pedro España, a sociologist at the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello, show an increase in poverty.[37] ECLAC showed a 2013 poverty rate of 32% while Pedro España calculated a 2015 rate of 48% with a poverty rate of 70% possible by the end of 2015.[37] According to Venezuelan NGO PROVEA, by the end of 2015, there would be the same number of Venezuelans living in poverty as there was in 2000, reversing the advancements against poverty by Hugo Chávez.[37]
From the beginning of the Bolivarian missions and past Chávez's death, the sustainability of the missions was questioned.[1][21][22] The Bolivarian government's over dependence on oil funds for large populist policies led to overspending on social programs and strict government polices created difficulties for Venezuela's import reliant businesses.[1][21][22] Foreign Policy described Chávez's Venezuela as "one of the worst cases of Dutch Disease in the world" due to the Bolivarian government's large dependence on oil sales and its lavish spending to please voters.[35]
During the Chávez's presidency, poverty fell from 49.4% in 1999 to 30.2% in 2006 and extreme poverty went down from 21.7% to 9.9% in the same period according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).[9] However, the ECLAC showed a nearly 7% jump in poverty in 2013, from 25.4% in 2012 increasing to 32.1% in 2013.[34] In a multi-university study by the Andrés Bello Catholic University (UCAB), the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) and the Simon Bolivar University (USB), a comparison to the Venezuelan government's National Statistics Institute (INE) showed that overall poverty trends eventually reversed and increased between 1999 and 2015, rising from approximately 45% in 1999 to 48.4% in 2015 according to the study performed by universities.[23]
The infant mortality rate went down 5.9% between 1999 and 2013.[29][30] The Gini coefficient fell from 47.8 in 1999 to 44.8 in 2006.[31][32] The government earmarked 44.6% of the 2007 budget for social investment, with 1999-2007 averaging 12.8% of GDP.[33]
[28][27] and an estimated 80% of Barrio Adentro establishments abandoned with reports of some structures being filled with trash or becoming unintentional shelters for the homeless.[26] funding irregularities,[20] Despite its praises, Barrio Adentro has been criticized for poor working conditions of its Cuban workers,[25].UNICEF and [24]
Colombia, Caracas, Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil
Venezuela, Socialism, Evo Morales, World Bank, Caracas
Monarchy, Anarchism, Public administration, Politics, Communism
Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, States of Venezuela, Foreign relations of Venezuela, Venezuelan presidential election, 1998
Hugo Chávez, Caracas, Venezuela, United Nations, Colombia
Bolivarian missions, Hugo Chávez, Venezuela, Alba, Bolivarian Revolution
Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, Bolivarian Missions, Politics of Venezuela, Foreign relations of Venezuela
Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, Politics, Politics of Venezuela, Foreign relations of Venezuela