Chavez's Children Ideology, Education, and Society in Latin America [Paperback]

Manuel Anselmi has produced an insightful analysis of ideology under the Ch?vez government, paying particular attention to its implementation in the Bolivarian education system. . . .Overall, Anselmi succeeds in identifying the central components of Hugo Ch?vez's ideological project, and in highlighting the great importance attached to education by the current government.Chavezs Children is a serious examination of the evolution of the myth and ideals associated with the Great Liberator Simon Bolivar (1783-1830) from his original federalist and pro-republican ideas to the present Bolivarian movement of Venezuelas Hugo Chavez Frias. With Chavezs unceasing help, the historical Bolivar has been adapted to fit Chavezs creed of anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, and militaristic socialism and made the symbol of a new quest for Latin American unity. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in learning about the mechanics of the Bolivarian movement in Venezuela and how these ideas are being passed down, or better said, imposed, on a future generation of Chavistas.Anselmis research reveals an evolving educational system at odds with our stereotypes, both positive and negative ones, about contemporary Venezuela in the Hugo Ch?vez era.? Schools in Venezuela promote pragmatic goals as well as 'Bolivarian values' having diverse roots in the countrys history and both Marxist and Enlightenment thought. The response of the countrys children confirms neither the alarms sounded by ardent critics or the hopes of its most fervent defenders.This book reconstructs the revolutionary Bolivarian ideology in Chavez's movement through a historical analysis of its ideological principles and revolutionary scholastic institutions. Differing from many journalistic publications about Chavez, this book uncovers the deep social dynamics of Venezuelan politics using a strict empirical analysis.Most publications on the political situation in Venezuela are journalistic and lack a scientifilÓl