Link to this page: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/903/22890

From The Socialist newspaper, 25 May 2016

Venezuela - on the brink of collapse?

Counter-revolution gaining ground

Queing for basics outside a government run store in Venezuela pic Creative Commons (Click to enlarge)

Venezuela is being battered by a social and economic catastrophe. With inflation at more than 500% (the world's highest) and estimated to soar to 750% by the end of the year, living standards have plummeted.

Amid vast food shortages of the most basic staples like rice and beans; power and water cuts; public sector workers on a two-day week, there is the real threat of a total social collapse. Some commentators are even warning of Venezuela becoming a "failed state".

The scale of the social collapse is reflected in an epidemic of murders and violent crime. Venezuela has the second highest murder rate of any country.

The reforms in health, education and housing of the late President Hugo Chavez's era have all but disappeared under the weight of economic collapse, falling oil prices, bureaucracy and corruption and sabotage by the capitalist class.

Reactionary right-wing forces have capitalised on the situation as support for president Maduro's government has crashed. They have led a campaign to force a recall referendum on his presidency.

They are mobilising to defeat Maduro and pave the way for a right-wing comeback. However, Maduro, with the allegiance of the armed forces, is indicating he will fight such attempts.

The capitalist class is already attempting to present this disaster as another "failure for socialism". Yet this is far from the case. The initial reforms and inroads made against the ruling class initially won massive support as the process of the revolution was taking steps forward.

It was the failure to take this process to a conclusion and break with capitalism which has resulted in the current crisis. Capitalism was wounded but not snuffed out. The absence of genuine workers' control and management and the emergence of bureaucratic, corrupt, top-down methods by the state have also contributed to the current crisis, as the Socialist Party and CWI repeatedly warned.

It remains to be seen how the current crisis will develop but such are the social conditions that a massive social outburst of anger - rioting and looting - similar to that which took place in the infamous Caracasco in 1989 is possible.

Socialist alternative

Workers, the youth and middle class have nothing to gain by supporting right-wing leaders such as Capriles, who only serves the interests of the ruling class.

Workers and the masses need to take urgent steps to form democratically elected emergency committees to organise the distribution of food and other supplies - building on these to develop a mass movement to break with capitalism.

Then it would be possible to introduce a socialist, democratic emergency plan to rebuild the economy based on nationalising the banking system and key sectors of the economy - under a system of democratic workers' control and management.

Failure to take such bold measures is opening the road to social collapse and the threat of a counter-revolution.

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In The Socialist 25 May 2016:

International socialist news and analysis

Brazil: Fall of Rousseff unleashes offensive against working class

Venezuela - on the brink of collapse?

Austria - Hofer defeated, but far-right threat remains

Mass protests against regime take on Kazakhstan cops

Canada: fire devastates Fort McMurray

Socialist Party news and analysis

Tories forced back in junior doctors' dispute

'Socialist case against the EU' TUSC tour kicks off

Boris hid killer air report

Them & us

What we saw: 'I, Daniel Blake' and Hunt/'Thick of It' remix

What we think

EU referendum can bring the Tories down

Workplace news and analysis

Link the strikes - come to the NSSN conference

PCS BIS staff strike against office closure

Pennine Foods - Strikers persuade delivery lorries to turn away

Train conductors strike to keep their role

Workplace news in brief

Socialist Party reports and campaigns

Fight to win: join the Socialists!

We won't move! Mass resistance can defeat the Tories' housing act

Leicester drives out Britain First

Coventry sees off EDL

Campaigning for a people's plan for Waltham Forest

Chorley A&E battle

Socialist readers' comments and obituaries

Greece crisis - please vote Leave

Socialist inbox

Obituary: Jenny O'Sullivan (1988-2016)

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