The historian declares that whereas the bourgeoisie created the State in classical Europe, in Venezuela the State created the bourgeoisie and since 1900 each bourgeoisie fraction that has arisen has been the work of the State.

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After reading a criticism from a Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV) source that the Aporrea website has lost its original bearings because it is allowing fifth columnists, infiltrators and plain hacks to place articles, I came across one article by Javier Biardeau titled: the boli-bourgeoisie and political-financial pool. The author makes a timely reference to an article written by veteran revolutionary and historian, Domingo Alberto Rangel written in 2007 naming three emerging economic groups.

The historian declares that whereas the bourgeoisie created the State in classical Europe, in Venezuela the State created the bourgeoisie and since 1900 each bourgeoisie fraction that has arisen has been the work of the State.

Rangel described the "Bolivarian oligarchy," popularly known as the boli-bourgeoisie, as the "most recent outbreak of the old Venezuelan bureaucratic plantation." Unlike other political analysts, Rangel is not afraid to name names. Here are the three groups he identified in 2007:

1) One that revolves around Diosdado Cabello (currently Public Works & Housing Minister) and Chavist entrepreneur, Rafael Sarria ... "the group has a galaxy of three linked banks, several industrial plants and shares in service companies ... it's possible that this is the first financial empire in Venezuela after the Polar group."

2) A group revolving around retired military officer, Jesse Chacon ... "his brother is the apparent leader of the emerging group ... he needed the arrival of his brother in government to discover his business vocation ... "in 8 years he has acquired a bank, a powdered milk factory, one of the biggest in South America and horse stud farms."

3) This group could consist of retired military officers, Blanco La Cruz (currently ambassador to Cuba) and Hernandez Behrens (Banking superintendent) .. "both are would-be magnates."

Rangel at the time said he had not made any comparisons but he believed that no other administration since 1900 has created so many groups in such a short time, quipping that it should be put in the Guinness Book of Records. At the time and even before 2007, Rangel pointed to three emerging groups with the Bolivarian movement and all of them revolving around retired military officers highlighting the speed with which they emerged.

The reasons for the rapid rise he gives as: fiscal abundance starting in 1999 with a steady rise in barrels of oil from $9 to $62. The second reason, Rangel ventures, is based on class factors, such as the conduct when loose moral and greedy plebeians suddenly strike it rich. Thirdly, tolerance and even applause shown by Venezuelan society to such practices. History is full examples of such practices on the part of the public beginning with Paez the peasant and eventual landed gent, Guzman, Crespo and Panchito Alcantara.

Some observers attribute the fall of Arne Chacon (group no.2) to a war among the different boli-clans of "scorpions."

• The historian concluded that the boli-bourgeoisie by itself could keep the administration running but commentator Biardeau adds that given current purges, the groups could cause the administration's moral sustenance to implode and he asks: was Domingo Alberto Rangel right in his analysis.

And BTW, is the PCV right in slamming Aporrea.org for supposed loss of punch? Not in this case.

Patrick J. O'Donoghue
news.editor@vheadline.com

Submitter: Roy S. Carson

Submitters Bio:
Roy S. Carson is veteran foreign correspondent (45+ years in the business) currently editor & publisher of VHeadline Venezuela reporting on news & views from and about Venezuela in South America -- available for interviews -- call Houston 713.893.1433