Bolivarian Thought and Oil Rent in Venezuelan Foreign Policy: Effects of Populism on Regional Integration

Abstract

The complex processes of integration cannot be understood without considering a frame of reference and its immediate historical background. In this context, a look at the link between populism and foreign policy is presented, illustrated through the role of Venezuela in Latin American regionalism. Given the transformations brought about by the arrival of Chávez to power, the discursive aspects and the figure of the leader are highlighted, in line with the Bolivarian message and the construction of 21st century Socialism. These particularities, together with the resources provided by the oil boom of the first decade of 21st century, will promote a geopolitical reconfiguration of the region characterized by a counter-hegemonic project, which is why it is important to inquire about how the foreign policy populism of Venezuela has influenced integration in the region. That is why the paper reflect on how Bolivarian populism exports its discourse towards a regional multilateralism, which will substantially lose its vigor as Venezuela’s oil revenues dwindle.