A Venezuelan Commune's Economic Redefinition: Reimagining the Economy for a New Future
In the world of political thought, one often-repeated quote from José Carlos Mariátegui, the founder of Latin American Marxism, goes like this: "On our continent, socialism should be not a copy or imitation but rather a heroic creation." These words were popularized by Hugo Chávez, the former Venezuelan president, who often used them when discussing his communal project in Venezuela. He saw socialism as a difficult but necessary endeavor that required the collective effort of the masses, involving their engagement in iterative experimentation, participation, and action in building a new society. This concept departed from the tradition of simply yearning for a socialist system without actively engaging in its creation.
The relevance of this idea can be seen in various contexts throughout Latin American history. For instance, it was an rejection of a kind of politics that was expressed as a reluctance to merely repeat the formulas of European socialism. This spirit of refusal and rejection was particularly prevalent during the 1990s, when social movements emerged as a reaction to the crisis of real socialism. The anti-political zeitgeist of the time was present in the Zapatista movement in Chiapas, which refused both NAFTA and state politics, and announced that they would change the world without taking power. Similarly, the piqueteros of Argentina would say about politicians, "They all should scram!"
However, a second, clearly distinct historical epoch and shift in emphasis came in the twenty-first century, with the emergence of Chávez in Venezuela and Evo Morales in Bolivia. Their movements both focused on taking power and participating in constitution-making, which allowed for the creation of new political and social relations. In this way, they continued the heroic creation of socialism, building upon the refusal and resistance embodied in the first part of Mariátegui's epigram.
It was this transition from refusal to creation that came to mind when Angel Prado, the charismatic leader of El Maizal, Venezuela's best-known commune, invited my colleague Cira Pascual and me to a bar near our home in Caracas. Prado was concerned about the economic challenges that the commune was facing and was in the process of formulating a new plan, which he referred to as an "alternative communal economy."
Fast forward some time later, we found ourselves visiting El Maizal for our ongoing investigation into alternative economic models in Venezuela. Christmas was in full swing, but it was far from a festive mood in the commune. The economy was struggling, and people were worried about the future. Despite these difficulties, the commune's leaders were working tirelessly to come up with solutions to their economic challenges.
The "alternative communal economy" that Prado had talked about was still in the early stages of development. However, it seemed clear that it would involve a departure from traditional communal property and usher in a new era of collective experimentation. It was a time for heroic creation, and the people of El Maizal were ready to rise to the challenge.
Sources:
- "El proyecto comunal el Maizal… Busca 'una alternativa comunal al capitalismo'" by José Manuel Blanco. Accessed at: https://www.eluniversal.com/opinion/vi-politica/el-proyecto-comunal-el-maizal-busca-una-alternativa-comunal-al-capitalismo_767982
- "The new communal economy in Venezuela: creative destruction, recreative construction" by Max S. Mishler. Accessed at: https://roarmag.org/essays/new-communal-economy-venezuela-creative-destruction-chavismo/
- "A Better World Is Possible If It Is Socialist: Heroic Creation and Alternative Communal Economy in Venezuela" by David Broder. Accessed at: https://revcom.us/a/618/a-better-world-is-possible-if-it-is-socialist-heroic-creation-and-alternative-communal-economy-in-venezuela
- "José Carlos Mariátegui: The Founding Father of Latin American Marxism" by Jesús Cisneros. Accessed at: https://www.lamoureux.ca/blog/jose-carlos-mariategui-latin-american-marxism/
- "Hugo Chávez's Twentieth-First-Century Socialism" by Greg Grandin. Accessed at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/30035676
- Angel Prado, the leader of El Maizal, draws inspiration from José Carlos Mariátegui's words about heroic creation in socialism, as he ventures to establish an "alternative communal economy" in the face of economic challenges.
- The rejection of preconceptions about European socialism and the courageous pursuit of local solutions characterize the socialist endeavors in Latin America, as exemplified by the movements led by Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales, who focused on taking power and creating new political and social relations.
- The Zapatista movement in Chiapas, while refusing both NAFTA and state politics, agreed that they would change the world without taking power, demonstrating the spirit of refusal and rejection present in the context of the 1990s social movements.
- The concept of socialism as a heroic creation has had a lasting impact on education-and-self-development, general-news, and political discourse throughout Latin American history, as it emphasizes the need for active participation in social transformation rather than merely yearning for a socialist system.
