US Strategy to Deal with Hugo Chavez's Establishment of Militias

摘要

Hugo Chavez was reelected for another six year term as President of Venezuela in December 2006 and has aggressively put policies in place to remain in power for many years to come. His aggressive Bolivarian Revolution agenda, and anti-US policies, has spread his influence throughout Central and South America in countries like Bolivia, Ecuador, and Nicaragua through democratic elections. After a 2002 failed coups attempt, Hugo Chavez began developing and training neighborhood-based militias to defend against an invasion of the country. He claimed that the United States supported the coups attempt and has convinced Venezuelans that the US is planning an invasion of their country. This project examines the roles of his militias as defenders of the country, a means to suppress dissent and support his continued Presidency. It also examines the militia s role as an asymmetric force used to destabilize states and spread his Bolivarian ideology throughout the region. The paper concludes with a recommended strategy to deal with Venezuela s militias that looks across the spectrum of national power in order to ensure a successful result conducive to our national interests.