Unions and government in Hugo Chávez's Venezuela: a first approaching to a turbulent relationship

Abstract

The Latin American political process has been the object of numerous
investigations in the past years, with great emphasis in the problem of the “subject”
in the cycle of posneoliberal governments. In this article some debates are
revisited, especially in the field of studies focused on the problem of populism.
The particular Venezuelan scenario, with the complexity and dependence on
the oil profits, unions with strong ties to traditional political parties and the rise
of chavism launch once again questions about the working class as a key actor
in the process of social, political and economical change. The author particularly
will make emphasis in the subject of autonomy.