Bolivarian propaganda

Bolivarian propaganda describes a political campaign originating in Venezuela used to promote Hugo Chávez's Bolivarian Revolution that uses emotional arguments to gain attention, exploit the fears (either real or imagined) of the population, create external enemies for scapegoat purposes, and produce nationalism within the population, causing feelings of betrayal for support of the opposition. The World Politics Review stated that as Chávez began "transforming Venezuela into a socialist state" that propaganda was "an important role in maintaining and mobilizing government supporters". The image of Chávez is seen on sides of buildings, on T-shirts, on ambulances, on official Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) billboards, and as action figures throughout Venezuela. A 2011 article by The New York Times says Venezuela has an "expanding state propaganda complex" while The Boston Globe described Chávez as "a media savvy, forward-thinking propagandist" and that he had "the oil wealth to influence public opinion".

Chávez's successor, Nicolas Maduro, has continued using obligatory broadcasts on TV ("cadenas"). In some instances, he has compared Chávez to holy figures. However, under the Maduro administration, he grew to become very unpopular among Venezuelans, especially throughout the 2014–17 Venezuelan protests, with The Economist noting that "Chavistas used to be good at propaganda. Now they cannot even get that right". Essayist Alberto Barrera Tyszka has stated that citizens viewing the well-fed Bolivarian officials offends the "poverty of Venezuelans”, the majority of whom had suffered from malnutrition under Maduro's government.

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Wikipedia