On November 21, Venezuela will hold its 27th election since Chávez came to power, critically this will be the first time since 2015 that Chavismo will face most of the opposition in an electoral contest after the self-styled Group of Four parties finally abandoned their boycott strategy.

The third episode of the Venezuelanalysis podcast looks at the upcoming “mega elections” in Venezuela where over 70,000 candidates will vie for 3,082 positions. Apart from deciding regional authorities such as governors and mayors, the election will determine the fate of political gridlock in Venezuela.

Host José Luis Granados Ceja talks to fellow VA member Paul Dobson about the issues in this election and the state of Chávez’s model of a participatory democracy. We also hear from Venezuelan writer and theorist Reinaldo Iturriza, author of the book “El Chavismo Salvaje” and former Minister of the Communes and of Culture. Iturriza talks to VA about the potential for a reawakening of the Bolivarian grassroots and the return of the radical, US-backed wing of the opposition into the democratic process.

Music:

Embandolaos - Los Caimanes Negros

Uh Ah, Chávez No Se Va