Political Identity and Racism in Venezuela

Parvathi Subbiah speaks at the Gates Internal Symposium on November 2016.
Parvathi discusses the rise to power of President Hugo Chávez in Venezuela, and how his popularity can be linked to racial relations in the country.

[@Millipede666]

Didn't mention the Caracazo... why not? Seems like it would be easier to understand why liberalism is wildly unpopular in Venezuela if you mentioned this massacre carried out by the liberal govt?

[@simonlaonda9697]

Her analysis have some important gaps, the Caracazo is a major event because it have a direct connection to Hugo Chavez coup attempt in 1992. She either cherry picking information to reinforce her own "liberal" opinion, or she just don't know. But she wrongfully paints Venezuela as an equal society before Chavez with some problems with corruption, it's kind of absurd but very common with center/right-wing exile Venezuelans in US and Europe.
Racism is a reality in Venezuela, its different from USA, it's way more internalized, naturally because a lot of people are mixed, and the colorism is very complicated - but most people that are rich are white and most poor people are black/indigenous/brown. There is a racial hierarchy, even though a lot of people have a "cafe con leche" attitude: a problem don't vanish because you don't talk about it directly. Ignorance is a bliss until the problem hits you.
Chavez brought the discussion of race to the public discussion, and became radicalized because of the coup attempt in 2002 and the rampant racism against him as she shows. It's not like nobody talked about race before, that's absurd to claim, especially when she herself - while talking about the history of Venezuela - brings up for example the terms Mestizo and Zambo, THOSE ARE LITTERALLY RACIAL CATEGORIZATIONS. - SMH😑

[@qolspony]

I just spoke to someone who looks similar to her. So she's right, the majority people in the VEN is of color. Not white.

[@cozytimes4461]

the majority of venezuelans are white, not of color. i am Venezuelan myself, were white

[@qolspony]

@@cozytimes4461 I don't believe that. They are too many variations that goes against this notion.

[@humanbeing3731]

@@cozytimes4461 what part of Venezuela are you from because most Venezuelans are far from white

[@cozytimes4461]

@@humanbeing3731 not all venezuela is the same, of course some parts are more indigenous African others are white, for example delta amacuro is very far from being white, but tachira is 100% white, most of the regions with African is because they were colombian immigrants, la colonia Tovar is 100% white with descendants of Germans, I mean it depends, but anyone who knows venezuela history would know venezuela is more white than indigenous, Argentina Brazil and Venezuela are the Latin American countries with more white genetics

[@humanbeing3731]

@@cozytimes4461 only 43.6% of Venezuelans are white and some sources put this number as low as 20.8% also Tachira is not “100%” white that’s ridiculous. Once again according to Wikipedia white people in Tachira only make up 58.8% of the population, do some research.