Features of Historical Development of Venezuela: Past and Present

Abstract

The article examines the features of historical development of Venezuela since the proclamation of the country’s independence at the beginning of the 19th century up to the modern period of governing by the Venezuelan presidents Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro. The article pays a special attention to an important event in the history of Venezuela - the 1914 discovery of a giant oil field in the region of Maracaibo Lake, Venezuela’s implementation and further development of the so-called oil-containing model and the impact of the oil and gas production and processing of carbon resources on the socio-political situation in the country and well-being of the Venezuelan people. The period of the reign of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (1998-2013) has been studied in more detail. The general thesis of the doctrine of the “Bolivarian revolution” have been considered and certain provisions end attainments of the program to construct the “Bolivarian socialism”, have been detected certain achievements and problems of implementing the participatory democracy in Venezuela. Certain foreign policy initiatives of the president and specific steps aimed at achieving the leading role in the region of Latin America and the Caribbean have been analyzed. The article highlights anti-Americanism as a peculiar trend of Hugo Chavez’s foreign policy and the sentiments of Venezuelan society, the peculiarities of Venezuela-Ukraine bilateral relations development have been emphasized. It has been concluded that it is advisable to further study the experience of creating the state and carrying out reforms in Venezuela for its possible further use in the development of our state, as well as using certain Venezuelan approaches regarding its leadership in the region of Latin America and the Caribbean in order to enhance and strengthen the role of Ukraine in the European regional cooperation.