Highlights
– The Chavez family has maintained control over the state government of Barinas for many years
– A recent challenger from within the party may disrupt a Chavez brother’s succession of their father as governor in November
– A loss of control over Barinas would have a negative impact on President Chavez’s already declining popular support.
Led by father Hugo de los Reyes Chavez, the Chavez family has long dominated the state and local government in their hometown state of Barinas, Venezuela. However, recent challengers from within the Chavez’s own party has threatened to take over local control. Additionally, the declining power of the Chavez family heightens the already ailing national support for President Hugo Chavez. The loss of a power-base such as Barinas would have continuing negative repercussions for President Hugo Chavez’s decreasing public support, and create political tensions for the remainder of his presidential term.
A Family Affair
Barinas, both a city and a state, is one of Venezuela’s poorest regions, yet an area that the Chavez family have had deep ties to for over 30 years. After moving into a modest home when President Chavez was a teenager, family head Hugo de los Reyes Chavez purchased a ranch called La Chavera. Known as “El Maestro” from the days when he was a teacher, senior Chavez has since doubled the ranch’s size to 150 acres. Most importantly, father Chavez has been a state leader with the Copei, Venezuela’s center-right political party for many years and is currently nearing the end of a 10-year tenure as Barinas’ governor.
Four out of five of President Chavez’s brothers have also been key political players within Barinas.
– Argenis Chavez is the current secretary of state in Barinas, and has largely taken government control since father Chavez suffered a stroke.
– Anibal Chavez is the mayor of Sabaneta, the town where he and his brothers were born.
– Brother Adelis Chavez is employed with Banco Sofitasa, which is responsible for state government banking issues.
– Narcisco Chavez remains active behinds the scene in Barinas.
– Adan Chavez, while not resident in Barinas, currently serves as President Chavez’s minister of education.
As father Chavez nears the end of his term, it had been assumed that one of his sons would win the November 2008 election to succeed him as governor.
A Challenger from Within
However, that once clear plan has become clouded by challenges from within the Chavezs’ own party. Wilmer Azuaje, a young congressman from Barinas, has recently broken ties with President Chavez’s political party. A political leader in Barinas since 2000 and elected to Congress in 2005, Azuaje has focused his gubernatorial campaign on negative aspects of Governor Chavez’s business and political dealings. Azuaje has accused father Chavez and his sons of using public funds to purchase ranches in Barinas and use straw men to hide the purchasers. For example, records indicate that the longtime watchman at La Chavera purchased one of the ranches, La Malaguena, for US$400,000. He claims that Governor Chavez, as well as Argenis and Narcisco Chavez, secretly purchased upwards of 17 ranches in Barinas to expand their own private hacienda.
While the public has become increasing disenfranchised with Governor Chavez’s extravagant governance, including the use of a convoy of SUVs that stop traffic for his travel, and the development of exuberant projects like a soccer stadium in 2007 that has yet to open, a challenge from within Chavez’s own party indicates a growing problem for the family. Until now, dissidence has come from critics outside the party, but with Azuaje’s accusation of corruption, it sets precedence of internal frustration the Chavez family will likely wish to avoid.
Trouble Ahead
Thus far during his accusations to both the national prosecutor and a congressional committee, Azuaje has avoided specifically implicating President Chavez. President Chavez has been equally vague on the issue by avoiding a direct confrontation with Azuaje, choosing instead to state only that his brothers deserve the right to defend themselves. However, the blow against his family implicitly reflects on President Chavez as well, who is already battling declining popular support following the defeat of his national referendum to secure greater power in December 2008.
Azuaje appears to be attempting to capitalize on President Chavez’s waning public support to bring forth accusations against his family. While Barinas is not the most influential region in Venezuela, the city holds great symbolic significance for President Chavez to maintain control.
Even with growing discontent with father Chavez’s rule, it is likely tradition will prevail and a Chavez brother, such as Adan, will win the governorship due to the family’s longstanding presence in state government. However, the margin of victory will likely be much smaller than in previous years, and the Chavez rule in Barinas will likely face growing protest from the public.
