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- Title
IMAGINARIOS DEL PETRÓLEO EN VENEZUELA. UN ESTUDIO DE LOS ENSAYOS DE ARTURO ÚSLAR-PIETRI.
- Authors
del Carmen Rodríguez Ávila, Yildret
- Abstract
The article analyzes Arturo Úslar-Pietri's essays on the topic of oil in Venezuela and how this element has influenced the country's way of organizing and thinking. Three categories were identified: Minotaur of oil, Easy wealth, and The apocalyptic oil or transitoriness. Oil is considered an imaginary cultural entity that affects collective and individual ways of life and thinking. The fetishization of oil is criticized, and two variants of the myth are mentioned: blaming the foreigner or the new-rich creole. In addition, the slogan of "sowing oil" is discussed, and Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonzo's vision on the topic is mentioned. The text talks about the impact of oil in Venezuela and how it transformed the country from being poor and traditional to being rich and modern. The discovery of oil brought with it a dazzling idea of easy wealth, which led to an imaginary of support and social superiority. However, this easy wealth also generated a culture of waste and consumption. Oil represented a destruction of traditional values such as tradition and work. Additionally, it is mentioned that the income from oil exploitation mainly benefited foreign companies and not the state or the Venezuelan people. The article analyzes the effects of the oil boom in Venezuela and how easy wealth generated uprooting, social instability, and a false social status. The neocolonization by the United States through oil companies is highlighted. The formation of new social classes, such as the middle class and poorly paid laborers, is mentioned. Additionally, it describes how middle-class professionals were carried away by the wave of wealth and joined political parties. The desperate search for easy money, corruption, and a fondness for lotteries and gambling are emphasized. Finally, concerns about the future of the country when oil runs out are raised. The text analyzes Úslar Pietri's proposals for managing oil revenue in Venezuela. Úslar proposed strengthening the agricultural and non-oil industries to create a source of wealth independent of oil. He considered that the consciousness of the people and education for progress were fundamental. He warned about the transitoriness of oil and the need to invest in the country. He also criticized oil policy and the management of state resources. In summary, Úslar Pietri advocated for harnessing oil wealth to transform and strengthen the country's economy. The text analyzes the economic and social consequences of a significant decline in oil activity in Venezuela. The centralization of economic and political power in the hands of the central government is mentioned, as well as the weakness in respecting property rights in the 19th century. The difficulties faced by pre-oil governments in ensuring the provision of public goods and the lack of consistent policies to mitigate the deindustrializing effect of the Dutch disease are also discussed. The lack of technological, scientific, and human preparation to face the oil industry and the discussion about foreign participation in the oil business are highlighted. Additionally, the rentier management of oil revenues that turned the state into an all-powerful and uncontrollable entity, generating corruption and inefficiency, is mentioned. In conclusion, it is argued that Venezuela did not know how to take advantage of oil wealth to achieve economic development and the well-being of its citizens.
- Subjects
VENEZUELA; SOCIAL impact; SOCIAL classes; ECONOMIC impact; PETROLEUM industry; PROPERTY rights; SOCIAL status; MIDDLE class
- Publication
Letras (0459-1283), 2022, Vol 62, Issue 101, p135
- ISSN
0459-1283
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.56219/letras.v62i101.1473