Journals / 19 Mayıs Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 7 Sayı: 3

From “Tree of Three Roots” to External Intervention: The Political Anatomy of 21st Century Socialism and the Crisis of the Bolivarian Regime

“Üç Kök Ağacından” Dış Müdahaleye: Venezuela’da 21. Yüzyıl Sosyalizminin Siyasal Anatomisi ve Bolivarcı Rejimin Krizi

Gökhan Çin(İstanbul Atlas Üniversitesi)0000-0003-4210-0563
Pages
79–99
Publication Date
2026-09-30
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

In conclusion, it has been concluded that the regime has been plunged into deep uncertainty by the US operation and is seeking various options to extricate the country from its spiral of crisis.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:This article examines the historical, ideological, and political dimensions of the Bolivarian Revolution, which began in Venezuela in 1999 with Hugo Chávez’s rise to power and was plunged into deep uncertainty on January 3, 2026, when Nicolás Maduro was overthrown following U.S. intervention.
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Key Findings & Data:Adopting a qualitative historical-political analytical approach, the study highlights the eclectic nature of the Bolivarian movement and demonstrates how it interprets its founding ideas in different ways.
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Conclusion & Impact:In conclusion, it has been concluded that the regime has been plunged into deep uncertainty by the US operation and is seeking various options to extricate the country from its spiral of crisis.
🔬Design:Modeling & Simulation
📍Scope:2026 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Venezuela · Bolivarcılık · Chavez

Abstract

This article examines the historical, ideological, and political dimensions of the Bolivarian Revolution, which began in Venezuela in 1999 with Hugo Chávez’s rise to power and was plunged into deep uncertainty on January 3, 2026, when Nicolás Maduro was overthrown following U.S. intervention. Adopting a qualitative historical-political analytical approach, the study highlights the eclectic nature of the Bolivarian movement and demonstrates how it interprets its founding ideas in different ways. In this context, the study conveys to the reader how Bolivarianism emerged, starting with the teachings of Simón Bolívar, Simón Rodríguez and Ezequiel Zamora (Tree of Three Roots), which form its intellectual foundation, what it aimed to achieve, and how it took shape throughout the historical process. Within this framework, it analyses how Bolivarianism, initially a public-spirited doctrine nourished by republican ideals, gradually became authoritarian and disregarded democratic institutions. The research concludes that the revolution, which initially set out promising social equality and full independence, has, over time and partly due to the influence of a rentier economic model based on oil, transformed into a non-competitive authoritarian regime that lost its legitimacy during the Maduro era. The emergence of a new privileged class (boliburguesía), the migrant crisis exceeding 5.9 million people, and the isolation brought about by international sanctions have rendered the system unsustainable. In conclusion, it has been concluded that the regime has been plunged into deep uncertainty by the US operation and is seeking various options to extricate the country from its spiral of crisis.

Özet

Bu makale, Venezuela'da 1999 yılında Hugo Chávez'in iktidara gelmesiyle başlayan ve 3 Ocak 2026 tarihinde Nicolás Maduro'nun ABD müdahalesiyle devrilerek derin bir belirsizliğe sürüklenen Bolivarcı Devrimin tarihsel, ideolojik ve siyasal boyutlarını incelemektedir. Nitel bir tarihsel-siyasal analiz yöntemi benimsen ilgili çalışmada, Bolivarcı hareketin eklektik yapısı ortaya konarak kurucu fikirleri nasıl farklı yorumladığını ortaya koymaktadır. Bu bağlamda ilgili çalışma; Bolivarcılığın düşünsel altyapısını oluşturan Simón Bolívar, Simón Rodríguez ve Ezequiel Zamora'nın (Üç Kök Ağacı) öğretilerinden başlayarak nasıl ortaya çıktığını, neleri amaçladığı ve tarihsel süreç içerisinde nasıl şekillendiğini okuyucuya aktarmaktadır. Bu çerçevede, cumhuriyetçi ideallerden beslenen kamucu bir öğretici olarak Bolivarcılığın nasıl zamanla otoriterleştiğini ve demokratik kurumları göz ardı ettiği analiz edilmektedir. Araştırma sonucunda, başlangıçta toplumsal eşitlik ve tam bağımsızlık vaadiyle yola çıkan devrimin, petrole dayalı rantiyer bir ekonomik modelin de etkisiyle zamanla Maduro döneminde meşruiyetini yitirmiş rekabetçi olmayan otoriter bir rejime dönüştüğü tespit edilmiştir. Yeni bir imtiyazlı sınıfın (boliburguesía) doğuşu, 5,9 milyonu aşan göçmen krizi ve uluslararası yaptırımların getirdiği izolasyon neticesinde sistemin sürdürülemez hale geldiği görülmüştür. Nihayetinde rejimin, ABD operasyonuyla derin bir belirsizliğe itildiği ve ülkenin kriz sarmalından çıkabilmesi için farklı seçenekler aradığı sonucuna varılmıştır.

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Cite This Article

Çin, G. (2026). From “Tree of Three Roots” to External Intervention: The Political Anatomy of 21st Century Socialism and the Crisis of the Bolivarian Regime. 19 Mayıs Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, Cilt: 7 Sayı: 3, 79–99. https://doi.org/10.52835/19maysbd.1979767

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