The United States and Promotion of Democracy in Latin America: The Case of Venezuela

The policy of promoting democracy is one of the most important strategies that the United States is pursuing in the post-Cold war period to keep its dominance and influence on Latin American region countries. This policy coincided with the formation of the third wave of democracy in different parts of the world. The United States leaders tried to make use of this wave as an instrument for furtherance of their own objectives in the region. The present article by choosing the policy of promotion of democracy from the viewpoint of William Robinson in Latin American region with emphasis on Venezuela tries to examine that on what basis, determinants and mechanism the United States implements the policy of promotion of democracy in Latin American region? The finding of the study shows that on the past quarter of century the United States government has planned and endeavored that only those kinds of elite should come to power in Latin American countries that follow neo-liberal economic policies and open market economy. In this direction destabilizing the nationalist and leftist governments has been the most important mechanism of the policy of promotion of democracy. A policy which was implemented throughout Hugo Chavez presidency in Venezuela, and continued after his death.