A Blessing and a Curse: Oil, Politics, and Morality in Bolivarian Venezuela

A Blessing and a Curse explores the lived experience of political change, moral uncertainty, and economic crisis in Venezuela during the Bolivarian Revolution, highlighting the contradictory policies that entrenched the country in dependency and produced cultural anxieties about the effects of petroleum revenues.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 236 pages
Publication date: 10 October 2023
Publisher: Stanford University Press

A Blessing and a Curse delves into the intricate tapestry of political transformation, moral ambiguity, and economic upheaval that unfolded during Venezuela's contentious Bolivarian Revolution. Matt Wilde, through his extensive ethnographic research conducted over a decade in an urban barrio, presents a compelling argument that the everyday lives of individuals during this period were intricately woven with a profound contradiction. While the governments of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro aimed to secure a greater share of oil revenue and distribute it more broadly among the population, their policies inadvertently perpetuated Venezuela's dependence, contrary to their initial intentions. This book offers a fresh and innovative synthesis between anthropological studies on energy, politics, and morality, shedding light on how the utilization of oil money to finance the revolution's social programs and political reforms sparked profound cultural concerns about the unintended consequences of petroleum revenues in everyday contexts. Wilde meticulously traces the ripple effects of these anxieties throughout community life, family networks, and local politics, illustrating how the very definition of a good life became intricately intertwined with Venezuela's complex relationship with oil. By offering a novel perspective on the political and moral economies of natural resources in postcolonial settings, Wilde contributes a vital dimension to contemporary discussions surrounding energy transitions.

Weight: 360g
Dimension: 151 x 229 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781503637078