ABSTRACT
Venezuela has been in the forefront in supporting free elections and opposing human right abuses in the Middle East, Latin America and South Asia by pro-United States (US) client regimes in Iraq, Afghanistan and Colombia. Venezuela has made tremendous advances in the economy since the failed coup of 11 April 2002 and the employers' lockout of December 2002-February 2003, which led to a 24 percent decline in Gross Domestic Product. Under the leadership of President Hugo Chvez, Venezuela has made unprecedented social and cultural changes benefiting the broad majority of the urban and rural poor, and working and lower middle classes. The role models and life styles of Venezuelan middle class were found in the upscale Miami suburbs, shopping malls, condos and financial services. Clearly the shadow of the US hegemony over the Venezuelan elite and middle class has a strong component of ideological-psychological self-delusion. Venezuela had taken several measures to counter the US-Colombian-Venezuelan fifth column threats to national security.
