Public Political Image: the Last Populism of Chavez

Abstract

Populism is a major brand in Latin American politics and the emergence of so called populist leaders, such as the former president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, is interwoven with changes in the perception of politics by citizens. This paper seeks to understand, therefore, the construction of Hugo Chavez public political image so the concept of neo-populism could be attributed to Chavez's government. The period analyzed was the 2012 presidential election in Venezuela. Our initial hypothesis, confirmed by the analysis, indicated the existence of a strategic emphasis Chavez populism in the 2012 election and also signaled not only the existence of personality-centred voting, but also the option of retrospective vote for Chavez.