Communes and Workers' Control in Venezuela: Building 21st Century Socialism from Below (Historical Materialism)

Too often the story of Venezuela’s Bolivarian revolution is told with an excessive focus on former president Hugo Chávez. In this history from below, Dario Azellini turns our attention toward the ways workers, peasants, and the poor in urban communities have led the struggle for 21st century socialism. This fascinating account draws on extensive empirical studies and participant interviews.

Dario Azzellini (Ph.D. in Political Science, 2010, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Germany; and Ph.D. Sociology, 2012, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Mexico) is Assistant Professor of Sociology at the Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria. He has published monographs, edited volumes, articles and documentaries on Latin America, workers' control and social movements, including An Alternative Labour History (Ed., Zed Books 2015) and They Can't Represent Us! (with Marina Sitrin, Verso, 2014).