Socialist Thought and Practice of the Venezuelan Left

The predecessor of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (hereinafter referred to as the “PSUV”) was the “Fifth Republic Movement,” a political party founded by former Venezuelan president and left-wing leader Hugo Chávez. During his tenure, Chávez implemented economic and social reforms domestically, promoted plebeian democracy, and improved the livelihood of the lower classes; externally, he sought independence and autonomy, opposed U.S. hegemony, and emphasized Latin American regional cooperation. To efficiently implement these governing concepts, after being elected president for the third time in 2006, Chávez formally proposed forming a unified Venezuelan socialist party by merging all domestic left-wing organizations, aiming to unite left-wing party forces and the socialist revolutionary elements that supported him. After a series of preparations, the PSUV was formally established in January 2008. From November 2009 to April 2010, the PSUV held its First Special Congress, adopting three documents—the Party Constitution, the Statement of Principles, and the Basic Program—which comprehensively elaborated on the party’s nature and guiding ideology. The party advocates opposing capitalism and imperialism, upholds socialism, humanism, and internationalism, defends the fruits of the Bolivarian Revolution, safeguards the interests of the working class, and is committed to building a fair, free, and humane “21st-century socialism.” The party defines itself as a mass party from the bottom up, uniting Venezuelans of different backgrounds to achieve thorough transformation and realize socialism. In essence, the PSUV is an important “engine” driving Venezuela onto a path that replaces the neoliberal development model.

委内瑞拉统一社会主义党（以下简称“统社党”）的前身是由委内瑞拉前总统、左翼领袖乌戈·查韦斯组建的政党“第五共和国运动”。查韦斯在执政期间，对内进行经济和社会改革，推行平民民主，改善下层民生；对外寻求独立自主，反对美国霸权，强调拉美区域合作。为高效贯彻上述执政理念，查韦斯在2006年第三次当选总统后正式提出，要组建一个由所有国内左派组织合并而成的委内瑞拉统一社会主义党，旨在联合左翼政党力量以及支持他的社会主义革命分子。经过一系列筹备后，统社党于2008年1月正式成立。2009年11月至2010年4月，统社党召开了第一次特别代表大会，通过了《党章》《原则声明》《基础纲领》等三个文件，对党的性质和指导思想作了全面阐释。该党主张反对资本主义和帝国主义，奉行社会主义、人道主义和国际主义，捍卫玻利瓦尔革命果实，维护劳动阶级利益，致力于建设公平、自由、人道的“21世纪社会主义”。该党自我定义为自下而上的群众性政党，通过凝聚不同背景的委内瑞拉人，完成彻底变革，实现社会主义。从本质上说，统社党是查韦斯推动委内瑞拉走上替代新自由主义发展道路的重要“引擎”。

After Chávez’s death, Nicolás Maduro took up the banner of the PSUV. Maduro was born in 1962 in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. In his youth, he was a subway driver and later grew into a leader of the subway workers’ union. As early as the 1990s, he was a staunch supporter of Chávez, later joined the “Fifth Republic Movement,” served as director of the mobilization department, and actively participated in the founding of the PSUV. Maduro was highly regarded by Chávez, serving as Venezuela’s foreign minister from 2006 to 2012, and was appointed vice president in October 2012, after which the ailing Chávez designated him as his “successor.” After Chávez died of cancer in 2013, Maduro won the presidential election held that same year and was elected party chairman at the PSUV’s Third Congress in July 2014. Article 11 of the congress’s programmatic document, the Conference Resolutions, explicitly stipulates the implementation and development of Maduro’s views and opinions on revolutionary theory and practice. Thus, the PSUV entered the “Maduro period.”

查韦斯去世后，尼古拉斯·马杜罗扛起了“统社党”的大旗。马杜罗于1962年出生在委内瑞拉首都加拉加斯，年轻时是地铁司机，后来成长为地铁工会领导人。早在1990年代初，他就是查韦斯的坚定支持者，后来加入了“第五共和国运动”，担任动员部主任，并积极参与创建统社党。马杜罗颇受查韦斯赏识，于2006年至2012年间担任委内瑞拉外长，2012年10月被任命为副总统，此后又被病重的查韦斯钦点为“接班人”。2013年查韦斯因癌症离世后，马杜罗在同年举行的总统选举中获胜，并在2014年7月召开的统社党第三届代表大会上当选为党主席。大会通过的纲领性文件《会议决议》第11条明确规定，要践行和发展马杜罗提出的关于革命理论与实践的观点和意见。由此，统社党进入“马杜罗时期”。

Under Maduro’s leadership, the PSUV continues to follow the path of “Chavismo,” and its party constitution, principles, and program have remained unchanged. Although the governing environment has deteriorated—especially after 2019, when Venezuela faced an unprecedented economic and political crisis domestically, and externally faced sanctions from the United States and isolation from right-wing Latin American countries—the PSUV has nonetheless stabilized its hold on power under extremely adverse governing conditions and has begun to explore innovations in governing concepts and methods. From March 5 to 8, 2022, the PSUV held its Fifth Congress. In addition to reaffirming the party’s purpose, it focused on discussing the promotion of the “3R.Nets” concept and the feasibility of the “Good Government 1×10” system, laying the groundwork for subsequent adjustments and renewals of the organizational structure and leadership at all levels. Currently, the PSUV has 7.7 million members, and Maduro proudly declared that the party has developed into the largest and strongest left-wing progressive force in Latin America.

统社党在马杜罗的领导下继续走“查韦斯主义”的道路，其党章、原则和纲领都未曾改变。尽管执政环境恶化，尤其是在2019年后，委内瑞拉国内面临前所未有的经济和政治危机，国外面临来自美国的制裁和拉美右翼国家对其的孤立，但统社党在极端恶劣的执政环境下依旧稳住了政权，并开始探索执政理念和执政方式的创新。2022年3月5日至8日，统社党召开了第五届代表大会，除了重申党的宗旨外，还着重讨论了“3R.Nets”理念的推广和“好政府1×10”系统的可行性，为此后对组织结构和各级领导层的调整和更新做了铺垫。目前，统社党已拥有770万名党员，马杜罗骄傲地宣布该党已发展成为拉美左翼进步力量中最大、最强的政党。

I. The PSUV’s Governing Environment Has Greatly Improved

一、统社党执政环境已大有改善

The PSUV’s governing environment once deteriorated sharply due to the “Venezuelan crisis.” Economically, Venezuela’s economic growth rate has been negative since 2014, and under the combined impact of the 2020 pandemic and U.S. sanctions, it hit a historic low of -30.3%, continuing to rank last among the 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Venezuela also suffered from prolonged hyperinflation, with its annual inflation rate peaking at 65,374.08% in 2018. Politically, opposition figure Juan Guaidó declared himself “interim president” in January 2019. He not only received support from the opposition camp but was also quickly recognized by the United States, Canada, and many Latin American countries, sharply escalating domestic tensions in Venezuela. The United States and other Western countries have long regarded eradicating Chavismo and overthrowing the PSUV government as the ultimate goal of their policy toward Venezuela, imposing 763 direct sanctions on the country over the past seven years. However, in the last two years, the situation in Venezuela seems to have taken a “turn for the better,” mainly reflected in the following aspects.

统社党的执政环境曾因“委内瑞拉危机”而急剧恶化。经济方面，委内瑞拉经济增长率自2014年起便为负值，在2020年疫情冲击和美国制裁等因素的叠加影响下更是跌至历史最低值的-30.3%，继续在拉美和加勒比33国中垫底。委内瑞拉还长期处于恶性通货膨胀状态，其年度通货膨胀率在2018年达到峰值，为65374.08%。政治方面，反对派人物胡安·瓜伊多于2019年1月自封为“临时总统”，他不但得到反对党阵营的支持，还迅速得到美国、加拿大及许多拉美国家的承认，这使委内瑞拉国内的紧张局势陡然升级。美国等西方国家一直把根除查韦斯主义、颠覆统社党政权视为对委政策的终极目标，在近七年中对委施加了763项直接制裁措施。然而近两年来，委内瑞拉局势似有“峰回路转”之势，主要表现在以下几个方面。

First, the economy has bottomed out and rebounded. On the one hand, Venezuela has escaped hyperinflation. Academia holds that if a country keeps its monthly inflation rate below 50% for 12 consecutive months, it is no longer in a state of hyperinflation. According to statistics from the Central Bank of Venezuela, the country’s monthly inflation rate remained below 50% throughout 2021. On the other hand, Venezuela’s economy has also achieved restorative growth. In early 2022, Maduro stated in his annual report to the National Assembly (hereinafter referred to as the “AN”), Venezuela’s highest legislative body, that 2021 was the first year of economic recovery and growth. With the support of diversified economic development, its GDP achieved over 15% growth in 2022, the best “report card” among Latin American and Caribbean countries.

第一，经济触底反弹。一方面，委内瑞拉已摆脱恶性通货膨胀。学界认为，一个国家若能连续12个月将其月度通胀率保持在50%以下，那么该国便不处于恶性通货膨胀状态。据委内瑞拉中央银行统计，该国月度通胀率在2021年全年一直处于50%以下。另一方面，委内瑞拉经济也已实现恢复性增长。2022年初，马杜罗在向委内瑞拉最高立法机构全国代表大会（下称“全代会”）作年度总结时表示，2021年是委内瑞拉经济复苏和增长的第一年。在经济多元发展的加持下，其国内生产总值在2022年实现了超过15%的增长，是拉美和加勒比国家交出的最好“成绩单”。

Second, the domestic political situation has stabilized. Since May 2019, the PSUV government has actively engaged in contact and negotiations with the opposition. Although this process was fraught with twists and turns, it ultimately established a “National Dialogue Platform” with the opposition excluding Guaidó in September 2019, and reached a consensus on matters related to the election of the new AN in February 2020, indicating a split within the opposition. In fact, the opposition lacks the ability to defeat Chavismo and does not have a solid mass base sufficient to exert political pressure on the PSUV government. Subsequently, the “Great Patriotic Pole Simón Bolívar” alliance, led by the PSUV, won 256 of the 277 seats in the AN election held in December 2020, and then won 21 of the country’s 24 first-level administrative units in the November 2021 local elections. Winning two consecutive overwhelming victories in major elections demonstrates that the PSUV has stabilized Venezuela’s political situation.

第二，国内政局趋于稳定。自2019年5月起，统社党政府便积极同反对派接触并谈判。此过程虽一波三折，但最终于2019年9月同没有瓜伊多的反对派建立了“全国对话平台”，并在2020年2月就新一届全代会选举相关事宜达成共识，这标志着反对派内部出现分裂。事实上，反对派并不具备战胜查韦斯主义的能力，也没有足以对统社党政府施加政治压力的牢固群众基础。此后，由统社党主导的“西蒙·玻利瓦尔大爱国中心”联盟在2020年12月举行的全代会选举中斩获全部277个议席中的256席，又在2021年11月的地方选举中拿下全国24个一级行政单位中的21个。连续两次在重大选举中取得压倒性胜利，说明统社党已稳定住委内瑞拉政局。

Third, the external environment has improved. First, U.S.-Venezuela relations have eased. In the first half of 2022, Maduro and AN President Jorge Rodríguez met separately with different U.S. delegations, and the Biden administration also announced the lifting of some sanctions on Venezuela in May of the same year, with both sides signaling goodwill. Second, the “left-wing resurgence” in Latin America has created a relatively relaxed geopolitical environment. For example, Colombia had long been controlled by right-wing forces, and there were numerous conflicts between Colombia and Venezuela on issues such as borders, migration, and combating crime. After Gustavo Petro won the 2022 election, Colombia “turned left” for the first time, and the two countries quickly restored diplomatic relations, with intentions to further strengthen cooperation in various fields, including trade. Argentina also restored diplomatic relations with Venezuela in 2022. The Argentine government also expressed support for Venezuela’s return to Mercosur and hopes that the two countries will jointly strengthen the construction of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the Union of South American Nations. Finally, the current international environment is favorable to Venezuela. The Ukraine crisis has led to crude oil shortages and price increases. Venezuela took advantage of this to stabilize its daily crude oil production at 700,000 barrels in the first half of 2022, generating monthly export revenues of $1.5 billion.

第三，外部环境有所改善。首先，美委关系有所缓和。2022年上半年，马杜罗和全代会主席豪尔赫·罗德里格斯分别会见了不同的美国代表团，拜登政府也在同年5月宣布解除部分对委制裁，美委已互释善意。其次，拉美“左翼回潮”创造了相对宽松的地缘政治环境。例如，哥伦比亚曾长期被右翼势力把持，哥委两国在边境、移民和打击犯罪等诸多议题上矛盾重重。古斯塔沃·佩特罗在2022年赢得大选后，哥首次实现“向左转”，两国也因此迅速复交，并有意进一步加强包括贸易在内的各领域合作。阿根廷也在2022年恢复了与委内瑞拉的外交关系。阿政府还表态支持委内瑞拉重返南方共同市场，并希望两国一道加强拉丁美洲和加勒比国家共同体及南美洲国家联盟的建设。最后，当前国际大环境对委有利。乌克兰危机导致原油短缺及其价格攀升，委内瑞拉乘势在2022年上半年把原油日产量稳定在了70万桶，并创造了每月15亿美元的出口额。

II. The PSUV’s Adjustments to Leadership at All Levels and Organizational Structure

二、统社党对各级领导层和组织结构的调整

Chávez always upheld the spirit of “developing participatory democracy, expanding the rights of the people, and striving to make the majority the protagonists of democracy,” and Maduro has inherited this. Currently, under favorable new conditions both inside and outside the Party and at home and abroad, in order to better practice the above spirit and improve governance capacity, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) has not only renewed its leadership but also optimized its organizational structure. After a series of adjustments, the PSUV has become more cohesive, and its governance efficiency is expected to be greatly enhanced.

查韦斯一向秉持“发展参与式民主、扩大民众权利、力争让大多数人成为民主主角”的精神，而马杜罗继承了这一点。当前，在党内外、国内外有利的新环境下，为更好地践行上述精神并提高执政能力，统社党不仅对领导层进行了更新，还对其组织结构进行了优化。经过一系列调整后，统社党更具凝聚力，执政效率也有望大大提升。

(I) The Transition to Socialism Begins with Renewing the Leadership

（一）向社会主义过渡从更新领导层开始

The Party Congress is the highest authority of the PSUV. The President is the supreme leader within the Party, and the First Vice President is fully responsible for the Party’s daily work. The Political Bureau is the Party’s core leadership team. The National Leadership Committee is responsible for discussing major national and Party matters and important issues and making collective decisions. The Political Committee is specifically responsible for supporting and guiding the various decisions adopted by the government. In addition, the PSUV has nearly 20 specific functional departments, including the Organization Department, Women’s Department, Youth Department, and International Affairs Department, each undertaking Party work in different areas.

党员代表大会是统社党的最高权力机构。主席是党内最高领袖，第一副主席全面负责党的日常工作。政治局是党的核心领导团队。全国领导委员会负责对党和国家的重大事项和重要议题进行讨论，并做出集体决策。政治委员会具体负责支持和指导政府通过的各项决策。此外，统社党还设有组织部、妇女部、青年部、国际事务部等近20个具体职能部门，分别承担不同领域的党务工作。

In April 2022, Maduro was re-elected as Party President at the Second Plenary Session of the Fifth Party Congress, and Diosdado Cabello continued as First Vice President. The plenary session also elected a new National Leadership Committee of 40 members and a Political Committee of another 19 members. In May of the same year, the PSUV adjusted its main leadership and organizational structure. In terms of personnel, Maduro announced a list of 13 members of the new Political Bureau, including himself, and adjusted the heads of various specific functional departments. After the adjustments, most functional department heads were concurrently held by members of the Political Bureau or the National Leadership Committee. In terms of organizational structure, the PSUV merged the Communications Department with the Electoral Affairs Department and also created a “liaison mechanism.” The “liaisons” for Venezuela’s 24 first-level administrative units are responsible for the Party’s organizational work in their respective regions, playing a role similar to that of a “Party branch secretary.”

2022年4月，马杜罗在第五届党员代表大会第二次全体会议上再次当选为党主席，迪奥斯达多·卡韦略继续担任第一副主席，全会还选出了由40人组成的新一届全国领导委员会和由另外19人组成的政治委员会。同年5月，统社党对其主要领导和组织结构进行了调整。在人员方面，马杜罗公布了包括他本人在内的新一届政治局委员13人名单，并对各具体职能部门的负责人进行了调整。经过调整后，多数职能部门负责人由政治局委员或全国领导委员会委员兼任。在组织架构方面，统社党将通信部与选举事务部进行了合并，还创建了“联系人机制”。委内瑞拉全国24个一级行政单位的“联系人”主管相应地区党的组织工作，起到“支部书记”的作用。

PSUV First Vice President Cabello emphasized that the adjustments to the Party’s leadership personnel and organizational structure are aimed at better finding new ways to transition to socialism. This shows the clarity of the Party’s goal of top-down reform and the firmness of its determination to achieve socialism.

统社党第一副主席卡韦略强调，对党的领导层人员和组织架构进行调整是为了更好地寻找向社会主义过渡的新方式。可见该党进行自上而下改革的目标之明确，寻求实现社会主义的决心之坚定。

(II) Consolidating the Party’s Grassroots Organizations through Participatory Democracy

（二）通过参与式民主巩固党的基层组织

Participatory democracy is an important element of Chavismo. Whether it was the earlier Fifth Republic Movement or the later PSUV, both regarded helping the people achieve mastery over their own affairs as a goal of struggle. To this end, the PSUV has established three levels of grassroots organizations: the street, the community, and the “Bolívar-Chávez Combat Units” (hereinafter referred to as “Combat Units”). The Party has grassroots leadership bodies in nearly 270,000 streets and over 46,000 communities nationwide, and has formed more than 14,000 Combat Units.

参与式民主是查韦斯主义的重要内容，无论是先前的“第五共和国运动”还是后来的统社党，均把帮助人民实现当家作主视为奋斗目标。为此，统社党设置了街道、社区和“玻利瓦尔—查韦斯战斗小组”（以下简称“战斗小组”）三级基层组织。该党在全国近27万个街道和4.6万多个社区均设有基层领导机构，并组建了1.4万余个战斗小组。

From late August to early September 2022, the Party held a large-scale grassroots election under the slogan “Organization, Unity, and Participation,” electing new leadership bodies for the streets, communities, and Combat Units. Each street leadership body consists of four people, with the one receiving the most votes serving as the general responsible person, and the other three respectively assisting the general responsible person in completing education, mobilization, and electoral work. The community leadership team is also composed of four people, including one general responsible person and three cadres. The situation for the “Combat Units” is slightly more complex: in addition to the candidate with the most votes serving as the unit’s general responsible person, another nine people are respectively in charge of affairs concerning women, youth, production, and other matters. After the elections, the PSUV successfully completed the renewal of its grassroots leadership, with the proportion of new cadres reaching as high as 57%. The role of women has also become increasingly important. Taking the election results of the Combat Units as an example, among the newly elected cadres, women accounted for as high as 62%. It is worth noting that in the grassroots elections, both non-party members and the opposition were granted the right to vote, fully reflecting the openness and inclusiveness of the PSUV.

该党于2022年8月底至9月初以“组织、团结和参与”为口号举行了盛大的基层选举活动，选出了党在街道、社区和战斗小组的新领导班子。每个街道的领导班子由4人组成，其中得票最多的是总负责人，另外3人则分别配合总负责人完成教育、动员和选举工作。社区领导团队同样由4人构成，包括1名总负责人和3名干部。“战斗小组”的情况则稍显复杂，除获得最多选票的候选人是小组的总负责人外，另有9人分别掌管妇女、青年、生产等方面事务。选举结束后，统社党顺利完成了对基层领导的更新，其中新人干部的比例高达57%。女性的作用也愈发重要，以战斗小组的选举结果为例，在新当选的干部中，女性占比高达62%。值得一提的是，在基层选举中，无党派人士和反对派均被赋予了投票权，这充分体现出统社党的开放性和包容性。

Maduro has repeatedly stated that the protagonists of the Bolivarian Revolution are the Venezuelan people, and the ruling party must actively listen to the opinions of the people. The PSUV’s open and inclusive grassroots elections have implemented the above spirit and enhanced the Party’s cohesion.

马杜罗曾多次表示，玻利瓦尔革命的主角是委内瑞拉人民，执政党要积极听取民众的意见。统社党开放且包容的基层选举贯彻落实了上述精神，提升了党的凝聚力。

III. The PSUV’s Innovation in Governance Concepts and Methods

三、统社党对执政理念和方式的创新

In a favorable new governance environment, the PSUV, based on Chavismo, has created a new theory with Venezuelan characteristics that conforms to the features of the times, namely the “3R.Nets” concept. Guided by this concept, the PSUV has launched a series of innovative governance measures, the most representative of which are the “Good Government 1×10” system and the plan to build special economic zones.

在有利的新执政环境中，统社党以查韦斯主义为基础，创造出了具有委内瑞拉特色的、符合时代特征的新理论，即“3R.Nets”理念。在该理念指导下，统社党推出了一系列执政创新举措，其中最具代表性的便是“好政府1×10”系统和建设经济特区的计划。

(I) The “3R.Nets” Concept

（一）“3R.Nets”理念

In early 2022, Maduro formally proposed the “3R.Nets” concept. “3R” represents three Spanish words: “Resistencia” (Resistance), “Renacimiento” (Rebirth), and “Revolucionar” (Revolution). “Resistance” emphasizes that Venezuela must resist all forms of imperialism; “Rebirth” signifies the rebirth of Venezuela’s spirit, culture, and national identity; “Revolution” requires the PSUV to unite with the people and eliminate all malpractices through continuous revolution. “Nets” is an abbreviation for the Spanish phrase “Nueva Época de Transición al Socialismo,” meaning “New Era of Transition to Socialism,” which Maduro defined as the period from 2022 to 2030.

2022年初，马杜罗正式提出“3R.Nets”理念。“3R”代表三个西班牙语单词“Resistencia”（抵抗）、“Renacimiento”（重生）和“Revolucionar”（革命）。“抵抗”强调委内瑞拉要对一切帝国主义形式进行抵抗；“重生”表示要让委内瑞拉的精神、文化和国家认同重生；“革命”则要求统社党与人民团结在一起，通过持续革命来革除一切弊端。 “Nets”是西班牙语“Nueva Época de Transición al Socialismo”的缩写，意为“向社会主义过渡的新时期”，马杜罗将其确定为2022年至2030年。

The “3R.Nets” concept is a guide to action for Venezuela’s march toward socialism. “Resistance” is the foundation for achieving socialism. Since Chávez established the Bolivarian revolutionary government, the United States has used various means to besiege Venezuela, attempting to prevent its development of socialism. However, the Venezuelan people have not bowed to imperialist forces, even under extremely harsh living conditions. “Resistance” requires the people to continue the struggle against hostile forces that interfere with and undermine the PSUV’s regime. “Rebirth” is the hope for overcoming current difficulties and moving toward socialism. Independence and autonomy have been the most important rights of the Venezuelan people since independence in the early 19th century, and “21st-century socialism” and “good living” have long been goals pursued by the broad masses. However, the “Venezuelan crisis” of the past few years has severely damaged the people’s confidence, shaken their socialist beliefs, and even led millions of refugees to leave Venezuela. Therefore, the people’s patriotism, fearless spirit, and desire for socialism need to be “reborn,” and the PSUV must also be reborn in revolutionary morality. “Revolution” is an important means of achieving socialism. Marta Harnecker, a theorist of Bolivarian revolutionary thought and an advisor to Chávez, believes that Chávez was not a populist but a revolutionary leader. Under the new circumstances, Maduro has also put forward the demand for “continuing the revolution” to the people. It can be seen that two generations of PSUV leaders have attached importance to the important role of “revolution.” In recent years, inspired by the revolutionary spirit, the Venezuelan people have not been crushed by various adverse factors but have defended the fruits of the revolution.

“3R.Nets”理念是委内瑞拉迈向社会主义的行动指南。“抵抗”是实现社会主义的基础。自查韦斯建立玻利瓦尔革命政权后，美国便使用各种手段围困委内瑞拉，妄图阻止其发展社会主义。但是，委内瑞拉人民即使在生活条件极其恶劣的环境下也没有向帝国主义势力低头。“抵抗”要求人民继续与干涉、破坏统社党政权的敌对势力斗争下去。“重生”是克服当前困难、迈向社会主义的希望。独立和自主是自19世纪初独立以来委内瑞拉人民最重要的权利，“21世纪社会主义”和“美好生活”也早已成为广大群众追求的目标。然而，过去几年的“委内瑞拉危机”严重打击了人民的信心，动摇了他们的社会主义信念，甚至导致数以百万计的难民离开委内瑞拉。因此，人民的爱国主义、无畏精神和对社会主义的渴望需要“重生”，统社党也要在革命道德中重生。“革命”是实现社会主义的重要手段。玻利瓦尔革命理论的思想家、查韦斯的顾问玛尔塔·哈内克认为，查韦斯不是民众主义者，而是革命领袖。而在新形势下，马杜罗也向人民提出了“继续革命”的要求。可见，统社党两代领导人都重视“革命”的重要作用。近年来，在革命精神的鼓舞下，委内瑞拉人民没有被各种不利因素击垮，而是捍卫住了革命成果。

The “3R.Nets” concept is a positioning device for Venezuela’s march toward socialism. The “Venezuelan crisis” has drained the people’s will, bred discontent, and even led Venezuela to change course on its path toward socialism. In this situation, in order to gradually meet the various basic needs of the people, strive to improve their living standards, and lead the country toward socialism at a steady pace, the PSUV, led by Maduro, proposed the important concept of a “New Era of Transition to Socialism.” The mission of this concept is to help leading cadres at all levels of the Party, government, and military, as well as the masses, recognize the reality of the country’s current stage of development, thereby avoiding “adventurism” or “lagging behind.” Therefore, the “3R.Nets” concept serves to position the country’s development.

“3R.Nets”理念是委内瑞拉迈向社会主义的定位器。“委内瑞拉危机”消耗了人民的意志，滋生了不满情绪，甚至导致委内瑞拉在朝社会主义前进的道路上改弦易辙。在这种形势下，为了逐步满足民众的各种基本需求、努力提高民众的生活水平，并领导国家以稳健的步伐迈向社会主义，以马杜罗为首的统社党提出了“向社会主义过渡的新时期”这一重要理念。该理念的使命就是帮助党政军各级领导干部和群众认清国家目前所处发展阶段的现实，从而避免“冒进”或“滞后”。因此，“3R.Nets”理念起到了为国家发展定位的作用。

Although the “3R.Nets” concept is still in a construction phase and has not yet formed a complete theoretical system, it has already become the core guiding ideology for the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) in governing the country in the new period. First, this concept has a broad mass base. In early 2022, Maduro called on the entire nation to expand discussion of “3R.Nets” at a commemorative meeting marking the 64th anniversary of the victory of the Venezuelan Revolution of 1958. This sparked a wave of debate across all sectors of Venezuelan society. Second, this concept is highly valued by the Venezuelan leadership. Maduro has repeatedly demanded on different occasions that Party and government cadres strengthen their study of the “3R.Nets” concept and take it as a guide for action in the new period. Finally, the scope of guidance of this concept is extremely broad. Since the birth of the “3R.Nets” concept, the PSUV government has formulated multiple development plans under its guidance, covering many fields such as the economy, education, healthcare, the internet, and infrastructure construction. As theoretical construction advances further, this concept will inevitably have an immeasurable impact on more areas of Venezuela.

尽管“3R.Nets”理念仍处于构建阶段，尚未形成完整的理论体系，但它已成为统社党在新时期治理国家的核心指导思想。首先，该理念具有广泛的群众基础。2022年初，马杜罗在纪念委内瑞拉1958年革命胜利64周年纪念大会上号召全国人民扩大对“3R.Nets”的讨论。委社会各界由此掀起讨论的热潮。其次，该理念备受委内瑞拉高层重视。马杜罗在不同场合多次要求党政领导干部加强对“3R.Nets”理念的学习，将其作为新时期工作的行动指南。最后，该理念指导领域极其广泛。自“3R.Nets”理念诞生以来，统社党政府已依此为指导制定了多项发展规划，涉及经济、教育、医疗、网络、基础设施建设等诸多领域。随着理论建设的进一步推进，该理念必将对委内瑞拉更多领域产生不可估量的影响。

(II) The “Good Government 1×10” System and Special Economic Zones Are Typical Examples of PSUV Practical Innovation

（二）“好政府1×10”系统和经济特区是统社党实践创新的典型

In order to maintain social stability and smoothly advance toward socialism, the PSUV has placed greater emphasis than before on grassroots governance and economic development. It has therefore pursued innovation in its governance measures, launching the “Good Government 1×10” system and the project to create special economic zones. Both of these new governance measures can be explained using the “3R.Nets” concept: the “Good Government 1×10” system aims to use high technologies such as network communications to better solve the daily problems of community residents and restore their confidence in the PSUV and socialism—this is “Rebirth”; the creation of special economic zones is a new experiment by the PSUV government in the new period, aimed at attracting foreign investment and increasing national revenue to counter U.S. and European sanctions—this is “Revolution” and “Resistance.”

为维护社会稳定，顺利迈向社会主义，统社党比以往更加重视基层治理和经济发展，因此在执政举措上追求创新，推出了“好政府1×10”系统和创建经济特区项目。这两项执政新举措均可用“3R.Nets”理念来解释：“好政府1×10”系统旨在利用网络通信等高新技术更好地为社区民众的日常生活排忧解难，恢复他们对统社党和社会主义的信心，此为“重生”；创建经济特区则是统社党政府在新时期的新尝试，目的在于吸引外国投资、增加国家收入，以对抗美欧制裁，此为“革命”与“抵抗”。

The “Good Government 1×10” system is a PSUV innovation project benefiting the people. On May 20, 2022, the Maduro government officially launched the “Good Government 1×10” system, an online system through which the government strengthens public administration and promptly resolves the daily problems of the masses. Any Venezuelan citizen aged 16 or older can register an account on the “Fatherland Platform” and, based on their community, create a “1×10 group” under their own leadership or join a group created by others. Each group consists of 11 people, including one leader and ten members; a user cannot join two groups simultaneously. When using the system, users can submit reports or complaints to government departments regarding public service issues such as community water supply, electricity, transportation, and medical services, and public officials are expected to respond and resolve the problem promptly. Delcy Rodríguez, a member of the PSUV Political Bureau and Vice President of the Republic, is the lead official in charge of this project; she has stressed the need to ensure that feedback from the masses reaches the municipal government directly. The “Good Government 1×10” system will greatly improve the efficiency of local government work, providing the people with more convenient and higher-quality lives. Moreover, given that “weak social oversight mechanisms” are one of the important reasons why anti-corruption efforts in Venezuela have not achieved the desired results, this system may enhance the efficiency of the PSUV government in combating corruption. Maduro has high hopes for this new form of grassroots governance, stating that “the 1×10 system is the grave of bureaucracy.”

“好政府1×10”系统是统社党的惠民创新项目。2022年5月20日，马杜罗政权正式推出“好政府1×10”系统，即政府加强公共管理、及时解决群众日常生活问题的网络系统。凡是16周岁以上的委内瑞拉公民均可通过“祖国平台”注册账号，依据所属社区创建自己领导的“1×10小组”，或加入他人创建的小组。每小组11人，包括1名负责人和10名组员，一个用户不能同时加入两个小组。使用该系统时，用户可就社区供水、电力、交通和医疗服务等公共服务问题向政府部门提出报告或投诉，公职人员会在第一时间对此做出反应并解决问题。统社党政治局委员、国家副总统德尔西·罗德里格斯是此项目的主管领导，她强调要保证群众反馈的信息能直接到达市政厅。“好政府1×10”系统将大大提高地方政府工作效率，为民众提供更加便利和优质的生活。此外，鉴于“社会监督机制薄弱”是委内瑞拉反腐未取得应有效果的重要原因之一，该系统或将提升统社党政府治理腐败的效率。马杜罗对这种新的基层治理方式寄予厚望，并指出“1×10系统是官僚主义的坟墓”。

The construction of special economic zones is an important PSUV governance innovation in the economic sphere. On June 30, 2022, the National Assembly, with strong impetus from the PSUV, passed the Organic Law on Special Economic Zones, planning to establish five special economic zones in Venezuela’s northern coastal region. The PSUV government hopes to use the special economic zones to achieve a series of goals: promoting the development of advantageous projects, expanding and diversifying exports, acquiring new technologies, developing new production models, promoting economic diversification, participating in international production chains, advancing industrial development, creating employment opportunities, and increasing workers’ incomes. To attract foreign investment, the special economic zones will offer investors numerous preferential policies, mainly including the following: establishing a “single window” for handling administrative affairs to simplify various procedures and improve efficiency; providing various tax rebate policies, including import tax rebates, for enterprises within the zones; offering customs and tax benefits for enterprises that import materials beneficial to Venezuela’s economic development; granting tax benefits for enterprises that produce or import through the zones essential materials for domestic consumption in Venezuela; providing preferential policies in the economic, financial, and foreign trade spheres for financial institutions operating within the zones; and adopting a free convertibility monetary policy. The strength of the PSUV government’s efforts to attract foreign capital fully demonstrates its determination for “change.”

建设经济特区是统社党在经济领域重要的执政创新举措。2022年6月30日，全代会在统社党的大力推动下通过了《经济特区组织法》，计划在委内瑞拉北部沿海地区创办五个经济特区。统社党政府希望借助经济特区实现推动优势项目发展、扩大出口并使其多元化、获取新技术、发展新生产模式、促进经济多样化、参与国际生产链、推动工业发展、创造就业机会和增加劳动者收入等一系列目标。为吸引外国投资，经济特区将为投资者提供诸多优惠政策，主要包括以下几点：设立办理行政事务的“唯一窗口”，以简化各种手续，提高办事效率；为特区内企业提供包括进口退税在内的多种退税优惠政策；如特区内企业进口有利于委内瑞拉经济发展的物资，将享受海关和税收优惠；如特区内企业生产或经特区进口用于委内瑞拉国内消费的重要物资，将享受税收优惠；在特区内开展业务的金融单位将在经济、金融和外贸领域享受优惠政策；采取自由兑换货币政策。统社党政府吸引外国资本的力度之大，足以体现其“变革”的决心。

IV. Governance Challenges Facing the PSUV

四、统社党面临的执政挑战

Currently, the crises in Venezuela’s political, economic, and diplomatic spheres have eased somewhat, and the PSUV’s internal adjustments and governance innovations have brought new hope to the people. However, in the “new period of advancing toward socialism,” the PSUV will still face challenges in the following areas.

当前，委内瑞拉在政治、经济和外交等领域的危机已有所缓解，统社党的内部调整和执政创新也给民众带来了新希望。然而，在“迈向社会主义的新时期”，统社党仍将面临以下几个方面的挑战。

First, the tasks of the “Fatherland Plan 2019–2025” are urgent. The “Fatherland Plan” is a specific development plan for Venezuela from 2019 to 2025, passed by the National Assembly, including the relatively abstract “Five Great Historical Objectives” and a series of “specific development indicators.” Judging from the current implementation situation, it is very difficult for the PSUV government to complete the relevant plan. Taking Venezuela’s economic lifeline, oil production, as an example, the average daily crude oil output in 2022 was 685,000 barrels. Although this represents a significant increase compared to the daily average of 554,000 barrels in 2021, it is still far from the target of 5 million barrels per day that needs to be achieved by 2025. Currently, the “Fatherland Plan” is more than halfway through its term, and it is quite difficult to fully realize its planned objectives within the remaining time.

第一，“祖国计划2019—2025”任务迫在眉睫。“祖国计划”是由全代会通过的、委内瑞拉在2019年至2025年期间的具体发展规划，包括内容较抽象的“五大历史目标”和一系列“具体发展指标”。从目前的执行情况看，统社党政府很难完成相关计划。以委内瑞拉的经济命脉石油生产为例，2022年的原油日产量为68.5万桶，虽相较于2021年的每日55.4万桶已经增长不少，但是距2025年需要达到的每日500万桶的目标还有巨大差距。目前，“祖国计划”期限已经过半，要在剩余时间内完全实现其规划目标，难度颇高。

Second, the construction of special economic zones faces numerous difficulties. To begin with, Venezuela’s overall investment environment is not optimistic. Venezuelan economist José Guerra has pointed out that because the government has previously expropriated and confiscated foreign capital, it is very difficult to find new investors, especially given the lack of many key economic data. Furthermore, many preferential policies are not clearly defined. The Organic Law on Special Economic Zones is a framework law of principle, providing no precise explanation of the various preferential policies—for example, it does not specify the exact tax rebate rate, nor does it clearly define concepts such as “materials beneficial to economic development.” Finally, there is a lack of supporting reform measures. Venezuela’s special economic zones lack institutional support, making them like “water without a source.”

第二，经济特区建设困难重重。首先，委内瑞拉整体投资环境不容乐观。该国经济学家何塞·格拉（José Guerra）指出，由于政府曾征用、没收过外国资本，因此很难找到新的投资者，在缺少许多关键性经济数据的情况下更是如此。其次，许多优惠政策并不明确。《经济特区组织法》是原则性、框架性法律，对各项优惠政策并无精确解释，比如未具体规定退税率是多少，对“有利于经济发展的物资”等概念也无清晰定义。最后，缺乏配套改革措施。委经济特区缺少制度性支持，犹如“无源之水”。

Third, governance innovations have been questioned by some domestic political forces. Compared with the Chávez period, the current PSUV government places greater emphasis on the private economy; Vice President Rodríguez has publicly affirmed the role of the private sector. Consequently, some dissidents believe that the PSUV has taken the capitalist road and accuse its governance innovations of being a betrayal of Chavismo. The Communist Party of Venezuela has also diverged from the PSUV on issues such as labor rights, social welfare, “dollarization,” and foreign policy, and has therefore withdrawn from the “Simón Bolívar Great Patriotic Center” governing coalition. The Communist Party of Venezuela also opposes the construction of special economic zones; its General Secretary and National Assembly deputy Oscar Figuera has even called the Organic Law on Special Economic Zones a “contract of the elites.”

第三，执政创新遭到国内部分政治力量的质疑。与查韦斯时期相比，当前统社党政府更加重视私有经济，副总统罗德里格斯就曾公开肯定私营部门的作用。因此，有异见人士认为统社党走上了资本主义道路，并指责其执政创新举措是对查韦斯主义的背叛。委内瑞拉共产党也与统社党在劳工权益、社会福利、“美元化”、对外政策等方面出现了分歧，因而退出了“西蒙·玻利瓦尔大爱国中心”执政联盟。委共还反对建设经济特区，该党总书记、全代会议员奥斯卡·菲格拉甚至称《经济特区组织法》为“精英的契约”。

Fourth, the legitimacy of governance is questionable. Electoral activity data show that, compared with the Chávez period, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) under Maduro has experienced a crisis in the legitimacy of its governance. Taking presidential elections as an example, after the establishment of the PSUV, Venezuela held general elections in 2012, 2013, and 2018 respectively, with the following results: in 2012, over 18 million voters participated in the general election, with a turnout rate as high as 80.67%, and Chávez won more than 8.13 million votes; in 2013, there were nearly 19 million voters, with a turnout rate of 79.68%, and Maduro won the support of more than 7.58 million voters; in 2018, the number of voters rose to 20 million, but the turnout rate dropped to 46.06%, and Maduro obtained only less than 6.25 million votes. Under the circumstances of an increase in the number of voters but a continuous decline in both turnout rate and number of votes received, the PSUV urgently needs to enhance the people’s confidence in it.

第四，执政合法性堪忧。选举活动数据显示，与查韦斯时期相比，马杜罗领导下的统社党在执政合法性方面出现危机。以总统选举为例，委内瑞拉在统社党成立后，分别于2012年、2013年和2018年举行了大选，结果如下：2012年有1800多万选民参加大选，投票率高达80.67%，查韦斯斩获813万余张选票；2013年有近1900万选民，投票率为79.68%，马杜罗赢得758万多选民支持；2018年选民人数上涨至2000万，但投票率却下降到46.06%，马杜罗也仅获不到625万张选票。在选民人数上升、投票率和得票数却持续下降的情况下，统社党亟需提升民众对其的信心。

V. Conclusion

五、结语

The PSUV was born in the “Pink Tide” [11]11 The “Pink Tide” refers to a wave of left-wing governments that came to power in several Latin American countries in the early 2000s, including Venezuela under Hugo Chávez, Brazil under Lula da Silva, and Argentina under Néstor Kirchner. of the early 21st century when left-wing forces in Latin America collectively held power. It has withstood the severe tests of the “Venezuelan crisis” and in recent years has gained new vitality amid a new resurgence of the left. Under Maduro’s leadership, the Party continues to follow a path suited to Venezuela’s national conditions. It both unswervingly adheres to Chavismo [12]12 Chavismo is the political ideology and movement associated with Hugo Chávez, combining left-wing populism, anti-imperialism, and a form of socialism adapted to Venezuelan conditions. and always pursues the development of socialism, and is courageous in innovating its organizational structure, governing philosophy, and governing methods. However, in essence, the PSUV’s governing philosophy is far removed from scientific socialism; it represents yet another exploration of a development path different from the Western model within the new geopolitical environment of Latin America.

统社党诞生于21世纪初拉美左翼力量集体执政的“粉红色浪潮”，经受住了“委内瑞拉危机”的重重考验，近年来又在新一轮左翼回潮中迎来了生机。该党在马杜罗的带领下继续走符合委内瑞拉国情的道路，既对查韦斯主义坚持不渝、始终追求发展社会主义，又勇于对组织架构、执政理念和执政方式进行创新。然而，从本质上说，统社党的执政理念与科学社会主义相去甚远，是在拉美新的地缘政治环境中对不同于西方模式的发展道路的又一次探索。

In the new period of moving toward socialism, whether it can implement the “3R.Nets” [13]13 “3R.Nets” is a Venezuelan government program launched in 2022, standing for “Resistance, Rebirth, and Revolution” (Resistencia, Renacimiento, Revolución), aimed at restructuring the state and economy. concept, put into practice the “Good Government 1×10” [14]14 The “Good Government 1×10” system is a Venezuelan government mechanism for citizen oversight and service delivery, where each community delegate (1) monitors ten households (×10) to report problems and coordinate solutions. system, and create plans such as special economic zones, as well as respond to a series of new governance challenges, will be an important criterion for testing the PSUV’s governing capacity and the key to determining whether Venezuela’s economy can be revitalized.

在迈向社会主义的新时期，能否贯彻“3R.Nets”理念、落实“好政府1×10”系统和创建经济特区等规划，并应对一系列新的执政挑战，将是检验统社党执政能力的重要标准，也是决定委内瑞拉经济能否重振的关键。

(Author bios: Yang Jianmin, Institute of Latin American Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Zhang Xiaoxu, University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)

（作者简介：杨建民，中国社会科学院拉丁美洲研究所；张晓旭，中国社会科学院大学）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心