The Prince, a political treatise by Italian theorist Niccolò Machiavelli, portrays and examines political leaders skilled in the art of realpolitik, that is, the craft of building and maintaining power in political and diplomatic terms. The main premise of the book relies on the belief that 'the end justifies the mean'; a prince may indulge in the most cruel and immoral of actions, so long as in the end, he has acquired stable and substantial power.
However, The Prince was published in 1532, an era in which autocrats were a common occurrence and absolute power was, to a certain degree, something easily achieved and maintained. However with the advent and global surge of democracy, the possibility for leaders to become Machiavellian princes dimmed substantially and to this day remains minute.
Hence, when talking of modern day 'Machiavellian princes', a mere dozen or so could be named. Among those few is Hugo Chavez, whom I consider to be the prime example of Machiavellian ideals and logic. Chavez is the 56th and current president of Venezuela, a position he has held since 1999, and reigns under his own ideology of Bolivarianism and 'Socialism for the 20th Century'. His ability to secure his position of power and in fact cultivate it into something near absolute, whilst opposing the opposing the most powerful country in the world is the what characterize him as a Machiavellian prince.
I. The prince secures himself [...] by avoiding being hated or despised and by keeping the people satisfied with him.
No contemporary leader has followed this staple advice propagated in Machiavelli's The Prince as well as Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. In his article The Unfulfilled Promises of Hugo Chavez, Francisco Rodriguez (Council of Foreign Relations), said the following of the Venezuelan president:
"Although opinions differ on whether Chávez's rule should be characterized as authoritarian or democratic, just about everyone appears to agree that, in contrast to his predecessors, Chávez has made the welfare of the Venezuelan poor his top priority"
It is this steadfast and globally acknowledged devotion to the redressing of social injustices and inequality that have alloted him the popular support of his own citizens and the people of Latin America. To them he is the Latin American hero fighting for solidarity and human rights in the face of an overbearing and powerful United States. His series of Bolivarian Missions have led to achievements in addressing illiteracy, healthcare and poverty as well as benefitted economic and social advances, as recorded by a 2010 OAS report.
Popular support has been a mostly steadfast companion to Chavez's political and presidential career; he gained the title of Venezuelan president in a landslide victory of 56.2% during the elections of 1999, and following the 2002 attempted coup d'etat, was returned to power after a wave of protests in support of his regime.
2. [...] And never in peaceful times must he be idle; but he must turn them diligently to his advantage in order to be able to profit from them in times of adversity, so that, when fortune changes, she will find him prepared to withstand such times.
3. [...] A prince should void ever joining forces with one more powerful than himself against others unless necessity compels it [...]; for you remain his prisoner if you win, and princes should avoid, as much as possible, being left at the mercy of others.
Here it is interesting to observe the manner in which Chavez interprets these words of advice and creates an interplay that satisfies both in a straightforward and unobstructive manner (in terms of his political and ideological preferences). Chavez has chosen throughout the years, particularly following the election of George W. Bush as president and the failed coup of 2002, to oppose the most powerful country in the world, the United States, in any way possible, be it ideological, political or diplomatic.
The U.S. Department of State describe the U.S.-Venezuela relationship as being tense and says the following:
President Chavez continues to define himself in opposition to the United States, using incendiary rhetoric to insult the U.S. Government and U.S. influence in Latin America.
Chavez has managed to create an enemy of the state, through continuous opposition and criticism and aided by the already tense relationship between Latin American countries and the U.S. due to their historical baggage. The Venezuelan people are united not only by their desire of Latin American solidarity, but also by their dislike of U.S. policies and ideas.
To maintain this civilian opposition, Chavez keeps his citizens under the fear of a potential U.S. invasion. In 2006 Chávez called for restructuring the armed forces, including increased reserves (from 30,000 in 2004 to 150,000 in 2006) and the mobilization of the Guardia Territorial (Territorial Guard) which would be a completely civilian reserve (Venezuela under Chavez, Roger F. Noriega).
These actions are all but a mere glimpse into the manner in which Chavez demonstrates the characteristics and logic of a Machiavellian prince. The fact that he has been able to maintain his power despite such strong opposition, and was in fact able to abolish presidential term limits in 2009 (Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela), through a referendum, are all proof of his success.
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