Abstract

This piece illustrates that comparing the political and economic impact of Hugo Chavez and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on their respective countries based solely on generalizations regarding similarities in foreign policy discourse is an unwarranted analytical jump. To identify the essential difference between the two administrations, the article pays attention to the different domestic politics in each country. Ahmadinejad’s populism seems to fit best within neoliberal populism. In stark contrast, Chavista socialism can be understood as a “heterodox” or “alternative” economic policy.

Highlights

  • A couple of months ago and while attending Hugo Chavez’s funeral, Mahmud Ahmadinejad declared that: “no doubt Chavez will return to Earth together with Jesus and the perfect (Imam Mahdi)” [1]

  • Generalizing the similarity in the foreign policy discourses of Chavez and Ahmadinejad to the whole political and economic impacts they caused in their respective countries is an unwarranted analytical jump

  • Ahmadinejad’s political and economic agenda, may be best characterized as a neoliberal populism, in contrast to what was going in Venezuela under Chavez

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Summary

Introduction

A couple of months ago and while attending Hugo Chavez’s funeral, Mahmud Ahmadinejad declared that: “no doubt Chavez will return to Earth together with Jesus and the perfect (Imam Mahdi)” [1]. Abstract This piece illustrates that comparing the political and economic impact of Hugo Chavez and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on their respective countries based solely on generalizations regarding similarities in foreign policy discourse is an unwarranted analytical jump.

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