Liberal scholars argue that the Venezuelan government has shared oil revenues with the nation's poor, Rodriguez said, while conservative researchers assert that the new social programs have done little to help the poor.
After serving as the chief economist for the Venezuelan National Assembly from 2000 to 2004, Rodriguez has sought to resolve this debate by researching the extent to which Chavez's government has created a more equitable distribution of wealth.
"My own view of Chavez's government's focus on poverty and inequality has changed over time as I have done more research," Rodriguez said. "I was very excited about the reforms Hugo Chavez could bring, but I don't think his programs have done so."
Rodriguez listed several alleged failures of the Venezuelan government's attempts to help the poor, including the Mision "Barrio Adentro" program, which sent Cuban doctors into impoverished neighborhoods to improve public health. Rodriguez said the program decreased resources for public hospitals and noted that the rates of malaria and other infectious diseases have doubled since the program began in 2003.
"Mision Robinson," a literacy program, also failed, according to Rodriguez. The Venezuelan government, which declared Venezuela an "illiteracy-free zone" in 2005, said the program helped more than 1.5 million Venezuelans to become literate. Rodriguez, however, said his research did not show any significant increase in literacy and that he believed the program's teachers reported inflated numbers.
Improvement in public health and literacy rates has been a trend in Venezuela throughout the 20th century, not only under Chavez's government, Rodriguez said.
"To argue this is a pro-poor administration, you need to see more significant changes," Rodriguez said. "This government is classic Latin American populism with an authoritarian bent."
Ninety percent of Venezuela's wealth comes from oil revenues, which have increased since Chavez took office, Rodriguez said. Chavez spends the same percentage of his budget as previous administrations on social programs and has increased spending for the military and infrastructure, according to several graphs and figures Rodriguez presented during his lecture. Rodriguez attributed these trends to the administration's attempts to court favor with large companies.
"The Venezuelan government is spending more because it has more money to spend, but not in a way that shows patterns of social priority," Rodriguez said.
Chavez has maintained power by controlling the electoral council and garnering popular support through social programs that seem to improve public health, even if these programs have limited actual effect, Rodriguez said.
"The data does not show that if people become healthier, they are more productive, but it gives people a sense that their standard of living is increasing," Rodriguez said.
The event was organized by Kevin Jackson '10, vice president of Por Latinoamerica, a student organization at the College.
"I am Venezuelan, and I personally contacted him and brought him here because I wanted to share what is really happening in my country with the community here," Jackson said in an interview with The Dartmouth. "I want to encourage other people who want to share their culture to do the same."
