Cristobal Valencia will be signing copies of his book “We are the State!: Barrio Activism in Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution,” on Monday, Oct. 12 at 2 p.m. at the University of New Mexico Bookstore at 2301 Central Ave. NE. This event is open to the public.

Chavistas are the local leaders and activists in Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution, working to establish democracy through government-sponsored social missions, community self-governance and popular collectives.

“We are the State!” tells the story of their grassroots activism. In perspectives gleaned from participant observation with barrio residents in workplaces, communal kitchens, citywide forums, and grassroots meetings and assemblies, as well as family and recreational events, Valencia vividly recounts tensions between activists, local officials, and the wealthy opposition.

Valencia, an assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology at the UNM, conducts collaborative ethnographic research on the interrelated nature of race, class, and gender with the state, social movements, and democracy. Specifically, he examines the meanings ordinary citizens attach to the state, democracy, and political participation, their relationship with the larger state apparatus, and the formation of political subjectivity and direct action strategies for achieving social justice. 

The UNM Bookstore is located at the intersection of Cornell and Central. For more information, contact Marie Claire Day at (505) 277-1388 or mclaired@unm.edu.