Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6422-9419

Date Available

12-11-2025

Year of Publication

2025

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College

Arts and Sciences

Department/School/Program

Hispanic Studies

Faculty

Yanira B. Paz

Faculty

Alan Brown

Abstract

This dissertation examines the discursive construction of the political-religious cult surrounding Hugo Chávez through a theoretical and methodological approach that integrates Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MDA). Its central objective is to identify and interpret the incorporation of elements from the Venezuelan religious imaginary–particularly from popular Christianity–into the symbolic configuration of Chávez as a sacred figure within official discourse. The corpus analyzed includes official transcripts from the television program Aló Presidente, as well as two animated short films titled Chávez Nuestro que Estás en el Cielo (“Our Chávez Who Art in Heaven”), broadcast on Venezuelan public television.

The study reveals a systematic process of political sacralization, in which biblical references, Christological metaphors, and symbols of redemption are interwoven with Bolivarian ideology to construct a narrative that portrays Chávez as a messianic figure, redeemer of the nation, and martyr of the people. Through MDA, the analysis also explores how visual, auditory, and textual resources work synergistically to reinforce this sacralized representation, reframing Chávez’s death as a transcendent sacrifice and legitimizing his "spiritual presence" in Nicolás Maduro’s leadership.

The dissertation concludes that this hagiographic construction not only aims to ensure the symbolic and emotional continuity of the Chavista political project but also reproduces discursive structures characteristic of other sacralized charismatic leaderships in Latin America. By combining tools from CDA and MDA, this research offers a complex perspective on the symbolic dimension of power in populist regimes, contributing to contemporary debates on political religion, the rhetoric of leader-worship, and state communication strategies in contexts of crisis and transition.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2025.517

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