Yumuşak Dengeleme Kavramının Sınırlılıkları Üzerine Yeniden Düşünmek: Venezuela Dış Politikası Örneği

Year 2020, Volume: 16 Issue: 29, 2230 - 2262, 30.09.2020

Esra Akgemci

https://doi.org/10.26466/opus.786851

Abstract

1990’lardan itibaren dış politika analizlerinde sıkça başvurulan yumuşak dengeleme kavramı üzerine tartışmalar, son yıllarda özellikle Çin ve Rusya gibi güçlerin yükselişi ile beraber yeniden alevlenmiştir. Soğuk Savaş’ın sona ermesinin ardından yeni güç merkezlerinin yükselişi, ABD’nin küresel sistemdeki hegemonik üstünlüğü tartışmaya açmış ve yükselen güçlerin ABD’ye yönelik dış politikalarını yumuşak dengeleme kavramı ekseninde tartışan önemli bir literatür oluşmuştur. Bu makalenin amacı, Venezuela ve yumuşak dengeleme üzerine gelişen literatürün eleştirel bir analizini yaparak, yumuşak dengeleme kavramının sınırlılıkları üzerine yeniden düşünülmesini sağlamaktır. Makalede öncelikle Venezuela’da Chávez döneminde Bolivarcı devrim süreciyle ülkenin dış politikasında gerçekleşen radikal değişim, Latin Amerika İçin Bolivarcı İttifak (ALBA) temelinde ele alınmış, ardından bu süreçte Venezuela’nın ABD’ye yönelik dış politikasını yumuşak dengeleme kavramı ekseninde ele alan tartışmalara yer verilmiştir. Makalenin temel argümanı, yumuşak dengeleme kavramının Venezuela’daki toplumsal dönüşüm sürecinin dış politikayı nasıl etkilediğini ve ABD ile ilişkileri nasıl radikal bir biçimde dönüştürdüğünü açıklayamayacağı, Venezuela dış politikasının ancak karşı-hegemonya temelinde anlaşılabileceği yönündedir. Bu doğrultuda, makalede, Maduro döneminde Trump’ın Ulusal Meclis Başkanı Juan Guaidó’yu Venezuela Devlet Başkanı olarak tanımasıyla gelişen güncel siyasi kriz, yumuşak dengeleme kavramının sınırlıklarını yeniden düşünmek açısından önemli bir örnek olarak incelenmiştir

Keywords

yumuşak dengeleme, Venezuela dış politikası, , Chávez, ALBA, Karşı-hegemonya

Rethinking on the Limitations of Soft Balancing Concept: The Case of Venezuelan Foreign Policy

Abstract

Since the 1990s, discussions on the concept of soft balancing, which has frequently been referenced in foreign policy analysis, have flared again in recent years, especially with the rise of powers such as China and Russia. In the post-Cold War era, the rise of new power centres brought into question of the hegemonic superiority of the U.S. in the global system, and an important literature has emerged that discusses the external policies of rising powers towards the U.S. on the axis of soft balancing. The purpose of this article is to provide rethinking of the limitations of soft balancing concept by carrying out a critical analysis on the literature on Venezuela and soft balancing. The article has focused primarily on the radical change in Venezuelan foreign policy through the Bolivarian revolution process during the Chávez era by addressing the role of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA). And then the article has examined the discussions that focus on the concept of soft balancing of Venezuela's foreign policy towards the U.S. The main argument of the article is that the concept of soft balancing cannot explain how the social transformation process in Venezuela affects foreign policy and radically transforms relations with the U.S., and that foreign policy of Venezuela can only be understood on the basis of counter-hegemony. Accordingly, the political crisis that developed after Trump’s recognition of Juan Guaidó as the legitimate president of Venezuela, has been examined in the article as an important example of rethinking the limitations of the concept of soft balancing.

Keywords

Soft Balancing, Venezuelan foreign policy, Chávez, ALBA, Counter-hegemony

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