The commune is the foundation on which we can build a new society. It is much more than an administrative territorial unit or a participation forum within the existing state. It aims to transform every aspect of life by creating new social relations of production, new ways of exercising power, and new ways of relating to one another and to nature. There, we can begin to overcome the exploitation, domination, and oppression inherent in capitalism.
Hugo Chávez proposed the commune as the fundamental building block of socialism in his 2009 TV program Aló Presidente Teórico No. 1 and later in his 2012 “Strike at the Helm” speech. “Commune or nothing!” he insisted. However, the path has not been linear, as revolutionary processes never are.
During the oil boom, when the government could meet people’s needs, the commune never played the central role Chávez envisioned for it. Its potential only began to unfold during the harshest years of the economic war and imperialist blockade, particularly from 2016 to 2018. While many working people had to devote their energy to survival, in many territories people responded by strengthening their sense of community: they reclaimed land, organized production, shared food, and dedicated their productive capacities to collective needs. In this way, the commune became the moral backbone of the Bolivarian Revolution. As Chris Gilbert explains in his book Commune or Nothing!, the communal project gained renewed material force amid the economic crisis.
Starting in 2021–2022, the Bolivarian government prioritized commune-building. This marked the start of a new chapter in the relationship between organized communities and a government that, despite its contradictions and challenges, is supporting a national transformation project. In 2024, President Nicolás Maduro promoted National Popular Consultations at the communal level. These consultations are based on Article 70 of the Constitution, which recognizes them as a means of popular participation and protagonism alongside self-management and other forms of economic organization.
What are the strengths of these consultations? They are deeply democratic and efficient. In a country battered by years of blockade and sanctions with enormous unmet needs and limited resources, community members decide which problems to address and prioritize. Democracy is no longer confined to electing representatives—it becomes an opportunity to decide on the material conditions of our lives. This mechanism also bypasses the inefficient—and sometimes murky—ways state resources are handled when projects are implemented.
However, I consider a second strength to be even more important: the consultations are a driving force for communal organizing.
By the time the popular consultations started in 2024, Venezuela had thousands of registered communes, but their development was uneven. Some had sustained assemblies, productive experiences, and well-established self-governing capacities. Others were just getting started with communal activity. Additionally, there were communal councils that had not yet organized as communes. The consultations provided an opportunity for everyone to participate, organize, and begin building a more active collective life.
The consultation does not begin on voting day. Before then, there are assemblies and discussions about the territory’s needs. Different voices must be heard, priorities must be set, and it must be calculated what can be done with the available resources. Decisions must be made collectively about which projects to put forward. Sometimes the process is lengthy, and substantial disagreements arise. This is part of its power. The community learns to deliberate, recognize shared problems, and build consensus.
Next comes implementation. The funds go to the communal bank, which then carries out, monitors, and reports on the project. The state does not identify a need and hire a company to address it. Instead, organized communities take charge of finding solutions, developing their capacities, and gaining greater control over the material life of their territory.
On Sunday, October 18, Venezuela held its second National Popular Consultation of 2026. A total of 5,418 communes and communal circuits were invited to participate, and 37,633 projects were included on the ballot. These are significant figures, but other questions are equally important: How many assemblies have been held? How many territories have strengthened their organization? How many people have started thinking about their problems collectively?
Of course, the consultations do not fully express what the communal project entails. A water project, road repairs, or the restoration of a community space alone are not enough to transform the social relations of production or break with the logic of capital. This requires a communal economy, greater collective control over the means of production, and forms of self-government that can gradually transform social relations.
But they forge a path. People participate, debate, get excited, imagine, and dream. Within the limits of available resources, they make some of those dreams a reality. Through this process, they learn to govern collectively and realize that the territory’s needs can be met through popular organization.
Venezuela is not organized communally, and new social relations are not emerging equally in all areas. However, there is a concrete opportunity: thousands of communities can now mobilize and organize to move in that direction.
The consultations alone do not create the commune. However, every assembly that meets, every collective decision made, and every project carried out by the people through self-management can help build it. The goal is to ensure that these practices extend beyond addressing immediate needs and instead strengthen the collective capacity to transform social relations. Ultimately, that is what it’s about: building a society in which people can govern their own lives. The commune is not the only way to achieve popular sovereignty, but it will be central to making it a reality.
Source: Resumen Latinoamericano
Translated from Spanish by The Assembly Media team.