La tecnología militar en Venezuela de la « Cuarta República » a la República Bolivariana 1958 - 2008

This article presents a sociopolitical and institutional impact assessment of the policy and processes for procurement, negotiation, contracting, and acquisition, of military technology in Venezuela, in the last 50 years of the democratic period. In the first part, the formation of a military equipment policy in the period 1958-1998 (named “Fourth Republic”) is compared to the period 1999-2008 (named “Bolivarian Revolution of President Hugo Chávez”). Afterwards, the effects (impact) of the military technology management are shown at the sociopolitical national level and within the military organization. Here,the relationships between international, national and subnational actors are identified. Finally, some conclusions are derived on this impact assessment at the sociopolitical and institutional levels.