Bolivarian Circles
| Bolivarian Circles | |
|---|---|
| Círculos bolivarianos | |
| Foundation | 21 December 2001 |
| Dissolved | 10 April 2006 (domestic circles) |
| Headquarters | Miraflores Palace, Caracas, Venezuela |
| Size | 2.2 million (2003) |
The Bolivarian Circles (Spanish: Círculos bolivarianos) are political and social organizations of workers' councils in Venezuela, originally created by President Hugo Chávez on 21 December 2001. The circles have also been described as militias and compared to Cuba's Committees for the Defense of the Revolution and Panama's Dignity Battalions.
Following the involvement of Bolivarian Circles in defending President Chávez during the 2002 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt, the government sponsored the creation of official communal councils on 10 April 2006, some of which became armed colectivos instead.