Introduction
For years, two ruling parties in Venezuela promised change but failed to deliver. A new figure, promising a fresh start after years of turmoil, galvanized the electorate. However, this populist shift, initially presented as moderate, ultimately devastated the nation.
Hugo Chávez’s Rise and Fall
In 1998, Hugo Chávez took the presidency as a Caribbean savior destined to rescue his homeland. He pledged respect for democracy, private investments, and corporations while promising to turn Venezuela into the utopia envisioned by Simón Bolívar. Within a year, he altered the Constitution to enable re-election and extend his term.
Gradually, Chávez dismantled functioning institutions in the country. Private media outlets were expropriated, productive enterprises canceled, and Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), the nation’s primary economic driver, was taken over by inexperienced militants eager for wealth.
By the early 2000s, family members of the author, working at PDVSA, dared to protest against Chávez’s interference and were placed on the infamous blacklist. Automatically, they lost their positions, faced public sector employment bans, and were systematically harassed by the state.
The middle class repeatedly took to the streets, but the petroleum boom fueled clientelism and excessive government spending. Those who unconditionally supported Chávez remained oblivious to the fact that their hero was also their downfall.
Narratives of discredit and insults were spun from the presidential pulpit, targeting anyone opposed to Chavismo. Despite his larger-than-life persona, Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías left this world with nothing different from when he arrived. By 2013, his chosen successor, lacking charisma, assumed power as the oil crisis had already begun.
The Maduro Era: A Tale of Mismanagement and Corruption
Nicolás Maduro, trained in Cuba and shielded by Cuban intelligence, mastered creating narratives around crises and electoral fraud. On camera, it was all rhetoric, applause, and dancing. For allied governments in Latin America, human rights only applied when convenient.
Cuba and Venezuela were blamed for imperialist actions, while Mexico joined this narrative in 2018. The U.S.’s recent arrest of Maduro, though questionable due to international law violations, seems necessary given the abundance of his country’s black gold.
Though the main architect has fallen, his enablers remain in power, guiding Venezuela toward an uncertain future.
Mexico’s Shifting Role
As Venezuela’s situation worsened, Mexico gradually assumed a regional role of denouncing “imperialism” and unconditionally supporting dictatorships. This trajectory suggests a challenging road ahead for both nations.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who was Hugo Chávez? A Venezuelan politician who rose to power in 1998, promising change but ultimately dismantling institutions and fueling a populist movement.
- What led to Venezuela’s downfall? Mismanagement, corruption, and the excessive reliance on petroleum exports under Chávez and Maduro’s rule.
- What is Mexico’s role in the Venezuelan crisis? Gradually shifting from criticism to unconditional support of dictatorships, mirroring Venezuela’s descent into chaos.
