Before Chávez: The Rotten Democracy

In this episode, we trace the collapse of the political system that ruled Venezuela after 1958—and how it gave rise to Hugo Chávez.

For decades, Venezuela seemed to be one of the most stable and prosperous countries in Latin America. Oil wealth fueled the rise of “Saudi Venezuela,” while the political parties promised democracy, order, and progress. But beneath the surface, the system was beginning to rot.

We follow the decline of the Punto Fijo era: the failed guerrilla movements of the 1960s and 70s, the rise of corruption and patronage, and the explosion of the Caracazo. As the country unraveled, old conspiracies inside the military began to grow—and a young officer named Hugo Chávez was watching.