The staggering collapse of Venezuela merits a deep dive into the history and policies of almost 20 years of Chavista ruling.

In the face of excuses that the Venezuelan regime is not really socialist, going beyond labels and asking the right questions is key: What kind of policies did Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro enact? Why can’t the economy recover? What is driving widespread shortages and hyperinflation?

Backgrounder Content

What incidents allowed a coup d’état leader to win the presidential election?

What prominent policies did Hugo Chávez campaign on?

What were his original connections with Cuba?

What were Chávez’s most prominent policies that could be described as socialist?

How did the Chavistas generate hyperinflation?

What alliances did Chávez form, and to what ends?

What made Venezuela the world’s least free natiBG-Venezuela-Chavismoon, according to the Fraser Institute?

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