Autocracy Rising: How Venezuela Transitioned to Authoritarianism

Venezuela's transition to authoritarianism was driven by former president Hugo Chávez's policies, which led to an economic crisis and the establishment of institutions that undermined democracy. Nicolás Maduro's responses to crises only exacerbated the situation, destroying any pretense of democracy and prospects for his own long-term success. Corrales' book highlights the depressing cycle in which semi-authoritarian regimes become increasingly autocratic in response to crises, leading to new crises that further exacerbate authoritarianism.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 01 March 2023
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Venezuela's transition to authoritarianism has been a concerning trend in recent years, with many countries that were once stable democracies veering towards autocratic rule. One such country is Venezuela, which experienced periods of democratically elected governments in the latter half of the twentieth century but has since descended into autocratic rule, coupled with economic collapse. A recent book by a veteran scholar of Venezuela and Latin American politics, "Venezuela's Transition to Authoritarianism," explores how and why this happened. The book argues that Venezuela's slide began with the policies of former president Hugo Chávez, which were based on government control of the economy and generated a lingering economic crisis. Nicolás Maduro, who succeeded Chávez in 2013, entrenched the failed economic policies and responded to various crises by establishing institutions that further undermined democracy. Each of Maduro's responses may have solved a short-term problem, but collectively they destroyed both any pretense of democracy in Venezuela and prospects for his own long-term success. Corrales analyzes the lingering crisis in Venezuela by comparing it to twenty cases in Latin America where presidents were forced out of office. Regardless of how the current situation ends in Venezuela, his book illuminates the depressing cycle in which semi-authoritarian regimes become increasingly autocratic in response to crises, only to cause new crises that led to even greater authoritarianism.

Weight: 390g
Dimension: 151 x 229 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780815738077