Resumen

LOPEZ MAYA, Margarita. Venezuela: Why did democracy fall?. Rev. Mex. Sociol [online]. 2024, vol.86, n.spe, pp.119-143.  Epub 07-Jun-2024. ISSN 2594-0651.  https://doi.org/10.22201/iis.01882503p.2024.1°%20ne.62575.

Venezuelans live today under an authoritarian regime. This article seeks to answer the question, why did a country like Venezuela, which had a stable democracy in several decades of the 20th century and an economy apparently well positioned to thrive in a globalized world, collapse? What lessons can be drawn from what happened there? This reflection draws on a long line of research on the recent Venezuelan socio-political process. In six sections, it presents a summary interpretation of the decisive factors behind this democratic breakdown, ending with lessons that can be learned from this case so that it is not repeated in other countries.

Palabras llave : Venezuela; democratic breakdown; Chavez’s governments; Maduro’s governments; authoritarianism; complex humanitarian emergency.