Venezuela: from inspiration to despotism

The future of Maduro’s Government, the Bolivarian Revolution, Venezuela and the Pink Tide is still being written. As that takes place, marrying the ongoing political crisis in Venezuela and the actions of its Government with the ambitions of its origins is all but impossible. Eighteen years after Hugo Chávez swept to power carrying the hope of the country and inspiring the world, Venezuela stands not as an example of how deep, participatory democracy can be entwined with radical, progressive and socialist politics, but instead as a reminder of the dangers of state power, the tyranny of corruption, and the horrors of authoritarianism. More…