Nostalgic Venezuela. Reelection, rupture and revolution

The Republic of Venezuela was an oasis in Latin America, a stable, democratic and prosperous country for several decades until the coming of the 1980s' crisis. The new context and the erosion of traditional actors forced profound political changes. The crisis, the adjustments made during the 1990s and the population's hopes of one day returning to the path of prosperity generated increasingly radical policy responses. This article seeks to analyse the political responses of the Venezuelan people to the challenges posed by their new socioeconomic reality and how these connect with visions derived from past experience and the approach to the roles of state and leader. It also explores the frustration caused by failure to meet their expectations, leading to the election of increasingly radical options.