ABSTRACT
Systematic malaria vector control programs had already begun in Venezuela in the late 1930s after the fall of Dictator JV Gomez. The vector control program for Chagas’ disease in Venezuela began in the 1960s with entomological inspection and intra-domiciliary spraying of a residual insecticide. At the end of the 20th century, there was a strong demand for political change in the Venezuela. The economic boom that had begun in 1973 was reaching its end. The remarkable and early success of vector-borne disease control in Venezuela, as well as its decline, shows the relevance of political processes in vector control. In the 20th century, Venezuelan politics had little formally defined “conservative” or “right” political parties. Rather, most political ideologies were generally variations on traditional social democrat or Christian democrat positions. In the Venezuelan context, the politics of vector control, and the political narratives underpinning them, have relied both on proclamations of success as well as threats of the recurrence of disease.
