ABSTRACT
Venezuela’s experience of COVID-19 has been shaped by two key factors: the country’s underlying political, economic, and humanitarian crisis and the authoritarianism of incumbent leader Nicolás Maduro. Using a framework of path dependence, this chapter argues that both of these characteristics stem from the populist legacy of Hugo Chávez, Maduro’s charismatic predecessor. Through implementing bold yet unsustainable policies, a quasi-religious narrative that divided society along a personalistic cleavage, and anointing a sycophantic successor who failed to reorient the country, Chávez set the stage for economic crisis, societal collapse, and hardened authoritarianism under Maduro. Given this context, the pandemic has presented Maduro with an opportunity to strengthen his grip on power without effectively addressing the public health crisis or the preexisting humanitarian emergency. Consequently, the pandemic threatens to worsen, while the country’s prospects for recovery and a democratic transition remain elusive.
