Venezuela Hugo Chavez and the Decline of an "Exceptional Democracy"

Before 1989, U.S. scholars emphasized Venezuela's status as an exceptional Latin American nation. Venezuela was seen as a stable democracy at a time when nearly all of Latin America had fallen under military rule, and the nation used its oil revenues to ameliorate class division. Most importantly, Venezuela served as an ideal model for U.S. policy in Latin America. All this changed in the mass unrest (the Caracazo) during the week of February 27, 1989. A wave of popular protests during the 1990s, two military coup attempts in 1992 and the election of Hugo Chavez challenged scholars to rethink their perception of Venezuelan exceptionalism. In a series of engaging essays, this book explores changing attitudes about Venezuela and it's role in the rest of the world.