Category Archives: Venezuela

Recalling Mr Maduro

Posted on October 22, 2016 by LatAmLowdown

Until reasonably recently, it could at least be argued that Nicolás Maduro had democracy on his side.  After all, following a bad-tempered campaign and opposition calls for a full audit of votes cast, Hugo Chávez’s appointed successor had seen off … Continue reading →

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How did Hugo Chávez become an icon for the global left?

Posted on September 23, 2016 by LatAmLowdown

In response to a question recently posed in the Financial Times: From Simón Bolívar to Che Guevara, Latin America has pedigree when it comes to producing iconic figures of revolutionary politics. This was no less the case when Hugo Chávez … Continue reading →

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Trouble in Mercosur

Posted on September 15, 2016 by LatAmLowdown

As we mentioned earlier this month, recent times have seen a degree of friction between the foreign ministries of various South American states. The crux of these strained relations has been Venezuela’s upcoming presidency of Mercosur, the free trade bloc … Continue reading →

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Venezuela: a failing state and a dying breed

Posted on May 23, 2016 by LatAmLowdown

When the stability of a government is directly proportional to the loyalty of the military, it is reasonable to assume that something has gone wrong.  This is the situation in which crisis-gripped Venezuela finds itself, with the Bolivarian Armed Forces … Continue reading →

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Holding out for a Hero – Venezuela’s failed political experiment and uncertain future.

Posted on March 17, 2016 by LatAmLowdown

It would be fair to suggest that Nicolás Maduro’s first three years of office haven’t gone quite to plan. Snap back to 2013. On the 5th of March, after receiving treatment in Cuba, Hugo Chavez, Venezuela’s most charismatic politician this … Continue reading →

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