The narrative describes the socio-political context in Venezuela during the 1990s and the rise of Hugo Chávez, who later became the country's president. The economy was struggling due to international recession, falling oil prices, and corruption within the political system. The prices of basic services and food increased, while wages decreased, leading to widespread dissatisfaction among the population.
In 1992, Hugo Chávez, a Lieutenant Colonel, attempted a coup against then-President Carlos Andrés Pérez but failed. Despite his imprisonment, Chávez gained popularity and was released in 1994 by then-President Rafael Caldera, with all charges against him dropped.
Chávez founded his own political party, the Fifth Republic Movement, and positioned himself as a revolutionary leader, promising to end corruption and distribute wealth to the poor. He won the presidential election in 1998, riding on the discontent of the population with the traditional parties.
Once in power, Chávez made significant changes to the country's institutions, including the constitution and the electoral council. He also nationalized many private companies, a move that led to the closure of thousands of businesses and job losses. However, the international price of oil rose in the 2000s, generating significant revenue for the country. Chávez used this income to create state social programs, which further increased his popularity among the poor and working class.
The narrative also mentions the widespread presence of Chávez's image and the phrase "Come, let's go together," a slogan from Maduro's political party, in the city of Caracas. This suggests that Chávez's influence and the policies of his government are still prevalent in the city.
The final part of the narrative talks about the difficulty of obtaining larger bills, indicating the economic challenges faced by the population. Despite these difficulties, the narrator expresses a desire to move to Venezuela permanently.
1. The text discusses the economic challenges Venezuela faced in the early 1990s, with the economy being affected by the international recession, falling oil prices, and corruption within politics.
2. The text mentions that by the end of the 80s and early 90s, the prices of food and basic services such as water and electricity increased, wages decreased, and the country entered an economic crisis.
3. In February 1992, Lieutenant Colonel Hugo Chávez attempted a coup to overthrow the then president, Carlos Andrés Pérez, but the attempt was unsuccessful and Chávez was imprisoned.
4. Despite his imprisonment, Chávez began to be spoken of as a potential savior of the Venezuelan people, with some even referring to him as a messiah.
5. Two years after his incarceration, Chávez was released by then-President Rafael Caldera, with all the charges against him being eliminated.
6. In 1997, Chávez founded his own political party called the Fifth Republic Movement.
7. Chávez promised a revolution that would distribute the wealth of Venezuela mainly towards the poorest, in addition to promising to end all corruption in Venezuela.
8. By the end of 1998, the political landscape in Venezuela was changing, with the population becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the traditional parties and politicians.
9. Hugo Chávez won his first term as president of Venezuela in the presidential elections, with the hope of the people that he could bring about change.
10. After coming to power, Chávez changed the constitution and took full control of practically every public agency in the country.
11. Chávez was able to change all public agencies to control the country so much, without anyone being able to do anything, due to the hope of the people.
12. Chávez dedicated himself to writing the new constitution, and among other things that changed, was the creation of a national constituent assembly.
13. Chávez eliminated government dependencies that did not favor him and created new ones, with other names, but that aligned themselves with his decisions and ideals.
14. Chávez had a lot of admiration for Fidel Castro of Cuba, and that was where he began to have a lot of influence on Venezuela of Cuba.
15. Chávez promised Venezuelans that in his government, private companies were not going to be nationalized and that he was always going to support investors.
16. Chávez threatened to expropriate the companies, through his radio and television program called Hello President, accusing and threatening opponents, businessmen, journalists or anyone who was not following the line and indications of his government.
17. As a result of these authoritarian measures, investors and entrepreneurs began to close thousands of businesses, affecting millions of people and families who were left without jobs.
18. Chávez created state social programs to help those most in need, and when the elections approached, he identified these social programs, which made the poorest sectors of the population happy.
19. Chávez was able to win over a large part of the popular population by creating state social programs to help those most in need, and giving them food, housing, money, among other things.