Question

What conditions led to the political rise of Hugo Chávez? Was he an opportunist or a revolutionary?

Answer 1

After his return to Venezuela, Chávez was critical of President Caldera and his liberal economic policies. A drop in per capita income, coupled with increases in poverty and crime, "led to gaps emerging between rulers and ruled which favored the emergence of a populist leader".

Leader of the "Bolivarian Revolution", Hugo Chávez is known for his socialist governance, his promotion of Latin American integration, and his radical critique of neoliberal globalization and United States foreign policy.