The electionHugo Chávez in December 1998 marks a major turning point in the political history of Venezuela. It ends decades of domination of traditional parties and opens a new political phase, often called « the Bolivarian Revolution ».
A context of deep crisis
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Venezuela experienced a serious economic and social crisis. The fall in oil prices weakens the national economy, which is heavily dependent on this resource. Social inequalities are increasing and corruption weakens the credibility of traditional parties, including Acción Democrática (AD) and Copei.
The Caracazo riots in 1989 illustrate this crisis of confidence between the population and political elites.
The rise of Chávez
Former army officer, Chávez made himself known in 1992 during an attempted coup d'état against the president Carlos Andrés Pérez. Although the operation failed, his televised speech — in which he assumes responsibility for failure — makes it popular with a part of the population.
After his release in 1994, he joined the electoral process and founded a political movement. In 1998, he won the presidential election with about 56% of the vote.
