Episode 14 | How did Hugo Chávez’s socialist revolution create a new class of millionaires?

This episode explains how CADIVI, Fonden, and Venezuela’s historic oil boom became engines of corruption—and how loyalty to Chávez gave insiders access to cheap dollars, government contracts, and impunity—giving rise to a new oligarchy in Venezuela: the Bolivarian bourgeoisie.

Special Report | More than ten days after back-to-back earthquakes devastated the country, the Venezuelan regime has blocked rescuers, controlled aid, monitored journalists, and persecuted victims who have spoken out.

In this episode, we examine the aftermath of this tragedy, exposing the true nature of the Venezuelan dictatorship.

Link to verified organizations providing assistance in Venezuela can be found here: https://donarseguro.com/en

Special Report | On June 24, two massive earthquakes—magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5—struck Venezuela just seconds apart, destroying hundreds of buildings and leaving tens of thousands of people dead, missing, or homeless.

In this episode, I examine the scale of the destruction, the regime’s disastrous response, and the ordinary Venezuelans who were forced to dig through the rubble and organize relief efforts themselves.

Link to verified organizations providing assistance in Venezuela can be found here: https://donarseguro.com/en

Episode 13 | How did Hugo Chávez destroy Venezuela’s economy?

In this episode, we examine the mass expropriations at the heart of Chávez’s socialist project—from banks and supermarkets, to factories and farms. We explore how worker “co-management,” price controls, state ownership, and corruption devastated domestic production.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/15932964/join

Episode 11 | How did the United States become Hugo Chávez's enemy?

Support the show on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/15932964/join

After the failed coup of 2002, Chávez transformed a Venezuelan political crisis into something much bigger: a global battle between his revolution and U.S. imperialism.

And it worked.

Around the world, Chávez became famous for standing up to American power. But inside Venezuela, that same rhetoric was used to persecute the opposition, silence the media, and intimidate civil society.

This is the story of how Hugo Chávez turned anti-Americanism into a weapon for his "Bolivarian Revolution."

Episode 10 | What was the Tascón List?

Support the show on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/15932964/join

In 2004, Hugo Chávez faced a recall referendum that threatened to remove him from power.

But as millions of Venezuelans signed to demand a vote, their names were turned into a political weapon. The infamous Tascón List exposed citizens—and helped transform democracy into a system of loyalty and fear.

This is the story of the 2004 recall referendum, the Bolivarian Missions, and the blacklist that divided Venezuela.

Episode 9 | How did Chávez take over Venezuela’s oil industry?

Support the show on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/15932964/join

After the failed coup of April 2002, Venezuela entered a new phase of confrontation. Chávez purged the military, the opposition occupied Plaza Altamira, and the battle moved to the heart of the Venezuelan state: PDVSA.

This is the story of the national strike that was meant to bring Chávez down—and turned into his greatest victory.