Dr. Stephen Lewis
Chair, History Department
California State University, Chico

Twenty years ago, Hugo Chávez became president of Venezuela and launched what he called the Bolivarian Revolution. His charisma—and Venezuela's oil reserves—made him the most influential politician in Latin America. Since his death in 2013, however, the Venezuelan economy has crumbled and his handpicked successor, Nicolás Maduro, has become increasingly authoritarian. Today, Venezuelans demand his ouster. In this brief lecture, Steve Lewis tries to explain the dramatic rise and fall of the Bolivarian Revolution.

Recorded: January 29, 2019