The Guacamaya
The Guacamaya is a podcast about Venezuela—its history, politics, and the forces that shaped the country we know today. From dictators and coups to oil, democracy, and the rise of Hugo Chávez, each episode goes beyond the headlines to explain how Venezuela got here... and where it may be going next.
Episodes
16 episodes
Special Report: This Tragedy Is Political
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...
Special Report: Earthquakes in Venezuela
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 thi...
¡Exprópiese!
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...
Socialism of the 21st Century
Episode 12 | What was "Socialism of the 21st Century"? After winning reelection in 2006, Hugo Chávez claimed Venezuela had voted for "socialism." But what did that actually mean? In this episode, we explore h...
American Empire
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 fai...
Names on a List
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 ...
The Final Battle
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, Ven...
The Coup: From the Ashes
Episode 8 | How did Hugo Chávez return to power after the 2002 coup?In this episode, we follow the chaotic hours after Chávez was removed from power, the rise of Pedro Carmona’s short-lived interim government, the disastrous ...
The Coup: Chávez Falls
Episode 7 | How was Hugo Chávez removed from power in 2002? On April 11, 2002, more than half a million Venezuelans marched through Caracas toward Miraflores Palace. By nightfall, people were dead in the streets—and Chá...
Revolution? What Revolution?
Episode 6 | Was Hugo Chávez always a socialist? Not exactly. When Chávez first came to power, he rejected socialism and communism—but embraced another label: revolutionary.In this episode, we trace the ideo...
Supreme Court Suicide
Episode 5 | Why didn’t the Supreme Court stop Hugo Chávez? In this episode, we trace the moment when Venezuela’s democracy began to unravel—not through tanks or coups, but through legal decisions, political strategy, and...
Dancing with the Devils
Episode 4 | In 1998, Hugo Chávez was a former coup leader fresh out of prison, polling at just five percent and dismissed by nearly everyone in Venezuela.But within a year, he would become president.In this episode, we...
The Rotten Democracy
Episode 3 | In this episode, we trace the collapse of the political system that ruled Venezuela after 1958—and how it gave rise to Hugo Chávez.For decades, Venezuela seemed to be one of the most stable and prosperous countrie...
From Soldiers to Politicians
Episode 2 | Who built modern Venezuela?In this episode, we go back to the collapse of nineteenth-century Venezuela and the rise of the generals who built the modern state. From Cipriano Castro and Juan Vicente Gómez to the di...