Dancing with the Devils

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 [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."

Names on a List

Episode 10  |  What was the Tascón List?  Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/15932964/join [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.

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 [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.

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 Carmona Decree, and the reversal that brought Chávez back to power less than 48 hours later.  April 2002 would become one of the great founding myths of Chavismo.  But the real story is more complicated.  This is the story of how Hugo Chávez rose from the ashes.

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 Chávez had fallen.  But the president's dramatic fall didn't come out of nowhere.  In this episode, we trace the months of escalating confrontation that pushed Venezuela to the brink. As Chávez moved to impose his will on the institutions he did not control, both he and his opponents grew more radical, more organized, and more desperate.  The pressure was building—and in April 2002... Venezuela exploded.