Venezuela without Chavez

Onyx

Banned
I need to find a good way in how Venezuela can avoid that Wild and Crazy Guy from coming into power. Of course him dying is the best way, but I need a good way how he could die really.

The 2002 Venezuelan Coup is a good start, but I dont think thats where it should start since he was already in power back then, so it has to start, maybe in the ninties I guess.

Also, I shall give you immense kudos, love, and cookies if you find a way in getting Venezuela to be the direct opposite of Chavez and be in a Pro-US, Israeli, Western stance and to avoid Chaotic Neutralism (Since Im Part-Venzuelan, kudos)
 
How about Caldera doesn't pardon Chavez for leading the '92 coup against Perez when he returns to power in 1994? That was purely political, and he still got (if lightly by Chavez's usual standards) bashed in Chavez's 1999 inaugural.
 
That is probably the best PoD for this timeline. But that would mean the country remains in the pitiful state it was back then, without the social transformation Chavez' government produced. You'd also make it Venezuela just another US "ally", and unlike OTL, unable to led a strong and independent foreign policy for it's own people's best interests.
 
What has Chavez done that is so wild and crazy and why would Venezuela continuing in a pro U.S., pro Israel direction be considered a good thing?
 
Start with Rómulo Betancourt, IMO. After Betancourt's second term, have Caldera as president instead of Leoni. Then things start to get interesting from there.
 

yourworstnightmare

Banned
Donor
Chavéz is today just a fucked up dictator. The problem is that without him, the changes done in his early days in power would never had happened. This means much more Venezuelans living below the poverty line, and most of Venezuela's oil money never end up in the hands of the Venezuelans.
 
Chavéz is today just a fucked up dictator. The problem is that without him, the changes done in his early days in power would never had happened. This means much more Venezuelans living below the poverty line, and most of Venezuela's oil money never end up in the hands of the Venezuelans.

Except Chavez is NOT dictator yet. Autocrate, but his quest for power for blocks.

I am not a fan of him AT ALL, or Morales, mind you. Just being a pedant dick.
 
Chavéz is today just a fucked up dictator. The problem is that without him, the changes done in his early days in power would never had happened. This means much more Venezuelans living below the poverty line, and most of Venezuela's oil money never end up in the hands of the Venezuelans.

Hence why I'm suggesting a 1960s POD, having Caldera in power instead of Leoni. After the "Father of Venezuelan Democracy" Rómulo Betancourt did so much (including surviving the Peréz Jiménez dictatorship), Caldera here could have the chance of doing (a good portion of) what Chávez did in the early years, but in a more democratic climate (which is more open to such things - i.e. the "Great Society"). Heck, let's even have Betancourt do some of these things as well, just to even things out (which, to a degree, would be pre-POD). In TTL, Caldera and his successors also decide to diversify the Venezuelan economy so that it is not at all dependent on oil. When oil prices rise, Caldera and his successors decide to save a good portion of the profits in a "rainy day" fund as a cushion, whilst another portion of the profits would be used to modernizing the PDVSA infrastructure. Yes, some of the profits could also be used to finance the anti-poverty initiatives (as what Chávez has done), but this time that's not the only thing being financed, and thus PDVSA is still somewhat healthy. Also, probably find some way of reducing the crime stats, particularly in Caracas - and that's all on top of what happened during Caldera's first Presidency in OTL. After Caldera should be someone different from OTL, due to the POD.
 
Except Chavez is NOT dictator yet. Autocrate, but his quest for power for blocks.

I am not a fan of him AT ALL, or Morales, mind you. Just being a pedant dick.

Yeah, some people dosnt understand the difference between a Huey Long and a Stalin. :rolleyes:

Chavez is an authoritarian democrat willing to manipulate the system to carry his programme and stay in power, and given that he has faced anti-democratic right-wing coup attempts this isn’t surprising.

Venezuela will have better relations with the US, and wont be cosy with Castro's Cuba. On the other hand the economy and state finances will remain a piggy bank for a small minority of the population and major social reforms and investments wont take place.
 
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