Until the 1990s, Venezuela had one of the longest-running democracies in Latin America. Today it is one of the region’s most entrenched authoritarian regimes. I discuss Venezuela’s 25-year autocratization process, focusing on the contingent nature of democratic backsliding. This article is useful to understand how executive power grabs shape the ways in which those who oppose autocrats act to protect a democracy, as well as how the opposition can jeopardize, protect, and open spaces for democratic contestation in both democratic and authoritarian contexts.
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