Venezuela

Before 1958, Venezuela, birthplace of Simon Bolivar and the struggle for Latin American independence, had never witnessed the successful transfer of power to an elected president. Instead it experienced two of Latin America's most notorious dictatorships of the 20th century. Yet in 1988 Venezuela marked the 13th anniversary of its constitutional system. Few other countries in Latin America can boast so long a period of stable, civilian rule. Dr Hellinger provides not only an economic and political history of one of the region's most interesting countries but also a lively commentary on Venezuela's rich cultural heritage. His analysis of contemporary Venezuela offers a broad overview of the emergence of new social movements and agendas including educational reform, women's issues and immigration policies. Finally, the author examines Venezuela's role as a major actor in hemispheric affairs and discusses the economic crisis that contributed to widespread rioting in February 1987 and poses a severe challenge to Venezuela's democratic experiment.