Before authoritarian rule, Venezuela was one of the wealthiest nations in the global South (if not one of the wealthiest period in the 50-60s). Then Chávez came

Before authoritarian rule, Venezuela was one of the wealthiest nations in the global South (if not one of the wealthiest period in the 50-60s). Then Chávez came along and stacked the courts with lackeys, intimidated critical media outlets and harassed journalists, diverted state spending for political patronage, demanded loyalty oaths from underlings, injected "Bolivarian" ideology into schools and sports, took control of private industry... I'd tell you what he did to elections but we'll all find out soon enough.