goods because purchasing power in the country was artificially boosted. people were buying all kinds of things products that made 0 contribution to the competitiveness of the domestic economy that's known as the resource curse or the paradox of plenty . as the sun goes down the streets of caracas go quiet. presidents retreat to their homes for their own safety menace well has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. i've just done some grocery shopping. enough for maybe 15 days. this stuff cost

30315 believe it is. here and these things cost $46200.00 believe itis. that $16000.00 believe it is more than the minimum wage in venezuela. on the street they call it the diets are very from what i hear their mode of deliberate so. i'm glad to hear them i look at all the time i'm seeing this in fear and we ended up. with the. country i want for my children is the country of my own childhood. in light of current conditions i ask myself movie really doing so badly. before 998.

people. started. i don't. know i report that. socio economic problems prompted venessa wayland's to choose the political solution that seemed the most expedient and painless all along. all and. all and that any boy. what a. beautiful young guy could see charges is in visioning a revolution if. he wants to reconcile a new constitution with structural reforms that work on for much longer that chavis wanted to do away with the past he wanted to give the country a new name a new flag and even a new time zone chavez was now quite literally dictating the course of time he also

had the constitution amended in his favor. the for the record of what they were already have simply disappeared into thin air but there was no resistance or you know it was a total capitulation absolute. and the parties may have surrendered but the people did not resist and so formed in the flood of reforms women were the 1st to turn out on the streets in large numbers. and soon enough a general strike was called for by pedro carmona head of the venezuelan federation of chambers of commerce. but there was no stopping chavez and his steamrolling reforms he then also took control of this state owned oil company paid of a 7. page of a said to term and what it needed and what it paid to the government to combat the oakum with the state within

a state something charges could document. at the side door i'm also seeing in. normal see all of the people still there. that's against the person. who breaks it they know that's where people realize that he was an autocrat worse than anyone before him. and he had absolute rule also over television it was no regard for existing laws. the hasty firings led to an escalation and protests then his away last sank into chaos but what developed next is still disputed and interpreted differently today. we have to hear there were many justified demonstrations say more but there was also a conspiracy is you know you were part of the there were various political parties church groups and industry figures who used these popular protests to try to

overthrow the government which led to the events of april 11th. but it is on sale. i do mean one of the many demonstrations in this case headed for the presidential palace the government's man police shot at the crowd. the city police returned fire a couple of hours later there were 18 people dead and 70 injured when you like her very very i senior military officers called on their troops to resist orders in order to avoid a bloodbath chavez eventually surrendered and was arrested. pedro carmona was named interim president dissolving parliament and dismissing governors mayors and other officials the constitution was suspended while the new government was appointed. it was far more authoritarian than what chavez had 3. and going which is

why it was unsustainable out there who the coup leaders were ultimately opposed by their own armed forces. i don't would be. then if so wellens again took to the streets this time calling for the old constitutional order to be restored. part of the opposition and the army to challenge the new government the subsequent counter-coup brought chavez back to power. the i look at it was typically venezuelan they have a completely improvised way the coup and counter-coup were carried out i'd say that for us venezuelans improvisations is a method a breeze as you're going to make though a party going to be following the 2002 coup charges started looking for other options are she realize that he would be unable to change venezuela this way. go

up i mean thinking. about it see him as a military man in charge has always believed in a strategy of counterattack and. the attempted coup in 2002 had enabled him to purge the armed forces. and now go lisita the use the oil industry strike to take control of the oil company but they're all going rogue you know in order for you know this. this was precisely the time when the destruction of the page of a said began when it was its demise not the drop in oil prices that led to the current to buckle you cover you that. companies need to be starved by ex-pats down to the very last lack of. money and pay to face this foundation was ripped out from under it.

yeah. in 2003 hugo chavez was halfway through his term as president. and he was facing a referendum. on a. polls predicted he would lose. and that's when cuba came into play. for. cuba and venezuela had a previous history 3 weeks after coming to power in helena in 1959 field kustra was given a hero's welcome in caracas the new cuban leader had become visions and was wasting no time with his plans to spread his model for revolution across central and south america decades later they lead their maximal sign ally in charge is a man who could help them realize his goals. in 1904 he gave the failed to just the

kind of reception normally reserved for heads of state. i. i. little custer was in a difficult situation. you know the collapse of the soviet union meant he no longer had anyone to support his stay. until that point had been a little like a woman living off her wealthy husband. and now travis was to take the place of the soviet union. almost 10 years later the relationship with the come a solid partnership when chavez asked his mentor for how order to consolidate his

power and the cuban leader it did have a solution. proposed the mission but it was intense through a social welfare program it had a very positive impact on the money the image of the venezuelan state and with the help of the cuban doctors provided better health care to the poorer neighborhoods. it's not true that venezuela had no doctors before it's just that they were made to work in rural areas and deprived communities the entire thing was propaganda. the barrier you identified program entailed the construction of thousands of new health care center with 30000 medical professionals treating patients later there were similar programs in the education housing sector which would soon be branded by the cubans as they did the ideology of the revolution. for that support the castro regime was supplied with venezuelan oil much needed

lifeline. venezuela centered around 100000 barrels of oil per day to cuba that's worth about 5 or $6000000000.00 per year. putting that in context venezuela's highest annual food imports amounted to $9000000000.00 so venezuela gave almost as much oil to cuba as the worth of the food imported in a record year for us and our economy i mean i did so on your record it led to. this was the total capitulation of a country it's unprecedented in human history a small country voluntarily surrendering its sovereignty and even paying to be controlled. they print our i.d.'s and passports are in charge of the police and intelligence agencies it's total submission.

one army major money on young man out. and their charter says health care and welfare programs made him a hero of the slyness whose residents were dependent on him as the price of oil continue to rise and chavez enjoyed his growing control over his people and their elections with idees the issue with feel with any checks many people were able to vote twice and there were even cases of dead people being where just or to vote the election body was run exclusively by chavez supporters voting became electronic and many feared no longer a secret ballot plus officials were afraid of losing their jobs the authorities also organize buses to bring residents from the areas that had benefited from the welfare programs to the polling stations in 2006 was re-elected

and the one man show continued your. joy our dog died. you are a donkey there are fears that this hour we're allowed to look on dollars a little bit up and leave. george w. . our he charges identify his enemies including bankers the media business people and of course the united states. in the key cities sites and a whole range of media outlets. their workout list. and in 2007 they coleman aided in radio caracas television losing its license to broadcast. never. happy about that. i got

a gun in the internal sort of we started mobilizing when we got the feeling that something was being taken from us you know why a t.v. station when. they were taking away our right to choose which channel we wanted to watch or to express ourselves through media that lit a fire under us. once again the opposition parties were being overtaken by a brave young generation i admire. believe it. what about oh it was a lot rowing disillusionment was reflected in a referendum defeat for chavez it intended to amend some 69 articles in a sweeping constitutional reform among the proposed changes further developing venis away a large what being

a socialist state and allowing the president to stand indefinitely for reelection the people said no among those voting against was chavez's ex-wife simone on minute dogs. and then on the. the army forced chavez to accept his defeat and soon enough he was facing his next challenge and economic one. chavez government nationalized entire sectors of the economy it wasn't about structural reforms or financial cuts they took a very radical approach 'd they took control of banks supermarkets and millions of packed hours of land. and those moves basically destroyed the domestic market and the idea of individual initiative among citizens some people say today that there's

not even toilet paper left in venezuela it's a bit of a cliche but there is a bit of truth in it because nobody's making it anymore there's no private sector production the market is no longer functioning. unfortunately the nationalization program was based on political not economic factors. there was no real strategy. the expropriation became an end in itself that. you're welcome out on someone out on the eve of. the sea and i mean every going to emerge. from this year not only in our homes or not have not said that doesn't want it but you know you know when i come here not that i'm not a very political thanks how things used the media to make himself omnipresent sometimes with rambling speeches lasting hours on a show called president he was also the 1st head of state to use twitter chavez

seemed more interested in his own image than the country's economic problems his popularity stemmed more from his charisma than political achievements with a nationalized companies now run by incompetent military officers the country's infrastructure sector has problems like. at that. that. the reactor one entrepreneurs increasingly left to set up shop abroad the young generation continue to fight for democratic principles. and progress was made the new opposition parties secured a 3rd of the seats in the national assembly but events would take a final unexpected turn. if i get cold feet in my room like see things more upset though. but it's things here the center rest garden city and us. society you're not

really. going to. get better then i start. that it. was. the president's cancer diagnosis at 1st kept secret then use to dramatic effect became a defining factor both politically and socially rumors and medical reports concerning the president who was then re-elected in 2012 became part of the daily news cycle for venice a whale and. his final rally is really interesting the footage has a very religious feel. there are moments in history where you think. did that really happen was it staged. i think it was almost a case of deification because.

chavez wanted an epic tale he made these bellicose speeches but had no story to back them up you know that he wanted chavez didn't come down from the sierra maestra he didn't overthrow some dictator or set up some grillo force but he talked as if he were che guevara or castro. or in reality all he done was win an election in an oil rich country. has a sickness spurred on a new narrative and a religious dimension to his character it began with that election campaign and ended with his death his resurrection via the media added a new chapter as well as that still present in venezuela today but this will. be exact circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear though chavez died in

2013 at the. age of 58 many in the country mourn for a man who became a legend. i often wonder today what it is that defines us as a country country where what really matters is the people not the individual and rights as opposed to responsibilities. venezuelans have gotten used to shortages and restrictions at 1st they assumed they would be temporary but now they've simply become a part of life people have learned to be resourceful. they are also there so it was so much us. everything was different when charges was still president. back then the country had everything chavez was

a man who made a difference he had an alternative vision. my hero is my dura a completely different kind of politician he had everything but failed to take advantage of that. what are we venezuelans supposed to do if the politicians fail to come to agreement this country will face further growing up he's. never been in. prior to his death chavez appointed one of his closest allies as interim president nicolas maduro was subsequently confirmed into office in the april 2030 no lection a former bus driver who had attended a political training school that had down my dura was alleged to be a pawn for a cuban regime eager to maintain any of the winds over the country. in 2014 street protests raged against the maduro government and were put down with

deadly force. 2015 saw the opposition assume the majority in the national assembly 2 years later by duros stripped the parliament of its legislative powers which were now transferred to pro-government loyalists. the protests continued on may 20th 2018 my duro won a 2nd term in office albeit in an election that critics call farcical. and he continued to block any humanitarian aid to the country. but they let me assume the most part of my duros mission is to protect chavez's legacy that's why chavez chose him. now everyone's talking about my duro nobody's talking about charges anymore not my job basically took care of all the dirty work like in the church he's like a priest who says he'll take responsibility for everything sort of he never said or

that it was the previous government's fault or a consequence of charges his policies. no none of the representatives i approached from adorers regime ultimately agreed to an interview a few did it 1st but only for a fee which i refused to pay. after 17 years of chavez same money when only vadis and one why don't your elected to the national assembly as deputies representing the state of far that's a feat that nobody had believed in anymore you have to any of us you know our generation took up the challenge of resurrecting belief in politics begich out for us chavez was the result of anti politics and anti party and an anti sr all sort of so we grew up on the charges and were too young to remember the country's democratic era child i was 12 when he came to power but still we believe in

politics is the be and to. venezuela has traditionally been a country that welcome down there is with open arms today people are fleeing the country for other parts of latin america. were you not me. i met the gross secretary general of the organization of american states on the kuta bridge connecting the swale and colombia. he was among the 1st to alert the international community. if the british. yes the

fundamental problem with this presidency are from just the repressive structures set up in ministerial or over the last 15 years. to land the possibility of any change of power. although this is also supported by external factors. for example castro thanks to the $20000.00 plus cubans yakima douro in venezuela. then you have colombia's national liberation army in the in the presence of hezbollah and iran plus the mexican cartels. this is going to know what that is do or keeps himself in power not because of his strength but because of his weakness if money were forced it would mark the end of a setup where a number of players have been hoping for

a revival of the cold war. some same a duro has the backing of the military although perhaps he is capitalizing on fear and terror the regime was devouring its own people. there they really hit my husband is an army commander and was in charge of one of the highest profile battalions in venezuela we don't know us a single one monday they arrested 6 commanders who had complained about food shortages for their true. does this they were charged with conspiracy. so. the torture included a lead clone around the head to increase pressure until they faint at what. they would be seen on the back of their legs with a hot pipe. a lot of them had broken ribs.

how are we to get rid of a dictatorship or with ties to organized crime or whatever. and as for restoring human rights. that won't happen by emphasizing them in countless speeches when i completed production of this one why don't was recognized by over 50 nations as the legitimate interim president of venezuela he didn't bark down what would be a marathon undertaking. where that journey ends as unclear as a rational as a night sound i have to believe in him and the hope he instills in. your

life when it's no longer for. career when you're finally allowed to pursue it. it's your opinion when you can finally say it. is freedom more important than homeland. we need artiste. exile living in berlin.

20. 30 minutes on d. w. . more than a 1000 years ago europe witnesses a huge construction boom. christianity firmly established itself. both religious and secular leaders or to display their power. to trace speaking. concrete the tallest biggest most beautiful structures. stone masons builders architects to compete with each other. this is called massive churches are created a. contest of the feel good. story.

on g.w. . this is d w news live from but in a tough text the chancellor merkel's conservative party as to jevan states go to the polls this weekend i'm glad machall conservatives face blowback over the handling of the coronavirus crisis and the scandal as a pandemic profiteering also coming up british women and british police manhandle

women protesting against male violence government ministers a demanding an explanation for the heavy handed response at a vigil tonight a victim.