Charismatic Leadership as a Factor of Power in Venezuela

Abstract

The history of mankind knows a lot of examples when individuals abruptly changed the course of the history of countries and peoples. On March 5, 2013, one of the most influential politicians of Latin America passed away. However, the identity of Hugo Chavez is still the subject of debate and dominates in the Venezuelan political agenda, leaving behind the present President Nicolas Maduro. Paradoxically, Chavez’s approval rating even remains almost 50% after almost five years after his death. Maduro and his government have to be content with a modest rating of 20% and accusations of corruption and bringing the country to a collapse. The article sets the task to analyze the factors contributed to the emergence of the phenomenon of Hugo Chavez and the consequences of the charismatic leadership for the political processes in modern Venezuela.

Keywords

• populism
• charismatic leadership
• venezuela
• hugo chavez