Venezuela, located in the Latin American region, is a country characterized by the abundance of its oil reserves. A natural resource that has shaped the history and development of the country, affecting its economic, social and above all political spheres. For many years, Venezuela was controlled by authoritarian regimes. The country, being very important in a geopolitical sense due to its abundance of oil, has been a key player on the international stage and especially for those who kept the country under their rule for many years. It was not until 1958 that Venezuela experienced the change towards democracy and a stable democracy was maintained between the two main political parties of the time, Accion Democratica (AD) and Christian Democrats (COPEI). These two parties were in charge of the country, and for many years they both balanced their power in order to govern the country and keep it stable. It was only in the 1990s that this situation changed. As other Latin American countries have experienced, the levels of corruption and lack of accountability to the population allowed that in 1998 Hugo Chavez Frias was elected president of Venezuela. Chavez, who took power in 1998 and presented himself to the masses as a "Savior," completely revolutionized the country and some say he succeeded in establishing what is known as competitive authoritarian rule. His actions during the many years he served as president of Venezuela and their impacts on the economic, political and social spheres of the country have led many critics to analyze and reflect on whether Chavez increased or diminished democracy ? Analyzing how he changed the political structure of Venezuela and how ...... middle of paper ......rales, Javier. “Hugo Boss.” Foreign policy. 152 (2006): 32-40. Print. .Corrales, Javier. “A setback for Chavez.” Journal of Democracy 1st ser. 22 (2011): 122-36. Print.Corrales, Javier. “Venezuela: ousting the opposition.” Journal of Democracy, Volume 18, Number 2. 18.2 (2007): 99-113. Print.Hidalgo, Manuel. “The “petro-socialism” of Hugo Chavez.” Journal of Democracy, Vol. 20. Issue 2. 20.2 (2009): 78-92. Print.< http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/jod/summary/v020/20.2hidalgo.htlm>McCoy, Jennifer. “An act in an unfinished drama.” Journal of Democracy, Vol.16, Number 1. 16.1 (2005): 109-123. Print.< http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/jod/summary/v016/16.1maccoy.htlm>Arraras, April 22, 2012, PowerPoint presentation by the module professor 8.