Venezuela''s Polarized Politics: The Paradox of Direct Democracy Under Chávez

During Hugo Chávezs presidency, Venezuelan society underwent a suddenand vicioussplit between the Chavistas and the Opposition. What accounts for the extreme intensity of the split? How did differences so quickly become irreconcilable? What role did the media play? Answering these and related questions, Ana Mallén and María Pilar García-Guadilla explore how participatory democracy led to profound social polarization in Venezuela. See more