Twilight in Venezuela

Expert journalist and editor-in-chief of Caracas Chronicles Rafael Osío Cabrices offers a riveting, rigorous, and deeply personal account of the modern history of his country, from the rise of Chávez and the slow erosion of democracy, to the U.S. invasion and capture of Maduro. In this singular narrative of a country that often mystifies outsiders, Osío Cabrices brings to life the pivotal moments that led Venezuela to its current state of crisis—revealing the ways any healthy democracy can begin, imperceptibly, to cave in on itself. He grew up in a free, modern, oil-rich country, while much of Latin America lived under the shadow of brutal dictatorships, and witnessed as a young journalism student the economic crisis that led to the international perception of Caracas as a haven for organized crime. And he saw the devastatingly powerful false hope the election of Hugo Chávez brought to so many of his friends, before the slow creep of authoritarianism took over every facet of the government and economy. Told through vivid scenes of his trips back to the country to visit relatives, after his decision to leave the country in the wake of the worsening shortages and crackdowns on press freedoms, Osío Cabrices offers a bird’s eye view of the completely unexpected twists and turns of Venezuela‘s modern history, while never straying from the real experiences of the people living through these events. Twilight in Venezuela reads like a warm, nuanced, unforgettable conversation with a deeply informed friend, who dispels the rampant myths and misinformation and reveals, as so few can, what it feels like when History sneaks up behind you and turns your world upside down.