Why Maduro Survived

Episode 29 | In the final episode of The Guacamaya, we follow the stolen election of July 2024, María Corina Machado’s resistance, and the American military operation that captured Maduro. But with the dictator gone and his system still standing, Venezuela’s struggle for freedom remains unfinished. Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/15932964/joinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/at_tvzla/

Episode 28 | Who is María Corina Machado? Hugo Chávez once dismissed her as a fly beneath an eagle. Twelve years later, María Corina united a country that had almost lost hope. Through persecution, roadblocks, and innumerable obstacles, she led Venezuelans toward the historic election of July 28, 2024—a night that would change everything. Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/15932964/joinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/at_tvzla/

Episode 27 | How did Venezuela end up with two presidents in 2019? In this episode we look at the strategy led by Juan Guaidó, the attempt to bring humanitarian aid into the country, and the tense interview between Jorge Ramos and the Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/15932964/joinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/at_tvzla/

Episode 26 | As Venezuelans searched for food in the garbage, Nicolás Maduro enjoyed a luxury steak dinner abroad. After crushing the protests of 2017, his regime tightened its grip on power while hunger transformed daily life. In this episode, we explore the desperate struggle to survive and the election that handed Maduro another six years. Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/15932964/joinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/at_tvzla/

Episode 25  |  Why did Nicolás Maduro survive Venezuela’s economic collapse and the mass protests of 2017? In this episode, we examine the two  strategies that kept him in power: control over the military—and turning access to food into a tool of political control. As Venezuelans struggled to change their government, the dictatorship made both its commanders and its poorest citizens dependent on its survival. Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/15932964/joinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/at_tvzla/

Episode 24  |  How far would Nicolás Maduro go to stay in power? In 2017, Venezuelans filled the streets demanding democracy, food, medicine, and a future in their own country. For four months, they kept marching as the regime answered with repression. Through the voice of 17-year-old Neomar Lander, this episode follows a generation’s struggle to reclaim Venezuela—and the devastating cost of a government’s determination to hold on. Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/15932964/joinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/at_tvzla/

Episode 23  |  What happens when a dictatorship loses an election? In December 2015, Venezuela’s opposition won a sweeping majority in the National Assembly. Millions celebrated, believing change was finally within reach. But Nicolás Maduro’s government was already preparing its response. Through the Supreme Court, chavismo began dismantling the opposition’s victory—setting Venezuela on a collision course with the streets. Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/15932964/joinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/at_tvzla/

Episode 22  |  Why did Venezuela’s 2014 protests fail to force Nicolás Maduro from power? As students filled the streets and opposition leaders rallied behind La Salida, the government responded with repression, propaganda, and a strategy to contain the unrest. This episode explores the power behind the 2014 protest movement, the divisions that weakened it, and the human cost of searching for an exit that never came.Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/15932964/joinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/at_tvzla/

Episode 21  |  When Nicolás Maduro inherited Venezuela, the country was already dangerously fragile. Then came empty shelves, blackouts, spiraling inflation, rampant violent crime. This is the story of how Venezuela began to fall apart, and how a state too hollow to protect its citizens remained powerful enough to punish its enemies. Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/15932964/joinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/at_tvzla/

Episode 20  |  Nicolás Maduro was easy to underestimate. He was mocked as a bus driver, an idiot, and dismissed as a weak successor to Hugo Chávez. But behind the jokes was a far more experienced political operator—one shaped by Cuba and increasingly dependent on an informal alliance with Diosdado Cabello. This episode looks at the man Maduro really was, the crisis he inherited, and how the alliance that would define Venezuela’s next chapter began to take shape. Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/15932964/joinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/at_tvzla/