Dragon in the Tropics: Venezuela and the Legacy of Hugo Chavez

With the death of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, demand has developed for an update to the 2010 title, Dragon in the Tropics - the widely-hailed comprehensive account of how Chavez and his regime revamped Venezuela. Authors Javier Corrales and Michael Penfold have revised and updated their original work. Two new chapters have been added: "Succession Crises and Hybrid Regimes" examines the electoral decline of Chavismo after the passing of its namesake, and a new concluding chapter argues that Chavez's successor, Nicolas Maduro, has turned far more autocratic than anything seen in Venezuela since 1958. Finally, the authors apply lessons from the Arab Spring to show why Venezuela's succession produced neither regime collapse nor heightened political violence.

About the Author :
Javier Corrales is a professor of political science at Amherst College and the author of Presidents Without Parties: The Politics of Economic Reform in Argentina and Venezuela in the 1990s (Penn State Press, 2002). Michael Penfold is professor of political economy and former dean of the Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administracion in Caracas and the author of Dos Tradiciones,Un Conflicto: El Futuro de la Descentralizacion (Debate 2009).

Review :
"This is the most objective, comprehensive and interesting book I have read on what has happened in Venezuela since Hugo Chavez took power in the late 1990s. It shows why most of the common explanations of the country's social and political convulsions are superficial and often flawed. A must read." --Moises Naim, Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace "Hugo Chavez and his 'Bolivarian Revolution' to construct '21st century socialism' in Venezuela and reshape the international order have attracted a great deal of polarized comment: either sycophantic praise or unmitigated condemnation, neither backed up by sound data or profound analysis. Dragon in the Tropics escapes this pattern. It provides a thoughtful, perceptive, balanced but critical, nuanced and illuminating assessment, grounded in rich and revealing data, and deep knowledge of both Venezuela and of comparative politics and political economy. Highly recommended." --Abraham F. Lowenthal, Professor of International Relations, University of Southern California "Corrales and Penfold have written a wide-ranging and thought-provoking interpretation of how Hugo Chavez has shaped Venezuelan society, and the country's regional and global role, over the past decade. The book is conceptually innovative, empirically rich, and cogently argued. Its keen insights into Venezuela's evolving political economy represent an invaluable contribution." --Michael Shifter, President, Inter-American Dialogue "Javier Corrales and Michael Penfold are two of the most outstanding analysts of contemporary Venezuela. This accessible and clear-eyed book provides a comprehensive overview of Venezuelan politics, economics, and foreign policy over the last decade. No one interested in understanding the rise of radical populism, the distortions inherent in the oil economy, and the progressive deterioration of democratic institutions should fail to read this book." --Cynthia Arnson, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars "An engaging and comprehensive portrait of the Chavez government's key economic and political features." -- Political Science Quarterly