Throughline El Libertador (Venezuela update)
26 snips
Jan 8, 2026 
Alejandro Velasco, a historian and NYU professor, dives into the complex legacy of Venezuelan leaders Bolívar and Chávez. He examines Chávez's dramatic exhumation of Bolívar to solidify his political myth. The discussion touches on Bolívar’s personal tragedies and military strategies that shaped his quest for independence. Velasco also explores Chávez's rise from failed coup leader to president during a tumultuous economic period, revealing how his charisma and media presence transformed Venezuela’s political landscape.
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Bolívar's Exhumation As Political Theater
- Hugo Chávez exhumed Simón Bolívar's remains on live TV as theatrical political theater.
- Rory Carroll described Chavez's emotional performance as surreal, creepy, and theatrical.
Two-Minute TV Speech Made Chávez A Star
- Chávez's failed 1992 coup elevated him after he took responsibility in a two-minute TV speech.
- That brief on-air moment turned Chavez into a national figure and launched his political rise.
Bolívar Built A Continental Revolution
- Simón Bolívar shifted from elite leader to mass commander by recruiting mestizo and slave fighters.
- He transformed the independence struggle into a continental project called Gran Colombia.
