Maduro Can Only Rule Through Fear and Terror

Venezuela’s opposition defeated Nicolás Maduro in the country’s July presidential election, but the Venezuelan strongman refuses to relinquish power. He is withholding the official voting data and cracking down on anyone who challenges his claims.?Paola Bautista de Alemán reports from Venezuela on Maduro’s new repressive tools and why Venezuelans are still determined to resist.

The Journal of Democracy?essays below, free for a limited time, chronicle Venezuela’s struggle against Maduro’s authoritarianism — and what makes this election different.

Maduro Can Only Rule Through Fear and Terror The Venezuelan strongman lost the election and everyone knows it. He has nothing left to offer but violence and repression. It will be his undoing. Paola Bautista de Alemán

Is This the Beginning of Maduro’s End? Even if military leaders are backing Maduro, he is already weaker than he appears. Alejandro Tarre

Why This Time Is Different for Venezuela For years, the Venezuelan opposition has fought hard against a corrupt regime — and come up short. But this time, with four key ingredients in place, we are on the cusp of a historic victory. Paola Bautista de Alemán

Authoritarian Survival: Why Maduro Hasn’t Fallen His regime has hung onto power despite setbacks that would have toppled most democratic governments. Beside pure repression, Maduro has developed new autocratic tools that have kept Venezuela’s authoritarian state afloat. Javier Corrales

Latin America’s New Turbulence: Can Democracy Win in Venezuela? Venezuela’s competitive authoritarian regime now confronts a highly mobilized opposition with a large majority in the legislature. What are the prospects for successful democratic change amidst a deteriorating security situation and an economy in freefall? Manuel Hidalgo, Benigno Alarcón, and ángel E. álvarez

Latin America Erupts: When Does Competitive Authoritarianism Take Root? It is not easy to build a stable hybrid regime. Elected autocrats may try, but comparing Bolivia, Brazil, and Venezuela shows how difficult it is to succeed. V. Ximena Velasco Guachalla, Calla Hummel, Sam Handlin, and Amy Erica Smith