Venezuela declared independence in 1961.
 Hugo Chvez, the central figure of the Venezuelan political landscape since his election to the presidency in 1998 as a political outsider, died in office in early 2013, and was succeeded by Nicols Maduro (initially as interim president, before narrowly winning the 2013 Venezuelan presidential election)
 The 2013 Venezuelan presidential election was widely disputed leading to widespread protest, which triggered another nationwide crisis that continues to this day

