Erosion of Democracy in Venezuela, 2013-2024
By: Eirini Paliokosta
Dec 10, 2025
Today the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony takes place, with the award given to María Corina Machado for her efforts to advance democracy in Venezuela. This week’s graph takes a look at the state of democracy in the country.
Venezuela experienced a sharp deterioration in democratic conditions between 2013 and 2024, coinciding with Nicolás Maduro’s rise to the presidency. Three key indicators—free and fair elections, mobilization for democracy, and opposition parties’ autonomy—are measured on a scale from 0 (absent or weak democratic qualities) to 4 (strong democratic qualities).
Until 2016, elections had significant irregularities but still some level of competitiveness. Since then, the quality of elections declined dramatically. Leading opposition figures, including Machado, have been arbitrarily arrested, prosecuted, and barred from running for office, signaling that elections are no longer free and fair. Opposition parties remain active and represent an alternative voice to the Maduro regime. However, their formal ability to contest it have been severely diminished.
Meanwhile, mobilization for democracy fluctuated, peaking around 2014–2016 amid widespread protests, before declining after 2017 as governmental repression intensified. Substantial resurgence appears in the election year 2024, illustrating the persistence of oppositional voices despite authoritarian consolidation.
Although democratic norms have largely collapsed, remnants of political contestation remain present. The persistent presence of opposition parties and the increasing mobilization for democracy could provide some hope for the future.
