As a first time author, for several weeks I thought about what to post on this site, and given that my first book will be released soon, I concluded that it would be a good idea to build up a thread of short posts that would help bring context of Venezuela’s history to a foreign reader unfamiliar with the country that is the main topic of case study of my book, the introductory manual of How to Destroy a Country.

Venezuela’s modern history begins in 1498 with Columbus’ third voyage. Six years before, the italian sailor had discovered America thinking it was the coastal indian islands of Asia, while seeking for more efficient trade routes to the east.

This event triggered the race to colonize the newfound lands, with Spain, Portugal, England, France and Netherlands being the primary colonizers seeking the vast resources of the new continent.