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Hugo Chavez made Venezuela one of the richest countries in South America in the early 2000s. Today, the Venezuelan economy is on the verge of collapse with hyper inflation and extreme shortages of electricity, food and medicine. On this episode we speak to Temir Porras, a former policy advisor to Chavez and former Chief of Staff Nicolas Maduro, on what could have been done to avoid the current crisis.

The Heat is a production of CGTN America and is recorded in Washington D.C. Subscribe and check back for new episodes throughout the week.

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BONUS: Hugo Chavez & 4 American tourists

A fascinating story on when Hugo Chavez spoke with four random American tourists at 3am in a Japan hotel lobby.