Venezuelan sports under the mandate of Nicolás Maduro: between crisis and isolated achievements

CARACAS.– The arrival of Nicolás Maduro to power in Venezuela, first as acting president after the death of Hugo Chávez and then elected in 2013, coincided with the end of the oil boom that for years allowed a strong state investment in sports. Since then, the sports sector has traveled a path marked by the economic crisis, the reduction of resources and the deterioration of infrastructure, despite some individual achievements of high international impact.

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During the years of high oil prices, the Venezuelan State allocated significant funds to sporting events. An example was the 2007 Copa América, for which nearly 1.2 billion dollars were invested in stadiums and infrastructure, in a context of economic growth that reached 8.8% of GDP that same year. However, by 2013, when Maduro formally assumed the Presidency, growth had been reduced to 1.35%, anticipating a deep recession that would culminate in hyperinflation exceeding 130,000% in 2018.

Achievements in the Midst of Adversity

Despite the complex environment, Venezuelan sport experienced some of its greatest recent milestones during Maduro’s term. These include Yulimar Rojas’ gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (held in 2021) and the runner-up finish of the U-20 national soccer team in South Korea, under the technical direction of Rafael Dudamel. However, the increasing statization of sport and lack of resources led many athletes to seek to develop their careers outside the country, maintaining their link with Venezuela from abroad. Rojas herself, one of the most emblematic figures of Venezuelan athletics, resides in Spain and competes under the discipline of FC Barcelona.

Declining Infrastructure

The economic collapse also severely hit sports venues. The fall in GDP — which plummeted to 30% in 2020 — and the exodus of millions of Venezuelans further reduced the capacity for public investment. As a result, emblematic facilities such as the Brígido Iriarte stadium in Caracas or the Guatamare Olympic pools in Margarita show advanced deterioration.

Baseball, a symbol of the crisis

Baseball, the country’s most popular sport and one of its main international showcases, has been one of the most affected. Economic and logistical difficulties prevented Venezuela from hosting the Caribbean Series in 2018 and 2019, editions that should have been held in Mexico and Panama.

It wasn’t until 2023 that the country once again hosted the tournament, an occasion that served for the inauguration of the Monumental Simón Bolívar Stadium in Caracas, in an attempt to regain prominence on the regional stage.

An Uncertain Outlook

The balance of Venezuelan sports in the era of Nicolás Maduro reflects a contrasting reality: individual successes that coexist with a weakened system, affected by the economic crisis, the emigration of talent, and structural precariousness. Although figures like Yulimar Rojas have kept Venezuela on the world sports map, the challenge of rebuilding a solid base for national sports remains an outstanding task.