Venezuela’s Collapse, Explained by a Venezuelan Economist | Daniel DiMartino

<p><strong>Venezuela didn’t collapse overnight — it voted its way there.</strong></p><p>In this episode of <em>Ami’s House</em>, we’re joined by <strong>Daniel DiMartino</strong>, a Venezuelan-born economist and fellow at the <strong>Manhattan Institute</strong>, to explain how one of the richest countries in the world unraveled into authoritarianism, poverty, and mass exile.</p><p>Daniel walks us through what it was actually like to grow up in Venezuela as power slowly centralized, institutions weakened, and socialist policies hollowed out a once-prosperous society — all through democratic means.</p><p>We discuss:</p><ul><li><p>How Venezuela went from top-10 in economic freedom to near the bottom</p></li><li><p>Why oil wealth failed to prevent collapse</p></li><li><p>The difference between Venezuela and Iraq-style regime change</p></li><li><p>What American debates about socialism and executive power often ignore</p></li><li><p>Why Venezuelans overwhelmingly reject the Maduro regime</p></li></ul><p>This is a sober, firsthand conversation about incentives, power, and the slow erosion of democratic guardrails — and why Venezuela matters far beyond South America.</p><p>Follow <em>Ami’s House</em> for long-form conversations that prioritize depth over noise.</p>