Wiser World

Today's guest, Diego Vicentini, is a Venezuelan film writer, director & editor. His debut feature film “Simón”—which exposes human rights violations committed by the Venezuelan regime—was able to overcome censorship in Venezuela and was nominated for the 38th Goya Awards (Spain’s Academy Awards) in the Best Ibero-American film category in representation of Venezuela and reached the #6 spot on Netflix's Global Top 10 in its
first week on the platform. Since making the film, Diego is not able to go back to Venezuela due to threat of imprisonment.

In this episode, Diego shares about the Venezuela diaspora, growing up Venezuela and the United States, his film Simón and the journey he took to have it shown publicly in Venezuela, and his advice for non-Venezuelans when it comes to Venezuelan politics.

Learn more about his film, Simón, at simonmovie.com.

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Five macro-level lessons I learned from studying Venezuela's history that I hope to remember.

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This is Part 3 of 3 of the Venezuela 101 series: a foundational history of Venezuela. This episode is a concise history of Venezuela from 2013 - early 2026, designed for those who know little to nothing about Venezuela. This episode covers:


Chávez’s death and Maduro’s fragile rise to power


Oil collapse, hyperinflation, and economic freefall


Daily life under shortages, black markets, and repression


Mass protests, loss of legitimacy, and historic migration


U.S. sanctions, drug accusations, and Maduro’s 2026 capture

If you'd like a downloadable PDF with a timeline/outline of this episode, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can pay for it a la carte, or sign up to be a $5 or $10 Patreon supporter and receive the PDF, more resources, and ad-free episodes for all Wiser World episodes.

Sources used in the making of this episode.

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This is Part 2 of 3 of the Venezuela 101 series: a foundational history of Venezuela. This episode is a concise, foundational history of Venezuela from 1989 to 2013, designed for those who know little to nothing about Venezuela. This episode covers:


Venezuela before Chávez and the shock of the Caracazo (1989)


The rise of Hugo Chávez (1992–1998)


How Chávez rewrote the political system.


Oil, media, and consolidation of power.


Life under Chávez and the system he left behind.

If you'd like a downloadable PDF with a timeline/outline of this episode, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can pay for it a la carte, or sign up to be a $5 or $10 Patreon supporter and receive the PDF, more resources, and ad-free episodes for all Wiser World episodes.

Sources used in the making of this episode.

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This is Part 1 of 3 of the Venezuela 101 series: a foundational history of Venezuela. This episode is a concise, foundational history of Venezuela from 1498 to 1988, designed for those who know little to nothing about Venezuela. This episode covers:

- Venezuela pre-1498 (Columbus)

- Spanish colonization

- How Venezuela gained independence

- The long road to democracy: caudillos, dictatorships, and more

- The discovery of oil and the oil boom years

- Oil crash and inflation of the 1980s

If you'd like a downloadable PDF with a timeline/outline of this episode, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can pay for it a la carte, or sign up to be a $5 or $10 Patreon supporter and receive the PDF, more resources, and ad-free episodes for all Wiser World episodes.

Sources used in the making of this episode.

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sign up for our free weekly email newsletter at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://wiserworld.com/⁠⁠⁠
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