This what I have from a Caribbean Sourcebook I have been working on:
Venezuela
Description
In the last half of the 20th century, Venezuela's economic well-being fluctuated with the unstable demand for its primary export commodity, oil. Oil accounts for three-quarters of Venezuela's exports, half of its government's fiscal income, and a quarter of the nation's GDP. The 1970s were a particular boom period (due to the 1973 and 1978 oil crises in the US), but economic conditions worsened through the 1980s.
(History through the 1980s matches RL)
History
1989 – Perez is elected on an anti-neoliberal platform, but due to economic crises, is forced to counter that – minimizing stipends to the unemployed, raising the price of fuel locally, which in Caracas was immediately passed on as a price rise for public transportation – causing a week of riots.
1992 – Feb: Leftist coup attempt (includes Victor Chavez) against Perez. Chavez appears on TV for 1 minute, apologizing for the lives lost, but vows to return. Then goes to prison unti 1994. Perez survives another coup attempt in Nov.
1993 – Perez impeached for spending $17 million illegally to support the election of Violetta Chamorro in Nicaraqua. Raphael Caldera, campaigning on an anti-neoliberal platform, is elected in December with 30% of the vote to his nearest rival's 23%.
1994 - As one of his election promises, Caldera released Chávez and other army dissidents in March.
1996 – Caldera reverses himself on economic policy, adopting IMF programs in 1996 and 1997 that stipulated neoliberal adjustment and opened the state oil industry to private investment. In November, about 1.3 million workers walked off the job in a general public sector strike (increasing unrest, stirred by left wing parties with an eye to next election in 1999); and in late August 1998, Caldera obtained legislation from Congress enabling him to rule by decree.
However, 1998 nuke strikes on oil industry –
Oil market damaged; trade damaged. Chavez seizes power as Caldera gov’t fails.
Strike actually by Soviets, as oil industrial base still owned by foreign firms, especially US oil companies.
However, other than military backing, Chavez does not have assets in place to provide aid. Unrest in Caracas and major cities; lack of communication with villages. Chavez concentrates military on remaining fuel resources, more or less as a strongman marshalling all resources to extend control south fomr the coast. He could claim marxist brotherhood with Cuba, but the Soviets aren't really around to do anything for him.
Lots of chaos, starvation, death, and lack of control in the hinterlands as you go south.
hmmm. look for any ethnic/race/class issues.
Interesting possibility - engineering aid (and possibily limited small arms and ammo) from (unnuked, uninvaded) Cuba for some fuel production.
Military
Navy: 2 German Type 209/1300-class SS, 6 Italian Lupo-class FF, 2 Almirante Clemente-class FF, 23 patrol craft, 4 Capana-class LST, 1 ex-US Terrebonne Parish-class LST.
Army:
- Repairing oil facilities
- Repairing roads
- Providing large-scale stills
Economic
Home to an oil industry. – and nuked for it.
1994: suffers economic downturn due to falling oil prices and problems in banking industry.
Possible Targets:
- Punto Fijo, Venezuela
- Punto Cardon, Venezuela
- Bajo Grande Refinery - south of Maracaibo
Note that Curacao also sufferes a nuke strike on its refinery, whcih happens to be in the middle of its capital and largest city.