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This article studies the first year of chavismo without Hugo Chávez presence in Venezuelan politics. 2013 was not only marked by the death of the re-elected president Chavez, but also for how close the opposition was to winning the presidential election held to choose a new president. The results of this election set the pattern for the year’s political life, which saw an increase in the level of confrontation between the two forces. After taking a look at the countries increasingly troubled economy and safety situation and at the December local elections, the article concludes analyzing the possibilities that open up with the upcoming electoral vacuum.