Early on, Chavez implemented central planning -- agriculture included, with the predictable results. As a historical reminder, czarist Russia used to be a world exporter of wheat. After communism, Russia suffered decades of bad weather -- at least that was their excuse.
In Venezuela, the government decided to grow corn in land where sugar cane was usually grown -- corn, of course, likes its feet dry. Little corn grown, and no sugar cane. Similarly, they set the price farmers could charge -- less than it cost to grow the crops and raise the cattle -- do I have to paint a picture! A Englishman had a nice farm growing cacao for high end chocolate sold in the better stores in London like Harrads. Chavez nationalized his farm (did pay for it) and let the government run it. First crop was OK. After that, only the low end candy makers would buy the low quality stuff,