IMO a major factor that caused these problems is foreign intervention, mainly through economic warfare with the intent to weaken the current administration because they can't maintain a environment that supports a decent basic life.
If we look for instance what they did to Iraq we see that more people where killed as a result of the sanctions then by the fighting itself

"The slaughter of 200,000 Iraqis by President Bush in his illegal 1991 first Gulf War.
The deaths of 1.4 million Iraqis as a result of the illegal 2003 war of aggression ordered by President Bush Jr. and Prime Minister Blair.
The deaths of 1.7 million Iraqis “as a direct result” of the genocidal sanctions."
source: http://www.globalresearch.ca/us-sponsored-genocide-against-iraq-1990-2012-killed-3-3-million-including-750000-children/5314461

And I remember Chavez's speeches he did regularly in which he exposed the crimes committed by the US/Israel/EU. That, together with not following orders to allow big corporations to loot the country and it's people. That's what they always try to facilitate and make some money in the process.