Political Crisis in Venezuela Essay
One of the Most Pressing Problems of the Modern World – Political Crisis in Venezuela
Political crisis in Venezuela started back in 2013 after the previous president of the state Hugo Chavez died. Over these years, the country’s economy experienced a rapid downfall revealed in huge inflation and decreased level of income among the local residents. Over 90% of people living in Venezuela at that time complained about the inability to sustain a living in the country. The situation was aggravated considerably by the presidential elections of 2018, the results of which were not recognized as valid by many nations. Besides, it was during the previous year that the rule of opposition parliament came into force. Demonstrations and strikes in Caracas involving thousands of local residents reached their peak power in January of 2019 when a 35 year old member of the parliament Juan Guido proclaimed himself a new Venezuelan president.
As a result, the change of Venezuelan rule was approved by a number of world’s nations, while in the Bolivian Republic itself, the protest movements involving both followers and opponents of the new political leadership continue to take place all over the nation. At the moment, it is assumed by many that the situation in Venezuela is not going to change or somehow influence the world’s economy. Such a statement was proclaimed by the secretary-general of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Angel Gurria during the World Economic Forum.
What Happened Next?
After Juan Guido declared his new status of a temporary ruler of the state and the United States recognized his statement as valid, the rightful president Nicolas Maduro called himself a constitutional ruler of the nation saying that the leader of opposition parliament is just a “puppet of the USA”. The status of Guido as a temporary state leader was also acknowledged by a range of other countries, such as Canada and several Latin American nations. Russia, on the other hand, made a statement in favor of Maduro as the rightful president of Venezuela. In this respect, The Financial Times drew the attention of the public to the position maintained by Russia as an opponent of other members of the world community.
Some politicians express an opinion that the situation in Venezuela does not pose any threat to the wellbeing and safety of the rest of the world. Still others, such as The Wall Street Journal, call the recent events a real collision between the powers. Indeed, the USA admits that Juan Guido needs to be acknowledged as a new leader of the state, while the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Venezuela claims that Nicolas Maduro remains a rightful president of the country, which is backed up by the constitution of the state.
Be that as it may, it is quite reasonable to say that the people of Venezuela should be given a chance to solve their troubles on their own in order not to make the things worse or shake the world’s peace. However, the future course of events in Venezuela is unpredictable even though certain assumptions can still be made. The majority of opinions expressed by different nations cannot be regarded as optimistic, but we’d rather say the hope is not lost.
Boiling Point in Venezuelan Protest Movement
Obviously, Venezuela’s economic and political crisis of the modern days has recently reached the dangerous point when thousands of Venezuelan people keep holding their hands in favor of Juan Guido as a self-declared acting president of the state. The oppositional movement is aimed at breaking free from the socialist regime imposed by Nicolas Maduro. Such course of events has been unfolding for years and the political disaster was fuelled even further by the unbearable inflation, food shortage and absence of proper medical care among other national problems faced by the society over the recent years.
All this eventually provoked the discontent among people and no one will argue that three million Venezuelan people who have fled the country over this period decided to do so not without a good reason. Many might now be confused asking themselves “So, who’s the president?” Evidently, the answer to this question depends on whose side you have taken in the on-going crisis that followed the dramatic events of January 2019.
It comes as no surprise that the decision to stand against the acting president was a rather challenging step that Juan Guido dared taking, especially because only two weeks have passed since Nicolas Maduro was elected to another six-year term of presidency. It did not surprise anyone that Maduro disapproved his opponent’s actions and condemned him in being the marionette of the US saying that his rival’s move cannot diminish his status of a constitutional president.
Why People Started the Riot?
The key reason why people in Venezuela were eager to initiate a protest movement is the drastic economic downfall that the nation experienced throughout the presidency of previous socialist leaders. Many Venezuelans blame Maduro and his socialist supporters for guiding the country into decline, which produced a great impact on the nation’s wellbeing and prosperity. Many members of the opposition government had been imprisoned or had even fled the nation being afraid of possible imprisonment, while the opposition parties debated about the fairness of the events. In any case, Maduro’s re-election was not in any way approved by the country’s opposition parliament, so this is where the grounds for a protest movement originated and gave rise for the riots of Venezuelans.
What Awaits the Nation Next?
Hyperinflation is probably the biggest problem faced by Venezuela at the moment. Inflation rates are incredulous and too many residents cannot afford essential commodities like food or medicines. And the situation keeps getting worse. So, many people are now wondering what comes next for the nation.
It would probably be right to suggest that Juan Guido and his supporters will keep maintaining their positions to protest against the current state of affairs and oppose the government of Maduro up until Venezuela is completely liberated. However, the truth is that Guido does not have too much power in practice, but the nation is likely to follow its course of action in the future regardless of any circumstances. It only leaves us pondering whether it will be for the better or for the worse.
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