Country in crisis

Venezuela continues to struggle through political unrest

Picking up a newspaper and reading an article about the current state of Venezuela can sound like you’re reading a dystopian novel.

Still reeling from the aftermath of the 2013 death of socialist President Hugo Chavez, the South American nation has nearly reached a crisis point.

Food and medical supplies are severely lacking.

RECALL — The death of socialist leader Hugo Chavez in Venezuela has led to crisis. Photo credit: Google Images

RECALL — The death of socialist leader Hugo Chavez in Venezuela has led to crisis. Photo credit: Google Images

Thousands of Venezuelans crossed the border into Colombia, a nation primarily known for political violence, in order to purchase food, medicine and basic household supplies, according to the BBC.

Opponents of the government are asking for a referendum for a recall of current President Nicolás Maduro, and “inflation is in the high triple digits — its largest bill is worth a dime, requiring brick-thick packets for simple transactions,” according to a Bloomberg Businessweek article.

The health care system is in such bad shape that in emergency rooms in a government hospital “patients, even poor ones, are now responsible for their own medical supplies,” the Bloomberg Businessweek article says.

In perhaps the most telling example of the situation in Venezuela, the nation, which sits on an estimated $12 trillion in oil, is importing light crude oil from the U.S. to mix it with Venezuela’s petroleum oil to make it exportable, according to Forbes Magazine.

A New York Post article reports that most of the money Venezuela receives from its cheap exported oil is used to pay off overseas debt, particularly to China.

A BBC article reports that Venezuela has traditionally relied on imported food to feed the population, so the government’s placement of money does not go to provide food for the starving population.

Venezuela reached this near-breaking point due to the Bolivarian revolution of Chavez, who “expropriated land and industries and replaced judges, officers and oil executives,” according to Bloomberg Businessweek.

Chavez appointed Nicolás Maduro as his successor and would likely be proud of the tight rein Maduro keeps on nationalized land and industries.

Socialism is not solely responsible for Venezuela’s current state, however, and Venezuela is more than just a cautionary tale about the evils of socialism and its effect on the economy.

The lowering of oil prices globally led to Venezuela needing to sell its chief natural resource cheaply, leading to less money flowing into the nation.

How should America respond to this situation?

There is no easy fix to the deeply rooted situation, as it took many years to reach this point and will take years to recover from it.

The nation, which according to the CIA World Factbook is home to almost 40 million people, 32.1 percent of whom lived below the poverty line in 2015, is currently in serious need of assistance.

This does not mean that America should automatically jump to Venezuela’s rescue though.

The U.S. loves getting involved in other nations’ business, but this may be a situation to avoid.

Venezuelans know what they want for their nation and can try to do what they can, such as organizing a referendum on whether to recall Maduro and elect a new one.

Colombia recently brought a temporary end to its 50-year guerilla war, and while far from being solved, Colombians brought it about by themselves.

Likewise, Venezuelans can take care of themselves, and if they would like American aid, they can ask for it.

The U.S. can offer guidance, but ultimately cannot be the voice of change for the nation.

The Venezuelan people, who know the difficulties their country faces, must be the ones to instill long-lasting impact on its youth, its leaders and its country’s future.

DePiero is an opinion writer.

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