The current situation in Venezuela
Under Maduro's rule, Maduro continued to use administrative means to intervene in the private economy, resulting in a depression and lack of vitality. The Venezuelan economy is facing a severe recession due to the lack of revenue in Venezuela, which uses oil and gas resources as the main source of revenue, due to the continued downturn in crude oil prices, coupled with the economic and financial sanctions imposed on Venezuela by the United States. Venezuela's gross domestic product fell by 27 percent between 2013 and 2016, and Venezuela, once Latin America's richest country, began to suffer from famine in 2016, with malnutrition sweeping the country and 90 percent of the country's population living below the poverty line.
Surveys have shown that the average weight of Venezuelans fell by 8 kilograms in 2016 and by another 11 kilograms in 2017. Under the continued shortage of food, Venezuelans began slaughtering cats and dogs to feed them. In addition, Venezuela's domestic infrastructure is not optimistic, and there is a shortage of electricity and running water. There are not enough buses and bank ATMs cannot withdraw money. Venezuela's foreign exchange reserves were almost depleted, and it had to sell its gold reserves in exchange for cash to pay for imports. Heading into 2018, venezuela's economy continues to deteriorate. The International Monetary Fund estimates that the Venezuelan inflation rate will be as high as 13,000% in 2018. Venezuelan bolivars have depreciated sharply, for example, in Venezuela, 100,000 Venezuelan bolivars can only buy half an egg.
There are also reports that the national school enrolment rate of children in Venezuela has decreased from 12.7 million to 11 million. Only 60% of children will go to school normally in 2020. When asked why they didn't go to school all the time, the children's answer was because there was no food, no water, no electricity, no transportation.
The Maduro government has made Venezuela like this, why is it still controlling the country?
There are several main reasons:
1. Control of the army
At the beginning of Chavis's rise to power, there were only more than 100 senior generals in the army, but in the past 20 years, the number has increased to more than 2,000, and Maduro reorganized the armed forces during the period, expanding the army's national reach and weakening the rights of individual generals. Agents are also installed in various departments of the military, and all military personnel have the obligation to report and supervise and criticize their colleagues.
2. Control over the nationals
The 'Homeland Card' (similar to a combination of an identity card and a social security card) was introduced, mainly to provide food, health care and other social benefits to the Venezuelan population, but he only distributed it to those who had finally come to him.
3. Hire Russian private armed forces to protect themselves
It has been reported that Maduro no longer trusts the army and believes that there are potential opposition forces in the army, so he hired Russian mercenaries to strengthen his personal safety.
Venezuela today, in interviews with reporters, shows frustration and pessimism about the country's return to the right track, saying that even protests are taking place across the country. The Venezuelan government is also under pressure from international economic sanctions, but the unpopular Maduro remains unpopular.