Last week I wrote an article capturing a bit of how bad the poverty is affecting the citizens of Venezuela. And now I will explain how the nation’s government took its economy downhill to what seems like irreparable condition.
We have all heard of North Korea’s dictator oppressing his people and managing media to show citizens that First-World countries like the United States is to blame for their nation's terrible condition. Now you may say, that’s an extreme case and it only happens there. Well, not anymore.
What does North Korea have in common with Venezuela? Manipulation of the public’s mind. When Nicolas Maduro declared a state of emergency, he blamed OPEC and the U.S. for having an agenda and plotting against Venezuela. Maduro said, “Washington is activating measures at the request of Venezuela’s fascist right, who are emboldened by the coup in Brazil.” That doesn’t even make sense, he is just trying to cover the sun with his finger and hide the fact that his own economic measures and corruption are to blame. The government controls media within the country so what are Venezuelan’s supposed to think if their country tells them that wealthy nations are driving them to economic doom?
Venezuela - supposedly a democracy, but more like a dictatorship - is now bankrupt. Citizens swarm into grocery markets only to find empty shelves. The money that people do have is not enough because it has devalued so much this past year. There is not even a hint of free market there since the government decided the prices of goods. It also seems like they just make up a number, because oftentimes the prices they decide are lower than the price of production, therefore creating a loss for the producer and giving no incentive to continue making said goods. Matters are so bad that even one of the biggest franchises in the world, McDonald’s, has had to stop selling Big Macs because of the shortage in bread.
Venezuelans aren’t entirely blind to the corruption there and are trying to recall a referendum to take Maduro out of office. However, I don’t think it will be an easy or fair process, since Maduro also controls the country’s electoral office. According to this article by The Guardian citizens are desperate: “They don’t let us vote. They don’t let us march. They don’t let us eat. They don’t let us live peacefully. What else can we do? We have to fight however we can against this tyranny,” said Juan, declining to give his surname as he donned a mask.
Problems are deep rooted and go back to Hugo Chavez’s never ending rule because he kept trying to fix the constitution so he had unlimited chances to run for office. Embezzlement was an everyday thing starting with Chavez’ daughter holding about $4 billion in overseas accounts.
So with the corruption of media reports, pricing of goods, invisible citizens’ votes and money embezzlement, Venezuela’s government dug its nation’s grave.
