Venezuela is currently facing a crisis, caused by an authoritarian regime, which has caused massive waves of emigration of nearly 8 million Venezuelans the past 7 years. This migration crisis is driven by the overwhelming humanitarian, socioeconomic, and political crisis.
The crisis is the outcome of years of political oppression, hyperinflation, the increasing poverty and the scarcity of essential resources such as access to healthcare, food, and education.
“Why did all of this happen?”, in 1998 the infamous Hugo Chávez, a recently freed military officer, obtained presidential power by reinventing himself as someone who could reconnect with the poor. But despite all this, his actions contradicted his promises. He restructured the political system to make certain his ongoing authority by making 69 amendments to the Venezuelan constitution.
Chávez’s inadequate ways of handling the economy is one of the main factors that left Venezuela so vulnerable to the disastrous economic situation it faces today. After ruling Venezuela for 14 years, in 2013 Chavez died, and he passed on the presidency to Nicolás Maduro, a politician with even more incompetence to govern anything. Maduro has been following Chavez’s socialist ideas.
During the last few years with Maduro as the legitimate president, Venezuela has experienced an insane hyperinflation of its national currency, his authoritarian practices have suppressed democracy and his inability to address the humanitarian disaster has deepened the conflict and been the cause of the largest migration crisis in Latin American history. The National Electoral Council (CNE), is the organization responsible for organizing elections in Venezuela, but with the course of years it has been heavily influenced by Maduro’s regime, which played a crucial role in the suggestion that the election was not fair.
On the July 28, 2024 presidential elections, Venezuelans all over the world witnessed a significant shift in the legitimacy of Maduro, as he is now seen as a dictator rather than a democratically elected president because of the electoral fraud and the manipulation that occurred in the electoral process. Maduro continues to make Venezuelan people face dictatorship and corruption under his regime by holding an illegitimate presidential inauguration in Venezuela in a desperate attempt to cling power this last Friday, January 10, 2025
However, Venezuelan people and the entire world know the truth- Edmundo Gonzalez was the one that should have been commemorated as the new Venezuelan president after the opposition published more than 80 percent of the tally sheets received directly from polling stations throughout Venezuela. Those tally sheets indicate that Maduro lost 2024 presidential elections and has no right to claim the presidency.
After the elections were held on July 28, 2024, Venezuelan people haven’t stopped living in difficult situations. Nicolas Maduro and his regime have been kidnapping, torturing and even killing hundreds of innocent people, including opposition leaders, old people, young adults and teens that were fighting for their rights and freedom. Therefore Venezuelan people are facing serious and terrible moments, praying for help and waiting for a change. In alignment to this, Gonzalez spoke to the European Union Legislators: “We are facing a regime which has seriously undermined human rights democratic institutions and the system of freedom.”
Despite the recognition of opposition, Maduro’s grip on power remains as he stays in control of institutions, military, judiciary and National Assembly, but increasing international support of Gonzalez and the rising domestic discontent could undermine Maduro’s authority.
Even though opposition leaders say there is a plan, many people wonder what is actually what Venezuela needs to have Maduro out of his unfair position? People wish for a peaceful transition for Gonzalez to take the power; however, after Maduro and his regime have clearly demonstrated that they are terrible people and they would not accept any negotiation, Venezuelan people have limited options that might work to end this crisis such as a forced humanitarian intervention from other countries or Venezuelan armed forces helping their country instead of killing them.
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado told her followers, “This force that we have built and that grows every day has prepared us for this final phase.”
Concluding with this idea and with Venezuelans living with the doubt of what will really happen in their country, opposition leaders affirm that there is a plan and allied international leaders are aware of the truth and supporting Gonzalez and his people to save Venezuela from an infinite dictatorship.
