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| The Guardian view on Venezuela: the brink of ruin | The Guardian view on Venezuela: the brink of ruin |
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| Fri 28 Jul 2017 19.09 BST | |
| Last modified on Mon 27 Nov 2017 19.19 GMT | |
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| A country with some of the largest oil reserves in the world is on the brink of collapse. Venezuela is fast sliding into chaos. Barricades have gone up in the capital, Caracas. The government has banned all demonstrations, but mass protests have already begun and are due to continue over the weekend. Clashes between protesters and security forces have caused more than a hundred deaths in recent months, including five people killed this week. Teargas and rubber bullets have been used against molotov cocktails. Some speak of the danger of civil war. | A country with some of the largest oil reserves in the world is on the brink of collapse. Venezuela is fast sliding into chaos. Barricades have gone up in the capital, Caracas. The government has banned all demonstrations, but mass protests have already begun and are due to continue over the weekend. Clashes between protesters and security forces have caused more than a hundred deaths in recent months, including five people killed this week. Teargas and rubber bullets have been used against molotov cocktails. Some speak of the danger of civil war. |
| The political crisis has escalated dramatically ahead of a nationwide vote that the government plans to hold on Sunday to elect members of a “constituent assembly” to replace the parliament and rewrite the constitution. The UN has appealed for calm, for the freedom of peaceful protest to be upheld, and for authorities not to force citizens to go to the ballot box if they prefer not to – a reference to the widely held belief that public employees will vote with the fear of losing their jobs and bread rations in mind. | The political crisis has escalated dramatically ahead of a nationwide vote that the government plans to hold on Sunday to elect members of a “constituent assembly” to replace the parliament and rewrite the constitution. The UN has appealed for calm, for the freedom of peaceful protest to be upheld, and for authorities not to force citizens to go to the ballot box if they prefer not to – a reference to the widely held belief that public employees will vote with the fear of losing their jobs and bread rations in mind. |
| The opposition accuses the president, Nicolás Maduro, of wanting to end democracy altogether, and fears the redrafting is intended to allow him to stay on long after his term runs out in January 2019. When his predecessor Hugo Chávez overhauled the constitution, he held a referendum to ensure he had support and created a popular assembly. Mr Maduro has said the new constitution should allow the prosecution of those seeking to destabilise the country. He ordered the assembly by decree; its term is indefinite (which is why people fear it may supplant Venezuela’s parliament, which it has the power to dissolve); and its members are elected through a complex mechanism that critics say ensures only Mr Maduro’s agenda can win. | The opposition accuses the president, Nicolás Maduro, of wanting to end democracy altogether, and fears the redrafting is intended to allow him to stay on long after his term runs out in January 2019. When his predecessor Hugo Chávez overhauled the constitution, he held a referendum to ensure he had support and created a popular assembly. Mr Maduro has said the new constitution should allow the prosecution of those seeking to destabilise the country. He ordered the assembly by decree; its term is indefinite (which is why people fear it may supplant Venezuela’s parliament, which it has the power to dissolve); and its members are elected through a complex mechanism that critics say ensures only Mr Maduro’s agenda can win. |
| Meanwhile, his supporters perceive the old elite at work to undermine the interests of the masses. Venezuela has for years been a tinderbox. The roots of this crisis lie in the polarisation of a society, first by the indifference of the wealthy and powerful to the struggles of the poor, then by years of chavismo. Chávez came to power in 1999 with promises of defending the poor. For a while, helped by his oil reserves, he successfully addressed the dreadful inequalities of the old society and worked, in a phrase, for the many and not the few. But as he grew ill and the oil price fell, the weaknesses of his government became clearer. Under Mr Maduro, who became Chavez’s anointed successor in 2013, and has narrowly won one election, the problems have been ever more starkly revealed. | Meanwhile, his supporters perceive the old elite at work to undermine the interests of the masses. Venezuela has for years been a tinderbox. The roots of this crisis lie in the polarisation of a society, first by the indifference of the wealthy and powerful to the struggles of the poor, then by years of chavismo. Chávez came to power in 1999 with promises of defending the poor. For a while, helped by his oil reserves, he successfully addressed the dreadful inequalities of the old society and worked, in a phrase, for the many and not the few. But as he grew ill and the oil price fell, the weaknesses of his government became clearer. Under Mr Maduro, who became Chavez’s anointed successor in 2013, and has narrowly won one election, the problems have been ever more starkly revealed. |
| With the plunge of global oil prices, the country has descended into a quagmire of political and economic failure. The population is exhausted by years of shortages of basic food and medicine. Inflation is running in triple digits. The rich Venezuelans who left in 1999 are now being followed by waves of ordinary workers desperate to make a living. The regime’s mismanagement, cronyism and authoritarian streak have become more obvious. Claims of rightwing, US-supported plots have fed an atmosphere of paranoia (no doubt fuelled by fresh American sanctions on Venezuelan officials). | With the plunge of global oil prices, the country has descended into a quagmire of political and economic failure. The population is exhausted by years of shortages of basic food and medicine. Inflation is running in triple digits. The rich Venezuelans who left in 1999 are now being followed by waves of ordinary workers desperate to make a living. The regime’s mismanagement, cronyism and authoritarian streak have become more obvious. Claims of rightwing, US-supported plots have fed an atmosphere of paranoia (no doubt fuelled by fresh American sanctions on Venezuelan officials). |
| The opposition has already said it will boycott Sunday’s vote, but it is a mixed coalition that lacks a clear figurehead. Key trade unions, though, have sided with it. Former chavista loyalists have defected in numbers. “We will stand firm and never kneel down,” the president warned this week. The opposition is resolute too. But something has to give – before the country does. | The opposition has already said it will boycott Sunday’s vote, but it is a mixed coalition that lacks a clear figurehead. Key trade unions, though, have sided with it. Former chavista loyalists have defected in numbers. “We will stand firm and never kneel down,” the president warned this week. The opposition is resolute too. But something has to give – before the country does. |
| Americas | |
| Opinion | |
| Venezuela | |
| Nicolás Maduro | |
| editorials | |
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