Black gold was a curse. Polka was there: a real image of misery and despair

On 10 January 2025 for a third, six-year presidential term, Nicolas Maduro was sworn in. As early as July 2024, immediately after the election, mass protests broke out in the country, which were brutally pacified by the service. Since then, nearly 30 protesters have been killed and more than 2 1000 have been detained. Many have gone missing and their families have lost contact with them.

Protesters accused Maduro's crew of mass election fraud. They argued that the election was won by opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, supported by the charismatic informal leader of Venezuelan opposition Maria Corina Machado.

— Gonzalez's triumph was confirmed by papers that the opposition gained from 80% of the polling stations. Maduro lost badly, gaining 30% support. This, however, did not halt him from announcing the winner," says Dr. Joanna Gocłowska-Bolek of the University of Warsaw. The expert emphasizes that Maduro could have done so due to the fact that he was powerfully supported by military, uniformed, national guard, and variously supported by the authorities — financially and militarily — militias. These organizations are fighting any, even the smallest, act of rebellion.

The pressures were amazing. Uniforms were detained on the street by walking young people, close universities were forced to unlock their mobile phones. The service was checking their contents for any meme mocking the regime, or any sign of anyone dissatisfied with Nicolas Maduro's presidency. If something like this were found, that would be a reason for arrest,” says the expert.

I ask the Latin American female why the military and paramilitary organizations are inactive behind Maduro. The military, especially those in the highest positions, take all the money from the current situation. They enjoy financial stableness and various benefits. A very large part is implicated in the criminal network, with president Maduro at the head," he replies.

The expert estimates that a group of people focused around Maduro derives tremendous profits from drug smuggling, illegal gold mining and human smuggling. “The opposition leader Maria Corina Machado tried to convince that this government had scratches, that it is falling apart, that people have had adequate Maduro. However, it turned out that he would be able to keep power through pressures, blackmails, bribery.

The golden period...

The 1920s were groundbreaking for Venezuela. That was erstwhile the first crucial oil deposits were discovered. Production of this natural material increased rapidly. In the 1970s, erstwhile the planet was struggling with the oil crisis, Venezuela became 1 of the richest countries in Latin America. On the another hand, corruption and money was rapidly spreading in the country. The American think-tank Council on abroad Relations estimates that as much as 100 billion dollars were seized from 1972–1997.

The expert points out that Hugo Chávez, who ruled Venezuela from 1999 to 2013, built the country's power on oil trade. – As a result, he financed quite a few different social programs, reached tiny agrarian communities and tiny cities that no politician had always cared about before, where he built waterworks, schools, hospitals. These people loved him. Chavez was 1 of them, says Dr. Joanna Gocłowska-Bolek.

Miguel Gutierrez / PAP

Graffiti with Hugo Chavez in Caracas

According to a Latin American woman, “the companies prospered, well functioning businessmen who were connected to the oil sector.” “Thus, it did not make it worthwhile to invest in another industries. Venezuela imported 90% of food from the outside. They could afford anything at the time – he adds.

... and a painful fall

When the global crisis and oil prices fell rapidly, this economical model led to hyperinflation and serious shortages of goods. Venezuela's bureaucratic and inefficient economy was incapable to produce adequate goods for interior needs, which was previously possible through imports financed from oil sales revenue.

Chavez's successor, Nicolas Maduro, couldn't handle the problems. – He fired from oil companies in general all: the full directorate, technicians and engineers who knew anything. He replaced them with his faithful followers, who had small knowledge. For a while, the momentum, it all worked. Until the crash. The oil business has been ruined. Now, where we don't actually look, it's all falling apart. This is besides evidenced by the country of the Blackouts, or power shortages. Often, even the largest cities, including the capital of Caracas, for respective or respective hours, and in utmost situations even for a fewer days, do not have electricity, says onetu.

Miguel Gutierrez / PAP

Street vendor in Caracas

— Venezuela was sanctioned by the United States. All companies that could trade with Venezuela must refrain or execute legal equivalence to cover it up by different daughter companies. The sanctions imposed on the oil manufacture were loosened by Joe Biden's crew in exchange for the regime's promise that an opposition election would be held. However, sanctions inactive hinder the lives of many Venezuelan businessmen associated with the regime. In Venezuela, more and more businesses from countries specified as Iran, Turkey and Russia are settling. Business begins to grow, frequently built on links to organized crime, says a Latin American woman.

W Venezuela has been pushing the Chinese for years. Beijing is the largest lender for the government in Caracas. As Venezuela is incapable to regulate its debts in the mottos, it sends oil tankers to you.

Five dollars.

Onetu's talker emphasizes that the conditions under which this society functions are a tragedy. “ Monthly earnings are about 5 dollars. And you gotta live. This, however, is absolutely impossible. Over the years, everyday life has destabilized hyperinflation. Venezuelans frequently do not have access to basic foods, medicines. There's almost nothing in hospitals. People even request to supply themselves with syringes or bandages – he says.

Ronald Pena / PAP

The man converts the carivars in Caracas

Dr Joanna Gocłowska-Bolek tells me about his visit to Venezuela 2 years ago. “I visited not only Caracas, but besides the province. It's all in collapse. I was in Merida, among another things. It is simply a beautifully located city in the Cordyliers. There is an Andean University which many years ago was considered 1 of the best universities in all South America. Currently, both the city and the college are deserted, everything there is in ruins. Only a tiny part of the university is inactive functioning, the remainder is destroyed, covered with shrubs, reports.

A Latin American says that while she was there, a couple of professors who inactive worked there died of starvation. “ These older people, who had no household abroad, could not number on any help. They were on their own. Unfortunately, they didn't make it. This situation has become a symbol of the collapse in Venezuela “ He adds.

— As I was driving around the country, I visited various towns, villages where there was no 1 too a stray homeless dog or an abandoned goat. Sometimes there were individuals who had no energy left to go to a larger center. I've been passing cars, abandoned shops. A real image of misery and despair – he points out.

The expert besides pays attention to the immense social dissection. — On the 1 hand, in the capital of Venezuela, Caracas is indeed a vicinity of poorness and a cruelly maltreated society, but on the another hand, modern skyscrapers grow up in the city like mushrooms after the rain. Every day fresh restaurants and cafes opened there, where 1 coffee costs 10 dollars, so 2 monthly salaries of a statistic Venezuelan. These places are full from morning to evening. They enjoy these privileges mainly of business people who have ties to the regime,” he says.

Mass Escape From Poverty

The expert points out that there are respective ways of survival. – People associated with the government and profiting from the oil manufacture can live a good life. They have access to better shops that a average Venezuelan could not afford, can benefit from better wellness care, receive food packages from the regime, including, for example, before Christmas, which Maduro passed last year to... early October, he states. Another way to last is to have a household abroad that will be able to send their closest regular dollars.

But erstwhile both roads fail, there is another way. Escape.

Mario Caicedo / PAP

Venezuelans with a tributary cross the strong flow of the Tachira River, attempting to scope the Colombian city of Cucuta (2020)

— Imagine that nearly 8 million people have escaped Venezuela in the last 10 years. This is simply a 4th of all the people in the country. And this is all happening at a time erstwhile Venezuela does not carry out any war effort. This is the biggest migration crisis in this part of the planet in decades, a situation that besides destabilizes neighbouring countries, specified as Colombia or Peru, where Venezuelans are trying to find shelter, says an expert.

According to data, 2.8 million Venezuelans fled to Colombia, 1.6 million chose Peru, and 600,000 — Brazil.

Border oil dispute

The dispute around Guayan Esequiba is 1 of the most complex and long-term territorial conflicts in South America. This region, covering about 159 1000 sq mi (for comparison, Poland has 312,000 sq mi), has been the subject of a dispute between Guyana and Venezuela for over a 100 years.

The past of the conflict dates back to colonial times erstwhile Britain and Venezuela could not agree on the borders of their territories. In 1899, after the arbitration in Paris, it was decided that the Esequibo region would fall to Guyana, which Venezuela deemed unfair and never accepted.

Modern tensions rose in 2015, erstwhile crucial oil deposits were discovered in Guyana coastal waters. Venezuela immediately renewed its claims to the region, claiming that the 1899 arbitration was the consequence of political force and did not take Venezuela's interests into account.

In 2023, the situation deteriorated again erstwhile Guyana granted drilling licences in the disputed waters. In response, Venezuela held a referendum in which the majority of the voters voted to include the region in Venezuela. Although attendance was low, the Venezuelan government considered the results as a mandate for further action.

MARIELA LOPEZ / AFP

Nicolas Maduro with a map of the country during the march to the Venezuelan position on the dispute over the territory of Essequibo (December 2023)

The global community, including Brazil, the United Kingdom and the United States, expressed support for Guyana, and the global Court of Justice warned Venezuela against unilateral action in the region. Nevertheless, in March 2024 Venezuela passed a law that formally recognises Esequibo as a fresh state of Venezuela.

— Venezuelans have been taught since the first days of simple school that Part of Guyana territory called Essequibo belongs to their country. So erstwhile Nicolas Maduro announced that he would effort to get back, everyone was in favour – says the expert.

— In my opinion, there will be no military intervention. The border between these countries is covered with dense rain forest. There are no roads, there are no tanks to attack. Maduro would gotta send the air force, but the problem is, he doesn't have it. They only have utilized aircraft, which lacks parts – says the expert.

“ The only logical way is through Brazil. But, of course, this country will not consent to it – it explains. – And all the confusion with Esequibo Maduro prompted deliberately to unite Venezuelans around the regime, posing as a "strongman" to extend Venezuela territorially. This is simply a political game calculated to trigger an interior effect before the election, concludes the researcher.