Those people then buy things like food abroad using those government-subsidized dollars and sell them domestically to people who buy them with the bolivar — and the sellers pocket the difference. Maduro has reacted to the chaos and dissent with authoritarian tactics. In , he blocked an attempt to hold a referendum on whether he should be recalled.
In late March, his loyalist-stacked Supreme Court made a ruling that effectively dissolved the opposition-controlled legislative branch and took all of its power for itself, only to reverse the decision days later after the move sparked mass protests.
Maduro has also violently cracked down on protests and imprisoned major political rivals. And in July , he held a rigged election for a legislative superbody that has effectively replaced the opposition-controlled National Assembly.
But Maduro has finally agreed to hold those long-postponed state elections this October , nearly a year after they were originally scheduled. Analysts say that he may have decided to go ahead with them after feeling emboldened by the election of the legislative superbody this summer. Maduro also likely sees them as a way to reduce the high-intensity pressure of protests that garner international attention and prompt foreign countries to slap sanctions on his regime.
If they are indeed held as planned, it will be a major opportunity for the opposition to make inroads among the 23 governorships up for grabs, which are almost entirely dominated by Maduro-aligned politicians. The big question is how far will Maduro go in trying to ensure that he maintains power in these contests.
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By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. How Venezuela went from a rich democracy to a dictatorship on the brink of collapse. Share this story Share this on Facebook Share this on Twitter Share All sharing options Share All sharing options for: How Venezuela went from a rich democracy to a dictatorship on the brink of collapse.
Reddit Pocket Flipboard Email. Next Up In World. Delivered Fridays. His actions included selling oil to Cuba and resisting efforts to stop narcotic trafficking in Colombia. He went on to serve as an officer in an army paratrooper unit. He then started the Movement of the Fifth Republic, a revolutionary political party. As a part of the new constitution, the name of the country was changed to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
His efforts to tighten his hold on the state-run oil company in stirred up controversy and led to numerous protests, and he found himself removed from power briefly in April by military leaders. He insulted oil executives, church officials and other world leaders, and was particularly hostile with the United States government, which, he believed, was responsible for the failed coup against him.
He also called President George W. Bush an evil imperialist. Relations between the United States and Venezuela have been strained for some time. As a Venezuelan expat having served in the Venezuelan foreign service for two decades and directing a program for the Inter-American Development Bank, I know the crisis is the result of an effort to gain and maintain power, just as the Castro brothers have successfully done in Cuba.
He won by selling the idea of giving power to the people, and ending the corruption of the traditional political parties that had governed Venezuela for the last quarter-century. He won the election by a convincing margin. His original popularity and success permitted him to accomplish many of his goals that in other circumstances would have been very difficult. He used his new National Assembly to rewrite the constitution to perpetuate himself in power. The presidential periods were originally five-year terms without the possibility of immediate reelection.
Former presidents could run again only after two terms had passed. The National Assembly changed it to six-year terms, with unlimited reelections, and extended these new parameters to governors and other elected officials. The new National Assembly also reshaped the Supreme Court. For example, he struck a deal to provided Cuba with deeply discounted oil in exchange for Cuban doctors. He started a war against the private sector. He nationalized thousands of private companies and industries, to the amazement of his followers and to the astonishment of business owners and consumers who did not see it coming.
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