Venezuela, what lies ahead
Reading Time: 2 minutes While Hugo Chavez remains in Cuba for treatment while the Venezuela economy worsens. It has become a place of unease, especially for those who wish to travel back, but fear for the life when walking the streets.
According to the U.S. government, Venezuela is one of their four top oil suppliers.
“I fear the United States government will reorganize,” said Dr. Lynn England, lecturer of history and political science. “[They are] ready to make a major effort to bring the Venezuela government back to what it was like prior to Hugo Chávez once he passes away.”
Chávez hasn’t been seen in the public eye since Dec. 10. The last mention from Chávez in the media was his fight with an unnamed cancer. He didn’t make his own inauguration on Jan. 10.
Many speculate he is doing worse than the government reports.
“I assume it is a very serious form of cancer that may have spread,” England said. “But for political reasons, I believe the [Venezuela government] is not talking a lot about it.”
Chávez appointed Nicolás Maduro, Venzuela’s vice president, as interim leader while he remains in a hospital bed in Cuba. Regardless of who is charge, the country faces a troubled economy, according to PBS.
“When I lived at home, I used to be able to hang out with my friends outside at night,” said Paola Rondon, an international student from Venezuela. “But even in the past few years, it’s too dangerous. I would have to be home by seven.”
During his [Chávez’s] presidency, he has hoped to accomplish what Jesler Molina, another international UVU student from Venezuela, calls “socialism of the 21st century.”
Chávez’s ideas of socialism seem to have culimated into a “government charity, where food and other products become increasingly scarce,” Molina said.
It is unclear what would become of Venezuela if Chávez does pass away, potentially leading to an increased number of international students moving to the U.S. hoping for a safer future.
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