Venezuela: Political, Economic and Humanitarian Issues

Venezuela remains in a deep crisis under the authoritarian rule of Nicolas Maduro of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela. Maduro, narrowly elected in 2013, began a second term on January 10, 2019 that is widely considered illegitimate. The United States and 57 other countries recognize Guaido as interim president, but he has been unable to harness that diplomatic support to wrest Maduro from power. Venezuela's economy has collapsed. The country is plagued by hyperinflation, severe shortages of food and medicine, and a dire humanitarian crisis that has further deteriorated in 2020 as a result of gasoline shortages, an outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), and strengthened U.S. sanctions.