Bring Them Home

During the decades of Hugo Chávez’s rule in Venezuela, his policies crept to the boundaries of dictatorship, yet he still enjoyed popular support because of his rapport with the poor and the high price of oil. Today, two years after Chávez’s death, his successor, President Maduro, has crossed the boundary from authoritarianism to dictatorship. With oil prices falling, the economy is eroding, and with it, popular support for the government. The increasing size and intensity of anti-government street protests illustrate the increasing fragmentation of Venezuelan society, which is being torn apart by exploding street crime, shortages of basic goods, and a bleak outlook for young, educated Venezuelans. More…