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I lived in Venezuela in the 70s. It was a good place with a growing middle class. There was also great poverty at the bottom. However the poverty levels became less and less with each year.

The real problem was corruption at the top. It was corrupt and breed great resentment from the voting population. As side note I should explain it was crony capitalism which is also endemic here in the United States and explains why Bernie Sanders is popular. Socialists and Marxists never win elections without legitimate grievances against the ruling elite. Once a Marxist wins an election all subsequent elections mean nothing as they count the votes.

The corruption in Venezuela led to the election of Chavez an avowed Marxist but he did not run as a Marxist. He ran as a progressive, just like Bernie Sanders and Hillary. His first election was legitimate and he really did win. The people were angry with the corruption in government.

Chavez may have won his reelection but it is very doubtful. His appointed Marxist successor has not won any election. He is President due to election fraud.

Venezuela will never be a free democracy via the ballot box. If it is ever free again, it will be because of men and women with guns in their hands that say this will not stand.

The future of Venezuela will be great bloodshed if democracy wins. Otherwise it will be a slow gray grind to socialist despair of which a great people become naught but naught and of no value to the state least what they can do for the state and thus are naught.