After Hugo Chávez came to power in 1999, Venezuela began a process of drastic changes. 

Among these changes, the strongest one was the promotion of a model of government with immense control over the economy, particularly the oil industry. 

 

When Chávez died in 2013, Nicolás Maduro continued with the same policies, but the political and economic crisis deepened. This resulted in declining public support for Maduro and mounting accusations of electoral fraud in the following elections. 

 

In order to maintain power, Maduro initiated brutal repression of his opponents, and democratic institutions weakened due to a lack of impartiality. The impotence of citizens to exercise their rights created a tense situation with unjustified arrests of Venezuelans and foreigners. This led to very tense relations with several countries, especially the United States, which imposed sanctions on the government and the oil industry. 

 

Oil production, formerly the country’s main source of income, collapsed due to poor government management, lack of investment, and sanctions. The state oil company “PDVSA” was destroyed by removing specialized personnel and placing “friends” of the regime in charge. PDVSA produced more than 3 million barrels per day in the 1990s and early 2000s, but production was reduced to less than one million barrels per day in 2024 and 2025. 

 

At the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026, the United States intensified its military presence in the Caribbean under the pretext of eliminating drug trafficking and imposed even more sanctions on Maduro's regime. On January 3, 2026, the USA carried out a military operation to capture Maduro, alongside measures to appoint Delcy Rodríguez as acting president and increase pressure against drug trafficking. They are exerting pressure on the authorities remaining in Venezuela and have demanded that they dismantle mafias and criminal gangs, and ultimately achieve a democratic transition through elections. For now, the country is under President Trump’s administration, and he has expressed interest in reactivating Venezuelan crude exploitation, something that requires enormous investments and time. 

 

Venezuelans see these measures as a “light at the end of the tunnel” to get out of the Maduro regime and move toward improving their economy. Millions of Venezuelans have left the country seeking better conditions, while those who remain face shortages of basic goods, poverty, and deteriorated public services. The USA intervention and recent political changes generate uncertainty, but in general, it feels like the beginning of the end. Difficult days will come, but the regime has shown signs of change and has released political prisoners. They will continue to exert pressure until elections are called in Venezuela, where opposition leader María Corina Machado will be able to return to the country and legitimately participate in that democratic contest.

 

For more than two decades, it is the first time that Venezuelans feel they have a way to improve and reunite their families scattered around the world.