Name: Why Is Venezuela In Crisis?
Uploaded: 2016-02-24T09:04:44.000Z
Duration: 2 min 52 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

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You’ve probably noticed that filling up your car with gas is a lot cheaper than it

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was a few months ago. That’s because the price of oil has fallen, and while that’s

good for the consumer, for countries like Iran, Russia and Venezuela, whose economies

rely heavily on oil exports, it spells disaster. Reports suggest that Venezuela has been hit

particularly hard by the oil price drop. But why? And what is the country doing to do help

Well, with one of the largest oil reserves in the world, Venezuela relies heavily on

oil exports, in fact, oil generates around 95 percent of it’s hard currency income.

So, as oil prices have dropped by over half since June, the Venezuelan economy has really

suffered. The results of which can be seen in the lives of the Venezuelan people.

The country relies heavily on imports for food and other necessities. It’s reported

that long lines for the state run grocery stores are now the norm, as food supplies

are extremely limited. Venezuelans are being pushed to the limit and the army has even

been called in to patrol food queues and keep order. Medical supplies are also a rare commodity

Unfortunately, Venezuelans have been in this position before. Prior to oil prices falling,

the country had been in a deep recession, with out-of-control inflation. Food and medical

supplies have been in short supply for years and economists are placing the blame on Venezuelan

President Maduro and his unsustainable policies.

Currently, the government funds free health care, state education, food and gas subsidies.

Venezuela also provides oil to 13 other countries within the Caribbean basin for what many experts

argue, are giveaway prices. Until now, Maduro has been reluctant to make changes to these

costly policies as he strives to continue former President Hugo Chávez’s popular

So with his people on the verge of starvation just what is President Maduro doing about

Well, in January 2015, Maduro went on a tour of China, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Algeria

and Russia in a bid to secure some financial aid for Venezuela. Experts argue that it was

a desperate move, but Maduro did manage to secure a 20 billion dollar investment deal

with China and significant financing from Qatari banks. But critics argue that the money

still isn’t enough to provide the economic relief that Venezuela desperately needs.

With the situation showing no signs of improving, widespread protests have broken out across

the country, but these demonstrations have only been met with threats of violence from

the government in order to keep public order. There’s no doubt that tensions between the

state and it’s citizens have reached a boiling point and even Maduro has acknowledged rumours

of the numerous coup plots to overthrow him.

To learn more about how low oil prices are hurting other countries too, take a look at