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83-569: Catia la Mar is about 10 minutes from Simón Bolívar International Airport (Venezuela's main airport). Named after the 16th-century cacique Catia, contemporary of Guaicaipuro , founded in 1558 by Francisco Fajardo with the name of "La Villa de Catia", currently called Catia la Mar. The city hosts a naval academy and university, a fishing port called La Zorra, and several beaches (Costa Dorada, Playa La Zorra, Playa Candilejas, Puerto Viejo). Its main neighborhoods are Atlantida, Playa Grande, Páez, Ezequiel Zamora, La Lucha, and La Soublette. According to

166-692: A codeshare agreement with Conviasa , which took over the route seven months later. Conviasa ended its nonstop service to Damascus in August 2012. During the ongoing crisis in Bolivarian Venezuela , domestic airlines are laboring under tremendous difficulties because of hyperinflation and parts shortages. Many international airlines have left the country. International airlines that have left Venezuela include Aeroméxico , Aerolíneas Argentinas , Air Canada , Alitalia , Avianca , Delta Air Lines , Lufthansa , LATAM , and United Airlines , making travel to

249-590: A constituent assembly that would draft a new constitution to replace the 1999 Venezuela Constitution . The members of the Constituent Assembly would not be elected in open elections, but selected from social organizations loyal to Maduro. It would also allow him to stay in power during the interregnum and skip the 2018 presidential elections . Many countries considered these actions a bid by Maduro to stay in power indefinitely, and over 40 countries, along with NGOs, stated that they would not recognize

332-530: A 1.5% margin. Maduro continued most of the existing economic policies of his predecessor Chávez . Upon entering the presidency, his administration faced a high inflation rate and large shortages of goods, problems left over from Chávez's policies. Maduro said capitalist speculation had driven high rates of inflation and created widespread shortages of basic necessities. He enacted economic measures against political opponents, who he and loyalists stated were behind an international economic conspiracy. Maduro

415-601: A 70% shortage of medicines in Venezuelan pharmacies. In 2018, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reported that approximately one-third (22,000 of 66,138) of registered physicians left Venezuela as of 2014. Rosemary DiCarlo from the UN said that 40% of medical professionals had left Venezuela and supplies of medicine were at 20% of levels needed. The Venezuelan Medical Federation said that doctors were leaving

498-522: A complex humanitarian emergency that requires a full-scale response by the United Nations secretary-general." The Washington Post states that the report describes a healthcare system that is in "utter collapse", with diseases that are preventable via vaccination spreading, and "dramatic surges" in infectious diseases once eradicated in Venezuela. The economic crisis in Venezuela started around 2010, and

581-564: A doctor in Barquisimeto , Venezuela who is a member of the Venezuelan National Academy of Medicine, told NPR that the report gave an accurate, thorough and timely depiction of the medical situation in his country; he had no affiliation with the report, but said that he had seen cases where there were not even catheters for hooking up children who appeared to have malnutrition for intravenous therapy . Spiegel adds that, because of

664-523: A head when the National Assembly stated that the results of the May 2018 presidential election were invalid and declared National Assembly president Juan Guaidó to be the acting president, citing several clauses of the 1999 Venezuelan Constitution . The 2024 Venezuelan political crisis is the crisis that continued after the 2024 Venezuelan presidential election results were announced. Maduro ran for

747-525: A long roster of military officials for each shipment of food he brings in from ... the US. It's an unbroken chain of bribery from when your ship comes in until the food is driven out in trucks." A National Guard lieutenant denies this charge, saying corruption would be worse if the military were not involved; government and military officials say the opposition is overstating the corruption problem for their own benefit. Retired General Antonio Rivero said that "Maduro

830-479: A result of low oil prices in early 2015 , and a drop in Venezuela's oil production from lack of maintenance and investment. The government failed to cut spending in the face of falling oil revenues, and has dealt with the crisis by denying its existence and violently repressing opposition. Extrajudicial killings by the Venezuelan government became common, with the United Nations (UN) reporting 5,287 killings by

913-532: A section of the parking area has been cleared to build an airport hotel. In the 1950s under the regime of Marcos Pérez Jiménez , road transport between the airport and the capital was improved by the inauguration of the Caracas-La Guaira highway . However, the La Guaira and Caracas Railway, dating from the nineteenth century, was closed. In March 2007, Iran Air introduced service to Tehran via Damascus. It had

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996-620: A sidewalk; the people are typically unemployed, but are "frequently joined by small business owners, college students and pensioners—people who consider themselves middle class even though their living standards have long ago been pulverized by triple-digit inflation, food shortages and a collapsing currency". A waste collection official in Maracaibo reported that most of the trash bags he received had been gone through by people searching for food. One dump reports finding parts of dismembered animals, like "dogs, cats, donkeys, horses and pigeons" and there

1079-633: A stop in a nearby country instead. The chronology of terminations is as follows: 7 April 2014 (1st) 28 February 2024 (2nd) 31 July 2024 From 1960 to 1997, it was the main hub for Viasa , Venezuela's former flag carrier until it went bankrupt in January 1997. It was also the hub for Avensa , Servivensa . Conviasa started operation in 2004, hoping to become in a big and leader airline, and flag carrier. However, due to financial crisis in Venezuela, several pilots quit and are leaving Conviasa in order to fly to other nations like Turkey which operates

1162-551: A third consecutive term, while former diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia represented the Unitary Platform ( Spanish : Plataforma Unitaria Democrática ; PUD), the main opposition political alliance, after the Venezuelan government barred leading candidate María Corina Machado from participating. Academics, news outlets and the opposition provided "strong evidence" according to The Guardian . to suggest that González won

1245-607: A year, and preventable diseases like diphtheria, malaria, measles and tuberculosis are rising in 2019, along with hepatitis A, because of sanitation and lack of access to water. The April 2019 HRW/Johns Hopkins report showed this rise in infectious and preventable diseases, as well as increasing malnutrition, infant and maternal death, and undertreatment of HIV . Inflation and medicine shortages have meant that patients are asked to bring their own food, water and soap, and medical supplies including scalpels and syringes. In August 2019, as part of regional efforts to help Venezuelan migrants,

1328-845: Is an international airport located in Maiquetía , Vargas , Venezuela, about 21 kilometres (13 mi) west of downtown Caracas , the capital of the country. Simply called Maiquetía by the local population, it is the main international air passenger gateway to Venezuela. It handles flights to destinations in the Americas, Europe and the Middle East. The airport opened in 1945 as the Maiquetía International Airport ( Aeropuerto Internacional de Maiquetía ). The site had been recommended as an appropriate location for an airport by Charles Lindbergh on behalf of Pan Am . The USA subsidised

1411-441: Is evidence that people are eating wildlife such as anteaters, flamingos, vultures and lizards. "Hunger, malnutrition, and severe food shortages are widespread in all Venezuela", according to Human Rights Watch. Doctors at 21 public hospitals in 17 Venezuelan states told The New York Times in 2017 that "their emergency rooms were being overwhelmed by children with severe malnutrition—a condition they had rarely encountered before

1494-464: Is trying to prevent soldiers from going hungry and being tempted to participate in an uprising against an increasingly unpopular government", adding that using the military to control food distribution has "drained the feeling of rebellion from the armed forces" by giving soldiers access to food denied others, with the resulting corruption increasing shortages for the general public. The colectivos are also involved in food trafficking, selling food on

1577-524: The 2017 Constituent National Assembly (ANC). The Democratic Unity Roundtable —the opposition to the incumbent ruling party—boycotted the election, and the incumbent Great Patriotic Pole , dominated by the United Socialist Party of Venezuela , won almost all seats in the assembly by default. The ANC was sworn in on 4 August 2017, and the next day declared itself to be the government branch with supreme power in Venezuela, banning

1660-485: The 2019 Venezuelan blackouts which started on 7 March, the water distribution system also had shortages. Analysts said that two-thirds of Venezuela's population (20 million people) were without water, partially or completely, in the weeks after the blackouts. The head of the infectious disease department at the University Hospital of Caracas , María Eugenia Landaeta said that, without access to clean water,

1743-749: The Great Depression in the United States , the 1985–1994 Brazilian economic crisis , or the 2008–2009 hyperinflation in Zimbabwe . Writers have compared aspects, such as unemployment and GDP contraction, to that of Bosnia and Herzegovina after the 1992–95 Bosnian War , and those in Russia , Cuba and Albania following the Revolutions of 1989 . In June 2010, Chávez declared an "economic war" due to increasing shortages in Venezuela . The crisis intensified under

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1826-474: The Special Action Forces (FAES) in 2017, with at least another 1,569 killings recorded in the first six months of 2019; the UN had "reasonable grounds to believe that many of these killings constitute extrajudicial executions" and characterized the security operations as "aimed at neutralizing, repressing and criminalizing political opponents and people critical of the government". The UN also stated that

1909-598: The United States Department of Transportation and Department of Homeland Security indefinitely suspended all flights between Venezuela and the United States , due to safety and security concerns. The suspension affects mainly Venezuelan airlines that flew to Miami : Avior Airlines , LASER Airlines , and Estelar Latinoamerica . Following the COVID-19 pandemic , the government announced on 3 February 2020 that

1992-686: The World Health Organization (WHO), the PAHO and Venezuelan sources, the report was based on 156 interviews with Venezuelan emigrants to Colombia and Brazil, officials from relief and humanitarian organizations, Venezuelan health care professionals, and UN and government officials from Brazil and Colombia. Most of the interviews occurred in July or August 2018 in visits by the experts to the Venezuelan border towns of Cúcuta , Colombia and Boa Vista or Pacaraima , Brazil. The Washington Post stated that

2075-467: The aftermath of the government's announcement of falsified results, protests broke out across the country , as the Maduro administration initiated Operation Tun Tun , a crackdown on dissent, and detained opposition political figures while refusing to relinquish power. Criminalization of protest was widely condemned by human rights organizations. Maduro did not acknowledge the results which showed him losing

2158-615: The 2011 population census, the city had 85,366 inhabitants, making it the most populous of the 11 parishes in Vargas State. The city was affected by the 1999 Vargas tragedy . This article about a location in Venezuela is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Sim%C3%B3n Bol%C3%ADvar International Airport (Venezuela) Maiquetía "Simón Bolívar" International Airport ( IATA : CCS , ICAO : SVMI , Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Maiquetía "Simón Bolívar" )

2241-473: The Atlantic Ocean. Between 1952 and 1962, two new wings were added to the passenger terminal, and the runway was expanded to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). Lighting was installed on the runway and approach zones to allow night operations. In 1956 a new runway was built, and in 1962, it was expanded to 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) long by 60 metres (200 ft) wide. In the 1970s a new international terminal

2324-525: The Bolivarian Revolution, the government began providing free healthcare, with Cuban medical professionals providing aid. The government's failure to concentrate on healthcare and a reduction in spending on healthcare, along with unchecked government corruption resulted in avoidable deaths due to severe shortages of medical supplies and equipment, and the emigration of medical professionals to other countries. Venezuela's reliance on imported goods and

2407-483: The HRW/Johns Hopkins report "paints an extremely grim picture of life in Venezuela, whose once-prosperous economy has imploded because of mismanagement and corruption under Maduro"; it documents rising maternal and infant death, spread of preventable diseases, food insecurity, and child malnutrition. HRW declared that the "combination of severe medicine and food shortages ... with the spread of disease ... amounts to

2490-703: The IE Business School in Madrid, the economic woes Venezuela continued to suffer under Maduro would have occurred even if Chávez were still in power. In early 2013, shortly after Chávez's death, Foreign Policy stated that whoever succeeded Chávez would "inherit one of the most dysfunctional economies in the Americas—and just as the bill for the deceased leader's policies comes due." Following Chávez's death in 2013, Nicolás Maduro became president after defeating his opponent Henrique Capriles Radonski by 235,000 votes,

2573-610: The Living Conditions Survey by the Andrés Bello Catholic University (Encovi in Spanish, Encuesta de Condiciones de Vida ), by 2021 94.5% of the population was in poverty based on income, out of which 76.6% lived under extreme poverty, the highest figure ever recorded in the country. More than 70% of Venezuela's food is imported; Venezuela became so dependent on food imports that it could no longer afford when

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2656-483: The Maduro government had obtained "extra money from selling gold (both from illegal mines and from its reserves) and narcotics". Since 2010, Venezuela has been suffering a socioeconomic crisis under Maduro, and briefly under his predecessor, Chávez. As a result of discontent with the government, in the 2015 parliamentary election the opposition was elected to the majority in the National Assembly , after which

2739-430: The Maduro government, growing more severe as a result of low oil prices in 2015 , and a drop in oil production from lack of maintenance and investment. In January 2016, the opposition-led National Assembly declared a "health humanitarian crisis". The government failed to cut spending in the face of falling oil revenues, denied the existence of a crisis, and violently repressed opposition . Extrajudicial killings by

2822-506: The September 11, 2001 attacks, and now departure areas and arrival areas are completely split into the lower and upper levels of the airport. The Proyecto Maiquetía 2000 (Project Maiquetia 2000) was completed in 2007 which added new customs and immigration areas, a new cargo terminal, and a connecting passageway between the domestic and international terminal. As part of an expansion plan, new international gates are currently in construction, and

2905-623: The Special Action Forces "would plant arms and drugs and fire their weapons against the walls or in the air to suggest a confrontation and to show the victim had resisted authority" and that some of the killings were "done as a reprisal for [the victims'] participation in anti-government demonstrations." In January 2016, the National Assembly declared a "health humanitarian crisis" given the "serious shortage of medicines, medical supplies and deterioration of humanitarian infrastructure", asking Maduro's government to "guarantee immediate access to

2988-459: The United States promised that it will provide thousands of doses of HIV medication to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and to treat those who have it. In April 2019, Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health published the results of a joint, year-long research project in a report entitled "Venezuela's humanitarian emergency: Large-scale UN response needed to address health and food crises". Combined with data from

3071-466: The University of Caracas Medical Hospital stopped performing surgeries due to the lack of supplies, even though nearly 3,000 people required surgery. By early 2015, only 35% of hospital beds were available and 50% of operating rooms could not function due to the lack of resources. In March 2015, a Venezuelan NGO, Red de Medicos por la Salud, reported that there was a 68% shortage of surgical supplies and

3154-541: The Venezuelan Medical Federation saying that 9 of 10 large hospitals had only 7% of required supplies and private doctors reporting numbers of patients that are "impossible" to count "dying from easily treatable illnesses when Venezuela's downward economic slide accelerated after Chávez's death". Many Venezuelans died avoidable deaths with medical professionals having scarce resources and using methods that were replaced decades ago. In February 2014, doctors at

3237-494: The airport in early December 2018. In March 2019, two Russian planes were deployed to the airport carrying 100 troops and 35 tonnes of matériel . The Russian planes left the country 3 months later on 26 June 2019, according to the Russian embassy announcement. American Airlines , the last U.S. airline serving Venezuela, left on 15 March 2019, after its pilots refused to fly to Venezuela, citing safety issues. Two months later,

3320-538: The airport lacked air conditioning and utilities such as water and electricity. Flight crews are often sent to different cities to avoid crime that occurs in the area. The company charged with providing sanitation services ceased to exist, so cleaning no longer occurs as frequently at the facility. The Bolivarian National Guard , tasked with providing security, often extorts travelers by force. In support of President Nicolas Maduro's government, Russian Air Force aircraft, including Tupolev Tu-160 bombers, were deployed to

3403-730: The airport. Crisis in Bolivarian Venezuela This is an accepted version of this page [REDACTED] [REDACTED] GPPSB [REDACTED] MUD / AD / PU [REDACTED] Hugo Chávez † [REDACTED] Nicolás Maduro [REDACTED] Diosdado Cabello [REDACTED] Delcy Rodríguez [REDACTED] Tareck El Aissami [REDACTED] Leopoldo López [REDACTED] Juan Guaidó [REDACTED] Henrique Capriles [REDACTED] María Corina Machado [REDACTED] Edmundo González An ongoing socioeconomic and political crisis began in Venezuela during

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3486-480: The black market; a colectivo leader told InSight Crime that trafficking food and medicine is as profitable as drug-running, but carries less risk. With shadowy connections to the government, The Washington Post says "some have been put in charge of the distribution of government food packages in poor areas—giving them control over hungry neighborhoods." The Associated Press reports that people gather every evening in downtown Caracas in search of food thrown out on

3569-459: The business elite, while critics of the government say the cause is economic mismanagement and corruption. Most observers cite anti-democratic governance, corruption, and mismanagement of the economy as causes. Others attribute the crisis to the " socialist ", " populist ", or "hyper-populist" nature of the government's policies, and the use of these to maintain political power. National and international analysts and economists stated

3652-836: The chance of people contracting bacterial infections increased, and that doctors had seen during the blackouts "surges in diarrhea, typhoid fever and hepatitis A ", while non-sterile water and lack of hygiene was contributing to postpartum infections . By 2017, hunger had escalated to the point where almost seventy-five percent of the population had lost an average of over 8 kg (over 19 lbs) in weight and more than half did not have enough income to meet their basic food needs. An UN report estimated in March 2019 that 94% of Venezuelans lived in poverty, and by 2021 almost twenty percent of Venezuelans (5.4 million) had left their country. The UN analysis estimates in 2019 that 25% of Venezuelans need some form of humanitarian assistance. Venezuela led

3735-430: The complicated exchange rates initiated under Chávez led to increasing shortages during the late 2000s and into the 2010s that affected the availability of medicines and medical equipment in the country. Associated Press says the government stopped publishing medical statistics in 2010. The Health Minister changed multiple times during Chávez's presidency. According to a high-ranking official of Venezuela's Health Ministry,

3818-525: The construction of the airport as part of the Airport Development Program. Luis Malaussena was the architect who designed the original passenger terminal. It was regularly visited by the Anglo-French supersonic airliner Concorde until the 1980s. Commencing in the late 1970s, Air France operated weekly Concorde service between Caracas and Paris via a stop at Santa Maria Airport located in

3901-556: The country difficult. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Bolivarian government has not paid US$ 3.8 billion to international airlines in a currency issue involving conversion of local currency to U.S. dollars. Airlines have left for other reasons, including crime against flight crews, stolen baggage, and problems with the quality of jet fuel and maintenance of runways. In 2016,

3984-714: The country had imposed epidemiological surveillance, restrictions and diagnostic systems to detect possible COVID-19 cases at this airport and that Venezuela would receive a diagnostic kit for the virus strain from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). The following airlines operate regular scheduled passenger flights at Simón Bolívar International Airport: Since 2014, foreign and domestic carriers have reduced and/or terminated their presence due to political instability and their inability to recover US$ 3.8 billion in funds owed to airlines. For fear of safety, some carriers have avoided overnight flight crews in Caracas, choosing to make

4067-411: The country. The UN analysis estimates in 2019 that 25% of Venezuelans needed some form of humanitarian assistance. Following increased international sanctions throughout 2019, the Maduro government abandoned policies established by Chávez such as price and currency controls, which resulted in the country seeing a temporary rebound from economic decline before COVID entered Venezuela. As a response to

4150-630: The crisis is not the result of a conflict, natural disaster, or sanctions, but the consequences of populist policies and corrupt practices that began under the Chávez administration's Bolivarian Revolution and continued under Maduro. The crisis has affected the life of the average Venezuelan on all levels. By 2017, hunger had escalated to the point where almost 75% of the population had lost an average of over 8 kg (over 19 lbs) and more than half did not have enough income to meet their basic food needs. By 2021 20% of Venezuelans (5.4 million) had left

4233-584: The crisis. As a response to human rights abuses, the degradation in the rule of law, and corruption, the European Union , the Lima Group , the US and other countries have applied sanctions against government officials and members of the military and security forces. The US extended its sanctions to the petroleum sector. Supporters of Chávez and Maduro said the problems result from an "economic war" on Venezuela, falling oil prices, international sanctions , and

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4316-455: The devaluation of the official bolívar currency , by 2019 the population increasingly started relying on US dollars for transactions. According to the national Living Conditions Survey (ENCOVI), by 2021 95% of the population was living in poverty based on income, out of which 77% lived under extreme poverty, the highest figure ever recorded in the country. In 2022, after the implementation of mild economic liberalization , poverty decreased and

4399-424: The early 2000s led to levels of funds not seen in Venezuela since the 1980s. Chávez established Bolivarian missions , aimed at providing public services to improve economic, cultural, and social conditions. According to Corrales and Penfold, "aid was disbursed to some of the poor and, more gravely, in a way that ended up helping the president and his allies and cronies more than anyone else". Nonetheless, poverty

4482-573: The economic crisis began", and that "hundreds have died". The government has responded with "a near-total blackout of health statistics, and by creating a culture in which doctors are often afraid to register cases and deaths that may be associated with the government's failures". The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN said that less than 5% of Venezuelans were undernourished between 2008 and 2013, but that number had more than doubled, to almost 12% from 2015 and 2017, representing 3.7 million people. A 2016 survey found that almost three-quarters of

4565-459: The economy grew for the first time in 8 years. Despite these improvements, Venezuela continues to have the highest rate of inequality in the Americas. Although food shortages and hyperinflation have largely ended, inflation remains high. After attempting a coup d'état in 1992 and being pardoned by President Rafael Caldera , Hugo Chávez was elected president and maintained the presidency from 1999 until his death in 2013. Increasing oil prices in

4648-543: The election by a wide margin. The government-controlled National Electoral Council (CNE) announced results claiming a narrow Maduro victory on 29 July. A 6 August article in The New York Times stated that the CNE declaration that Maduro won "plunged Venezuela into a political crisis that has claimed at least 22 lives in violent demonstrations, led to the jailing of more than 2,000 people and provoked global denunciation." In

4731-745: The election, and instead asked the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) on 1 August to audit and approve the results. On 22 August, as anticipated, the TSJ described the CNE's statement of Maduro winning the election as "validated". The Wall Street Journal reported in March 2019 that poverty was double that of 2014. A study from Andrés Bello Catholic University indicated that by 2019 at least 8 million Venezuelans did not have enough to eat. A UN report estimated in March 2019 that 94% of Venezuelans live in poverty, and that one quarter of Venezuelans need some form of humanitarian assistance . According to

4814-424: The following year. As a response to the devaluation of the official bolívar currency , by 2019 the population increasingly started relying on US dollars for transactions. Maduro described dollarization as an "escape valve" that helps the recovery of the country, the spread of productive forces in the country and the economy. However, Maduro said that the Venezuelan bolívar remained as the national currency. During

4897-548: The government became common, with the UN reporting 5,287 killings by the Special Action Forces in 2017, with at least another 1,569 killings in the first six months of 2019, stating some killings were "done as a reprisal for [the victims'] participation in anti-government demonstrations." Political corruption , chronic shortages of food and medicine, closure of businesses, unemployment, deterioration of productivity, authoritarianism , human rights violations , gross economic mismanagement and high dependence on oil have contributed to

4980-775: The government had produced health bulletins for several decades. In March 2019, The Wall Street Journal reported that the "collapse of Venezuela's health system, once one of the best in Latin America, has led to a surge in infant and maternal mortality rates and a return of rare diseases that were considered all but eradicated. Health officials say malaria, yellow fever, diphtheria, dengue and tuberculosis are now spreading from Venezuela to neighboring countries as Venezuelan refugees surge over borders." The United Nations estimated in 2019 that 2.8 million Venezuelans have healthcare needs, 300,000 are at risk of dying with cancer, diabetes or HIV as they have not had access to medicine for more than

5063-424: The health crisis followed by two years and significantly worsened in 2017, but the situation in 2019 "is even more dismal than researchers expected". Paul Spiegel, MD, who was the editor and reviewer of the report said, "Venezuela is a middle-income country with a previously strong infrastructure, so just to see this incredible decline ... in such a short period of time is quite astonishing." Alberto Paniz-Mondolfi ,

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5146-405: The help of the families of the deceased, to try to supply surviving patients. One study of 6,500 households by three of the main universities in Venezuela found that "74% of the population had lost on average nineteen pounds in 2016". In April 2017 Venezuela's health ministry reported that maternal mortality jumped by 65% in 2016 and that the number of infant deaths rose by 30%. It also said that

5229-497: The list of essential medicines that are basic and indispensable and that must be accessible at all times." In August, Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon declared that there was a humanitarian crisis in Venezuela caused by the lack of basic needs, including food, water, sanitation and clothing. Before the 2019 presidential crisis , the Maduro government denied several offers of aid, stating that there

5312-559: The lower classes who have benefited from these health initiatives and similar policies." According to Chosun Ilbo , Venezuela began to face economic difficulties due to Chávez's populist policies. On 2 June 2010, Chávez declared an "economic war" due to increasing shortages in Venezuela . Political corruption , chronic shortages of food and medicine, closure of businesses, unemployment, deterioration of productivity, authoritarianism , human rights violations , gross economic mismanagement and high dependence on oil have also contributed to

5395-458: The ministers were treated as scapegoats whenever issues with public health arose in Venezuela. He also said that officials of the Health Ministry engaged in corruption to enrich themselves by selling goods intended for public healthcare to others. Early in the Maduro presidency, the government could not supply enough money for medical supplies among healthcare providers, with the president of

5478-447: The needy. The government imports most of the food the country needs, it is controlled by the military, and the price paid for food is higher than justified by market prices. Venezuelans were spending "all day waiting in lines" to buy rationed food, "pediatric wards filled up with underweight children, and formerly middle-class adults began picking through rubbish bins for scraps". Several other factors have led to shortages: imports over

5561-529: The number of cases of malaria was up by 76%. Shortly after Minister of Health Antonieta Caporale released in 2017 this data, and health statistics showing increases in 2016 infant and maternal mortality and infectious diseases, Maduro fired her and replaced the physician with a pharmacist close to vice-president Tareck El Aissami , Luis López Chejade. The publications were removed from the Ministry's website, and no further health data has been made available, although

5644-464: The old jetways in the international terminal were replaced with new glass-walled jetways. Following the increasing economic partnership between Venezuela and Turkey in October 2016, Turkish Airlines started offering direct flights from December 2016 connecting between Caracas to Istanbul (via Havana , Cuba ) in an effort to "link and expand contacts" between the two countries. By 2018, terminals in

5727-447: The opposition-led National Assembly from performing actions that would interfere with the assembly. In February 2018 Maduro called presidential elections, four months before the prescribed date. There were many irregularities, including the banning from standing of several major opposition parties. Maduro was declared the winner in May 2018. Many said the elections were invalid. Politicians both internally and internationally said Maduro

5810-599: The outgoing ( lame duck ) National Assembly—consisting of Bolivarian officials—filled the Supreme Tribunal of Justice , the highest court in Venezuela, with Maduro allies. Maduro disavowed the National Assembly in 2017 leading to the 2017 Venezuelan constitutional crisis ; as of 2018, some considered the National Assembly the only "legitimate" institution left in the country, and human rights organizations said there were no independent institutional checks on presidential power. Protests grew to their most "combative" since they began in 2014. On 1 May 2017, Maduro called for

5893-491: The population said that, because of improper nutrition, they had lost on average 8.7 kg (19.4 lbs) and 64% said they lost 11 kg (24 lbs) in 2017. A 2016 Venebarometro poll of 1,200 Venezuelans found almost half are no longer able to eat three daily meals; the government blames this on an "economic war" they say is waged by the opposition. A UN report said that because of lack of water and sanitation, 4.3 million Venezuelans needed assistance in 2019. During

5976-415: The presidency of Hugo Chávez and has worsened during the presidency of successor Nicolás Maduro . It has been marked by hyperinflation , escalating starvation, disease, crime and mortality rates, resulting in massive emigration . It is the worst economic crisis in Venezuela's history, and the worst facing a country in peacetime since the mid-20th century. The crisis is often considered more severe than

6059-400: The price of oil dropped in 2014. Chávez gave the military control of food, and nationalized much of the industry, which was then neglected, leading to production shortages. With a "diminished food supply", Maduro put "generals in charge of everything from butter to rice". With the military in charge of food, food trafficking became profitable, bribes and corruption common, and food did not reach

6142-444: The public health care system because of shortages of drugs and equipment and poor pay. In August 2015 Human Rights Watch said "We have rarely seen access to essential medicines deteriorate as quickly as it has in Venezuela except in war zones." In 2015, the government reported that a third of patients admitted to public hospitals died. The medications of individuals who die are re-distributed through small-scale and local efforts, with

6225-412: The same type of aircraft. The headquarters of Conviasa is located on the airport grounds. The airport is shown in the 1981 movie Menudo: La Película , when a pair of Menudo 's friends board a flight during the film's final scenes. The airport is also shown in the 1975 French film Le Sauvage starring Catherine Deneuve and Yves Montand , as several soap-opera and movie key scenes were filmed at

6308-474: The two years until the end of 2017 declined by two-thirds; hyperinflation has made food too costly for many Venezuelans; and for those who depend on food boxes supplied by the government, "these do not reach all Venezuelans who need them, provision of boxes is intermittent, and receipt is often linked to political support of the government". Corruption became a problem in the distribution of food. The operations director at one food import business says "he pays off

6391-405: The world in murder rates , with 81.4 per 100,000 people killed in 2018, making it the third most violent country in the world. Following increased international sanctions throughout 2019, the Maduro government abandoned policies established by Chávez such as price and currency controls, which resulted in the country seeing a temporary rebound from economic decline before COVID-19 entered Venezuela

6474-521: The worsening crisis. The social works initiated by Chávez's government relied on oil products , the keystone of the Venezuelan economy, leading to Dutch disease according to Javier Corrales. By the early 2010s, economic actions taken by Chávez's government during the preceding decade, such as overspending and price controls, became unsustainable. Venezuela's economy faltered while poverty , inflation and shortages in Venezuela increased. According to Martinez Lázaro, professor of economics at

6557-402: Was constructed to offer increased capacity with a domestic terminal opening in 1983. Viasa used to be the flag-carrier of Venezuela ceased operations on 23 January 1997. Since 2000, the airport has been undergoing major changes in order to meet international standards and to improve passenger traffic, security, immigration areas, and customs areas. Security measures have become top priority since

6640-408: Was criticized for concentrating on public opinion, instead of tending to practical issues which economists had warned about, or creating ideas to improve Venezuela's economic prospects. By 2014, Venezuela had entered an economic recession and by 2016, the country had an inflation rate of 800%, the highest in its history. The crisis intensified under the Maduro government, growing more severe as

6723-475: Was cut more than 20 percent between 2002 and 2008. The Missions entailed the construction of thousands of free medical clinics for the poor, and the enactment of food and housing subsidies. A 2010 OAS report indicated achievements in addressing illiteracy, healthcare and poverty, and economic and social advances. The quality of life for Venezuelans had also improved according to a UN Index. Teresa A. Meade wrote that Chávez's popularity strongly depended "on

6806-477: Was not a humanitarian crisis and that such claims were used to justify foreign intervention. Maduro's refusal of aid worsened the effects of Venezuela's crisis. In March 2019, The Wall Street Journal said that "Mr. Maduro has long used food and other government handouts to pressure impoverished Venezuelans to attend pro-government rallies and to support him during elections as the country's economic meltdown has intensified." In 2019, The Economist wrote that

6889-466: Was not legitimately elected, and considered him an ineffective dictator. In the months leading up to his 10 January 2019 inauguration, Maduro was pressured to step down by nations and bodies including the Lima Group (excluding Mexico), the United States, and the OAS; this pressure was increased after the new National Assembly of Venezuela was sworn in on 5 January 2019. The 2019 presidential crisis came to

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