Venezuela continues to await promised US investment after Maduro's fall: 'There are no dollars, not even on the black market'
On the night of January 3, a Chinook helicopter carried dictator Nicolás Maduro to a New York prison. Behind him, the bodies of 87 soldiers killed during the swift Delta Force intervention, a government 'in charge' of Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, and a people plunged into uncertainty, exhaustion, and hope.
TL;DR
- Maduro was captured and taken to a New York prison on January 3, with 87 soldiers killed during the operation.
- Two and a half months later, the country still struggles with basic services like electricity, running water, and access to medicine.
- The cost of living has drastically increased, with supermarket prices in dollars and the bolívar significantly devalued.
- The black market for dollars has dried up since the disappearance of drug trafficking, making it difficult to obtain foreign currency.
- There is a severe shortage of affordable medicine, forcing difficult choices between medication and food.
- Many Venezuelans are unemployed or working precarious jobs, and express distrust in the government's claims about incoming funds.
- Public opinion surveys show strong disapproval of Nicolás Maduro and Delcy Rodríguez, with the cost of living as the primary concern.
- A majority believe the US should focus on economic recovery and support the idea of elections within a year.
- There is a sentiment that repression has lessened, allowing for some public political gatherings, but fear and distrust persist.
- The article suggests that while hope exists for a better future, economic recovery is seen as the immediate priority, with democracy to follow.