What’s behind the unrest in Venezuela?
A severe shortage of basic goods is fueling political tensions in the Latin American country.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government faces tough times. He personally stands accused of lacking leadership in dealing with continuing protests.
The recent police killing of a 14-year-old boy in the western city of San Cristobal during a demonstration has also angered many.
Maduro accused opposition groups of attempting a coup last year, he now says, they still harbor the same ambition.
But is that the reason behind the current unrest? Or is Maduro struggling to fix Venezuela’s many problems?
Presenter: Martine Dennis
Guests:
Francisco Dominguez – Director of the Latin American Studies Research Group at Middlesex University and Secretary of the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign.
Mark Weisbrot – President of the lobbying group, Just Foreign Policy and Co-Director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
David Smilde – Senior Fellow at the Washington Office on Latin America and has spent the last 20 years living in Venezuela.