Elections in Venezuela: five key facts about the country

Venezuela, South American country rich in Petroleum, will hold presidential elections on July 28, amid an unprecedented crisis that caused a collapse of the economy and a mass exodus of its population.

Here are five points about the country:

From Simon Bolivar to Chavism

Simón Bolívar (Caracas, 1783 – Santa Marta, Colombia, 1830), known as the Liberator, is Venezuela’s greatest hero. A politician and military strategist, he is considered the architect of the independence of several Spanish colonies at the beginning of the 19th century, which today constitute Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador and Peru.

He was always revered as “father of the country”, But with Chavez’s rule, the exaltation and use of his image increased even further. The 1999 Constitution, promoted by the socialist leader Hugo Chavez, added his surname to the name of the country: “Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela”.

Chavez, a charismatic military man who led a failed coup in 1992, was elected president in 1999. With a huge popularity, supported by numerous social programs for health care and education, he changed the entire structure of the state. His opponents criticize his omnipresence, poor management of the economy and abuse of public resources. He died in 2013 from cancer and was succeeded as president by the leftist Nicolas Maduro.

Faced with a serious political, economic and humanitarian crisis that has forced the exodus of some 7 million of its 30 million inhabitants, Maduro has governed with the support of the Armed Forces and the State security apparatus. In the elections of July 28, he is seeking re-election for a third six-year term.

Largest oil reserves

With some 300 billion barrels, Venezuela has the largest hydrocarbon reserves in the world.

Crude oil production peaked at 3.5 million barrels per day in 2008, but then plummeted to 400,000 barrels per day due to mismanagement and corruption. Today, it is close to one million barrels.

In 2018, the United States imposed sanctions on the industry after rejecting Maduro’s re-election, which it deemed fraudulent.

Late last year, following an agreement between the government and the opposition to hold elections, Washington eased sanctions. But they were later reinstated, albeit with exceptions in the form of licenses for companies such as Chevron, Repsol, and Maurel and Prom.

Universal arepa

Driven by an unprecedented wave of migration, estimated by the UN at around 7 million people, Venezuela has become known around the world for its arepa, a corn bread that is especially appreciated in gluten-free cuisine.

In New York, Paris, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Madrid, Naples, Melbourne, Tokyo and Hong Kong, restaurants and street stalls offer arepas with the most varied fillings and names: ‘domino’, made with white cheese and black beans; ‘pelúa’, made with cheese and shredded meat; or ‘reina pepiada’, made with avocado and chicken.

Criminal gangs

Known for years as one of the most dangerous countries in the world, Venezuela has seen a significant drop in its homicide rate in recent years, from 91.8 to 26.8 per 100,000 inhabitants between 2016 and 2023, according to the Venezuelan Observatory of Violence (OVV), an independent NGO.

But Venezuelan criminal gangs have expanded across Latin American countries. The Aragua Train is one of the best known, and the United States is offering up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest of its leaders.

Following the route of Venezuelan migrants, their main victims, these groups are dedicated to extortion, murder, prostitution, drug and human trafficking, and even illegal mining.

Gangs are still present in Venezuela, especially in the poorest neighborhoods, where they extort small business owners and other people.

Tepuis and modern architecture

The Canaima National Park, near Guyana and Brazil, is home to the tepuis, gigantic stone mountains that are the oldest formations on Earth. There, in Auyantepuy, is also the Angel Falls waterfall, the highest waterfall in the world (979 metres), sighted by the American aviator Jimmy Angel in the 1930s, but which the Pemon Indians had always known about.

Canaima is a UNESCO heritage site, as is the University City of Caracas, a magnificent work of modern architecture and art developed by the architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva in the 1950s. With works by Jean Arp, Fernand Léger and Alexander Calder, among others, its Plaza Cubierta and its Aula Magna stand out.