Venezuela - VE - VEN - VEN - South America

Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830, the others being Ecuador and New Granada (Colombia). For most of the first half of the 20th century, military strongmen ruled Venezuela and promoted the oil industry while allowing some social reforms. Democratically elected governments largely held sway until 1999, but Hugo CHAVEZ, who was president from 1999 to 2013, exercised authoritarian control over other branches of government. This trend continued in 2018 when Nicolas MADURO claimed the presidency for his second term in an election boycotted by most opposition parties and widely viewed as fraudulent. The legislative elections in 2020 were also seen as fraudulent, and most opposition parties and many international actors consider the resulting National Assembly illegitimate. In 2021, many opposition parties broke a three-year election boycott and participated in mayoral and gubernatorial elections, despite flawed conditions. As a result, the opposition more than doubled its representation at the mayoral level and retained four of 23 governorships. The 2021 regional elections marked the first time since 2006 that the EU was allowed to send an electoral observation mission to Venezuela.

MADURO has placed strong restrictions on free speech and the press. Since CHAVEZ, the ruling party has expanded the state's role in the economy through expropriations of major enterprises, strict currency exchange and price controls, and over-dependence on the petroleum industry for revenues. Years of economic mismanagement left Venezuela ill-prepared to weather the global drop in oil prices in 2014, sparking an economic decline that has resulted in reduced government social spending, shortages of basic goods, and high inflation. Worsened living conditions have prompted nearly 8 million Venezuelans to emigrate, mainly settling in nearby countries. The US imposed financial sanctions on MADURO and his representatives in 2017 and on sectors of the Venezuelan economy in 2018. Limited sanctions relief followed when the MADURO administration began making democratic and electoral concessions.

The government's mismanagement and lack of investment in infrastructure has also weakened the country's energy sector. Caracas has relaxed some controls to mitigate the impact of its sustained economic crisis, such as allowing increased import flexibility for the private sector and the informal use of US dollars and other international currencies. Ongoing concerns include human rights abuses, rampant violent crime, political manipulation of the judicial and electoral systems, and corruption.

a major drug-transit country and trafficking route in the Western Hemisphere for illegal drugs mainly cocaine;  government depends on rents from narco-trafficking, along with other illicit activities, to maintain power;  evidence of coca cultivation and cocaine production in domestic drug laboratories suggests the country is now also an illicit drug-producing country;  a major source of precursor or essential chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics

A New Era (Un Nuevo Tiempo) or UNT
Cambiemos Movimiento Ciudadano or CMC
Christian Democrats or COPEI (also known as the Social Christian Party)
Citizens Encounter or EC
Clear Accounts or CC
Coalition of parties loyal to Nicolas MADURO - Great Patriotic Pole or GPP
Coalition of opposition parties - Democratic Alliance (Alianza Democratica) (includes AD, EL CAMBIO, COPEI, CMC, and AP)
Come Venezuela (Vente Venezuela) or VV
Communist Party of Venezuela or PCV
Consenso en la Zona or Conenzo
Convergencia
Democratic Action or AD
Fatherland for All (Patria para Todos) or PPT
Fearless People's Alliance or ABP
Fuerza Vecinal or FV
Hope for Change (Esperanza por el Cambio) or EL CAMBIO
Justice First (Primero Justicia) or PJ
LAPIZ
Movement to Socialism (Movimiento al Socialismo) or MAS
Popular Will (Voluntad Popular) or VP
Progressive Advance (Avanzada Progresista) or AP
The Radical Cause or La Causa R
United Socialist Party of Venezuela or PSUV
Venezuela First (Primero Venezuela) or PV
Venezuelan Progressive Movement or MPV
Venezuela Project or PV