Nationwide Protests in Venezuela Against Economic Crisis

Hundreds of thousands of opponents of the Venezuelan government protested on Wednesday, November 5, in various cities across the country, demanding the resignation of President Nicolas Maduro. According to Agence France-Presse, the number of protesters in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, was reported to be 1.2 million. These nationwide protests turned violent in some areas, leading to clashes between protesters and Venezuelan police, with over 120 people injured and about 150 arrested, according to Reuters. Opponents of the Venezuelan government attribute the economic crisis and triple-digit inflation to Nicolas Maduro's policies and government corruption, calling for his resignation and early elections. The protesters also chanted slogans against the high unemployment rate and food shortages in the country. The protests occurred one day after the National Assembly of Venezuela requested that Nicolas Maduro attend a session on Tuesday, November 11, to respond to accusations and criticisms regarding the country's economic and political situation. The majority of seats in the National Assembly are held by Maduro's opponents, but the Venezuelan Supreme Court has taken a stance against the National Assembly, deeming its decisions invalid. Opposition protests have occurred multiple times in recent months, some of which have turned violent. The economic situation in Venezuela is critical, facing severe shortages of energy, food, and medicine, with many factories and production units having shut down in recent months. President Maduro has accused some of these factories of sabotage and threatened their managers with arrest. The severe energy shortage has led to prolonged power outages for citizens, prompting the government to reduce working hours for offices and schools. The International Monetary Fund has projected that inflation in Venezuela will reach 475% by the end of this year. Maduro has previously accused his opponents of colluding with Western countries, particularly the United States, to plan the overthrow of his government, attributing the country's economic problems to a U.S. conspiracy. Nicolas Maduro's presidency, which began after the death of former President Hugo Chavez, will end in 2019.