Venezuela's Descent Into Chaos

The economy is collapsing. Food is scarce. Violent protests rage in the streets. Is Venezuela headed for a rebellion?

What is daily life like?

It’s become a Darwinian struggle for survival. Although Venezuela has more proven oil reserves than Saudi Arabia and was once one of Latin America’s wealthiest countries, it is now enduring the world’s deepest recession. The economy has shrunk by nearly a third since 2013, when leftist President Nicolás Maduro took over from his mentor, Hugo Chávez. Food imports have plummeted 70%. Supermarket shelves are often empty, and skyrocketing inflation – now about 800% – means that what little food is available is too expensive for many Venezuelans. Throngs wait outside grocery stores for delivery trucks, not knowing whether there will be rice available or just cat food. Fights have broken out in lines; people have been robbed and murdered. “These days, you have to put the line above everything,” says pharmacist Haide Mendoza, who saw robbers shoot a man queuing at his drugstore, while others did nothing. “You make sure you get what you need, and you don’t feel sorry for anyone.”

Are people going hungry?