TIMELINE OF CRISIS
Current Situation in Venezuela
2013
On March 5th, Hugo Chávez died of cancer at the age of 58, leaving his successor Maduro as his political replacement (he was elected gaining 50.6 percent of the votes).
2014
Opposition leaders Leopoldo López and María Corina Machado began a campaign to remove Maduro from office in the midst of high levels of violence, food shortages and a scarcity of basic goods under Maduro's presidency.
2015
In December, the opposition party secured a two-thirds supermajority in Venezuela's National Assembly. To counter this, President Maduro appointed loyal justices to the Supreme Court. On December 30, the Court barred four newly elected opposition lawmakers from joining the assembly, undermining the opposition's majority.
2017
The Supreme Court blocked an opposition leader from elections, sparking months of protests and violent clashes with police that resulted in 66 deaths. On July 30, Venezuela elected a controversial Constituent Assembly, criticized as a sham. The Assembly, sworn in on August 4, was not recognized by several countries, including the U.S., Canada, and Spain.
2018
In the May 20 elections, Maduro was reelected amid fraud claims, and the U.S. called the election unfair before voting started. By November 8, the UN reported over 3 million Venezuelans had fled due to severe shortages. Tufro warned that even one million migrants would heavily strain regional resources.
2019
After Maduro became president on January 10, many Venezuelans protested, asking him to step down. Opposition leader Guaidó claimed he was the rightful president, and the U.S. supported him. Maduro cut ties with the U.S. on January 23, but U.S. diplomats stayed, following Guaidó's orders.
In February, U.S. aid arrived at the Colombian border, but Maduro blocked it. He also shut the border with Brazil, leading to violence where two people died.
2024
A government-controlled electoral authority has declared Nicolás Maduro the winner of the presidential election, securing him a third consecutive term. The election has been widely condemned as "undemocratic" by Venezuelans, many of whom have taken to the streets in protest. Despite the growing unrest, security forces, still loyal to Maduro, have responded with arrests, intensifying the tension across the country.
The future
Venezuelans hope Maduro will step down and both political and economic conditions will improve
