Political Turmoil in Venezuela

On January 23rd, 2019, 35-year-old Juan Guaidó declared himself as the president of Venezuela. Guaidó took the position as the president just two weeks after President Nicolás Maduro began his second term. However, the people of Venezuela were not happy with the elections that brought Maduro to power, claiming they were fraudulent. The once prosperous country now has thousands of people living in poverty due to Maduro’s horrible economic policies. Guaidó declared that he would serve as president of Venezuela until another election could be held. The situation took a turn when countries around Venezuela and around the world such as the U.S., Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala and the Organization of American States sided with Guaidó. In response, Maduro gave American diplomats 72 hours to leave Venezuela which has not happened. So far, the Associated Press has reported seven people casualties due to protests across Venezuela, but what is going to happen next is a big question mark. There is a very real possibility that Maduro will not step down because he still has unwavering military support despite the controversies surrounding his leadership. The U.S. and other countries have proposed different sanctions against Venezuela and the U.S. has even considered military intervention. Many Venezuelans are hopeful that, in the coming days and weeks, a plan for peace and order in Venezuela will be implemented to help those who were affected by this political turmoil.