With dire shortages of basic goods, a looming foreign debt payment, horrific street crime and intransigent political divisions, Venezuela is in danger of collapsing into waves of deadly violence, U.S. intelligence officials warned Friday.

Venezuela, which controls the world's largest reserves of crude oil, is in the throes of a potentially explosive political stalemate after opposition parties gained a majority in the national congress in elections late last year.

President Nicolas Maduro, a leftist, faces a possible recall vote sponsored by the opposition that he is maneuvering to block. On Friday, Maduro decreed a 60-day "state of exception and economic emergency" giving him expanded powers to deal with the nation's economic crisis. In granting himself expanded decree authority, he said he was seeking to protect Venezuelans from foreign aggression, including from the United States.

However he didn't say how he intended to use the power.

"Washington is activating measures at the request of Venezuela's fascist right, who are emboldened by the coup in Brazil," Maduro said Friday during a televised broadcast.

All portends a dilemma for U.S. policy makers concerned about the ripples of more violence, but with few options to change the course of events.

"The goal now is to mitigate the crisis that is unfolding," a senior U.S. intelligence official said Friday, briefing a small group of reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss internal assessments. "You can hear the ice cracking."

http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-87195892/

I pity all those fine Venezuelan babes.

Posting articles with misleading title is also part of nigeria problems. The content of the article is totally different from the title,smh.

As pure desperation has set in, crime has becomes inevitable. A man accused of mugging people in the streets of Caracas was surrounded by a mob of onlookers, beaten and set on fire, who published a pixeled-out but still graphic video of the man burning as mob justice is now the supreme arbiter of who lives and who dies:

"Roberto Fuentes Bernal, 42, was reportedly caught trying to mug passersby in the Venezuelan capital, and before police arrived at the scene, the crowd took the law into their own hands." The video can be seen here.

Now, in the latest shocking development, Venezuela saw a new wave of looting this week that resulted in at least two deaths, countless wounded, and millions of dollars in losses and damages.

According to Panampost, on Wednesday morning, a crowd sacked the Maracay Wholesale Market in the central region of Venezuela. According to the testimonies of merchants, the endless food lines that Venezuelans have been enduring to do groceries could not be organized that day.

¡VENEZUELA TIENE HAMBRE! #Video Saquean Mercado Mayorista Maracay #11May pic.twitter.com/DGRZ1bgkgI vía @venezolanodecen #CNERevocatorioYA
— El llanero (@llaneroVen) May 11, 2016


As time went by, desperate Venezuelans grew anxious over not being able to buy food. Then they started jumping over the gates and stormed the supermarket.

"They took milk, pasta, flour, oil, and milk powder. There were 5,000 people" one witness told Venezuela outlet El Estímulo.


People from across the entire state came to the supermarket because there were rumors that some products not found anywhere else would be sold there.

As a result of the massive crowd, the authorities were unable to preserve the peace. "There were 250 people for each National Guard officer… lots of people and few soldiers. At least one officer was beat up because he tried to stop the crowd,” another source told El Estímulo.

Other food dispensaries run by the government were also looted by the people.

Far from the promised socialist paradise, as the massive group of people moved, an entrance gate collapsed under the weight of the crowd, leaving several wounded.

What are the similarities between Venezuela and Nigeria
1. Major oil exporting countries.
2. Over-bloated civil services.
3. Lack of adequate tax regime.
4. High political instability which in turn leads to cronyism and patronage over merit.

These characteristics are all clear symptoms of the Dutch disease.

Although Venezuela has functional refineries, the country is still in a big mess. They probably have better electricity supply too. They provide more social services to their people so the percentage of the recurrent expenditure may be higher than ours.

Only a f00l in Nigeria doesn't know that Nigeria is on the precipice of economic collapse and anarchy!

Nawaoo, which way Naija?

This thread should reach front page.

And people keep supporting militants to destroy even the meager resources we dont have, thinking they are punishing govt. When trouble comes it wont distinguish apc or pdp or wailers or zombies. Nigeria belongs to us all, anybody destroying this country is an enemy and must be destroyed!

trillville:
What are the similarities between Venezuela and Nigeria
1. Major oil exporting countries.
2. Over-bloated civil services.
3. Lack of adequate tax regime.
4. High political instability which in turn leads to cronyism and patronage over merit.

These characteristics are all clear symptoms of the Dutch disease.

Although Venezuela has functional refineries, the country is still in a big mess. They probably have better electricity supply too. They provide more social services to their people so the percentage of the recurrent expenditure may be higher than ours.

You damn right.
Oil
Corrupt oil industry
thieving conspiring elites.
Poor masses
Dysfunctional politics
Street gang culture
Poor services relative to wealth( still better than Naija).

The greedy capitalists were replaced by greedy comrades. Influence from outside does not help as well.
Nigeria and Venezuela would have done better without oil.

Hmmm

hmmmm! Dis is didheartening!

If not for some tough decisions of the present government, we would have been in same position or worse. Venezuela's economy is on its knees due to its welfarist government over the years. Nigeria is trying to get away from walfarism and naturally some people are resisting. The common man is suffering now but he would suffer more in collapsed economy.

something tells me it beyond them hence they will continue to face this crisis, why? because that oil some other countries are interested in it and once they can't gain access, they throw a time bomb

The real issue here is basic item.

Please list these tough decisions.

kITATITA:
If not for some tough decisions of the present government, we would have been in same position or worse. Venezuela's economy is on its knees due to its welfarist government over the years. Nigeria is trying to get away from walfarism and naturally some people are resisting. The common man is suffering now but he would suffer more in collapsed economy.