On January 5, 2026, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez assumed the presidency of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela following the capture and extradition by the U.S, three days earlier, of President Nicolas Maduro. Until then, Donald Trump had supported Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader. However, after Maduro's capture, the US president publicly declared his support for the new chavista President.

In the last weeks, the media has mentioned the return to the Monroe Doctrine in Latin America due to the current tensions between President Donald Trump and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, as well as the American bombing of Venezuelan ships in the Caribbean. In several press articles, journalists even mention a “Donroe Doctrine” (The New York Times, 2025).

Venezuela possesses the world's largest oil reserves. In 2018, the CIA estimated these reserves at over 300 billion barrels. Well…despite an economic growth rate of 5% in 2024, in Venezuela, more than half of the population lives below the poverty line and the annual inflation rate exceeds 200%. Due to the political situation, it is not easy to find official data…however, 7.9 million Venezuelans have left the country hoping to find refuge elsewhere. Why is that?

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The chavism is a political ideology in Venezuela oriented to socialism and Bolivarianism.