Speaking on January 10 after being sworn in for a second six-year term as Venezuela’s President, Nicolás Maduro declared that his country was “a democracy under construction,” that it would “construct twenty first century socialism,” and he pledged to “promote the changes that are needed in Venezuela.”
Although uncompromising, his remarks contained no detail as to how his government intends remedying the food shortages, hyperinflation, deteriorating medical services, crime, and arbitrary decision making that have become the norm for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans.
It is therefore hard to anticipate anything other than the continuing deterioration of the country’s economy and, as consequence, many more Venezuelans fleeing the country in an exodus that shows no sign of abating.