Eyes on Venezuela
The United States’ incursion has split Latin America, with leaders aligned with President Donald Trump, mostly from the right, applauding the ouster, and nonaligned leaders condemning it on sovereignty grounds. Here’s a look at Venezuela and other nations in South America.
According to the CIA World Factbook, Venezuela was one of three nations that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830, the others being Ecuador and New Granada (Colombia). For most of the first half of the 20th century, military strongmen ruled Venezuela and promoted the oil industry while allowing some social reforms.
Democratically elected governments largely held sway until 1999, but Hugo Chavez, who was president from 1999 to 2013, exercised authoritarian control over other branches of government. This trend continued in 2018 when Nicolas Maduro claimed the presidency for his second term in an election boycotted by most opposition parties and widely viewed as fraudulent.
The legislative elections in 2020 were also seen as fraudulent, and most opposition parties and many international observers consider the resulting National Assembly illegitimate.
The U.S. imposed financial sanctions on Maduro and his representatives in 2017 and on sectors of the Venezuelan economy in 2018. Limited sanctions relief followed when the Maduro administration began making democratic and electoral concessions.
Economic overview
Venezuela’s economy has undergone hyperinflation and chaos since the mid-2010s driven by political corruption, infrastructure cuts and debt defaults. The nation is dependent on oil exports and has grown closer to China.
Export partners: USA 50%, China 10%, Spain 9%, Brazil 6%, Turkey 5% (2023)
Export commodities: crude petroleum, petroleum coke, scrap iron, alcohols, fertilizers (2023)
Import partners: China 35%, USA 24%, Brazil 12%, Colombia 7%, Turkey 4% (2023)
Population: 31.3 million (2024 estimate). Male 15,555,451, female 15,694,855.
Ethnic groups: unspecified Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, Indigenous
Name etymology: In 1499, houses built on stilts on Lake Maracaibo reminded explorers Alonso de Ojeda and Amerigo Vespucci of buildings in Venice, Italy, and they named the region “Venezuola,” meaning “Little Venice.”
Religions: Roman Catholic 48.1%, Protestant 31.6% (evangelical 31.4%, Adventist 0.2%), Jehovah’s Witness 1.4%, African American/Umbanda 0.7%, other 0.1%, believer 3.5%, agnostic 0.1%, atheist 0.4%, none 13.6%, unspecified 0.6%
National anthem: “Gloria al bravo pueblo” (“Glory to the Brave People”) by Vicente Salias and Juan Jose Landaeta, who were executed in 1814 during Venezuela’s fight for independence. Adopted as anthem in 1881.
Travel ban: The U.S. Embassy suspended operations March 11, 2019. The State Department issued a Level 4 Travel Advisory, the highest level of warning, in 2019 as well.
You can read more about the Reuters polls here.
Latin American independence dates
Country | Independence from
Argentina | July 9, 1816 (Spain)
Belize | Sept. 21, 1981 (U.K.)
Bolivia | Au. 6, 1825 (Spain)
Brazil | Sept. 7, 1822 (Portugal)
Chile | Sept. 18, 1810 (Spain)
Colombia | July 20, 1810 (Spain)
Costa Rica | Sept. 15, 1821 (Spain)
Cuba | May 20, 1902 (Spain). Administered by the U.S. from 1898 to 1902.
Dominican Republic | Feb. 27, 1844 (Haiti)
Ecuador | May 24, 1822 (Spain)
El Salvador | Sept. 15, 1821 (Spain)
French Guiana | This overseas department of France is the only territory in the mainland Americas to still be fully integrated into a European country.
Guatemala | Sept. 15, 1821 (Spain)
Guyana | May 26, 1966 (U.K.)
Haiti | Jan. 1, 1804 (France)
Honduras | Sept. 15, 1821 (Spain)
Mexico | Sept. 16, 1810 (Spain)
Nicaragua | Sept. 15, 1821 (Spain)
Panama | Nov. 3, 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain on Nov. 28, 1821)
Paraguay | May 14, 1811 (Spain)
Peru | July 28, 1821 (Spain)
Puerto Rico | None (territory of the U.S. with commonwealth status)
Suriname | Nov. 25, 1975 (Netherlands)
Uruguay | Aug. 25, 1825 (Brazil)
Venezuela | July 5, 1811 (Spain)
Sources: CBS News, CIA World Factbook, Statistics Times, Reuters, The Associated Press
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