On January 22, thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets to demand an end to the regime. Following the death of Chavez in 2013, his socialist successor has built a dictatorship, at the expense of ordinary Venezuelans. Last month, amid the civil uprising, the head of the country’s national assembly declared himself interim president until free and fair elections could be held.
Since 2013 Maduro has oppressed political dissidents, eroded the country’s constitution, and been accused of election fixing, to solidify his grip on power.
Under his rule, life in the South American country has become a living nightmare with annual inflation at 1.7million percent and GDP has halved in the past five years.
Far from the nirvana promised in 1999, streets are lined with rubbish bags and thousands have fled the country.
Maria Ortega, 32, left Venezuela for London after the country’s economic collapse but returned to visit in January 2018 and was shocked by what she saw.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, she said: “I went for two weeks and I saw the people who I knew from the building I used to live.
“They were so much thinner but not because they were on a diet. It was because they couldn’t find anything to eat. In a year and a half, since I was last there, they had lost 7kg, at least.”
Venezuela crisis: Streets are lined with rubbish piles and millions starving (Image: GETTY)
The extent of the humanitarian disaster was laid bare when she “saw people going through rubbish bins just to get food”.
Nearly 90 percent of Venezuelans now live in poverty, according to ENCOVI, who service living conditions in the country.
Delia Salinas, 28, felt she had no choice but to leave her home country following the dire state of living conditions.
She said: “When I left Venezuela we didn’t even have water. Sometimes you would have just two hours a day to take a shower.”
Emmanuel Gimenez, 31, used to be a councillor working in the Venezuelan capital and tried to use his position as a politician to hold Maduro and his allies to account for the regime’s failings.
However, his criticisms left him with little choice but to flee the country.
READ MORE: HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN VENEZUELA SEES CHILDREN DIE FROM MALNUTRITION
Venezuela crisis: Rubbish has built up on the streets while disease spreads (Image: GETTY)
He told Express.co.uk: “There were some areas where I was elected to represent that had 30 minutes to an hour of water in two weeks. The people were very disappointed and upset over the crisis so I supported them in protesting about it.
“A few days later I was threatened with weapons.”
Emmanuel moved to the UK to seek asylum. Not long after, one of his colleagues was murdered for his outspoken comments.
He said: “The government threw him from a 10th floor building but they said he committed suicide.”
Lord Ivan Emiro Canas Gutierrez, 56, now lives in Scotland practising law.
He left Venezuela before the socialist regime took control in 1999 but has been unable to go back since.
After using social media to share videos of the suffering of his fellow Venezuelans at the hands of the socialist regime, he began to receive death threats, signed off under the pseudonyms of Mickey Mouse, Batman and other children’s cartoon characters.
Venezuela crisis: The poor living standards is partially behind the uprising (Image: GETTY)
In one instance, he said: “They sent me an old love song called ‘my list’. They sent me that song with the caption ‘you are now on our list’ and asked me ‘where are you?’ and ‘where are you hiding?’.”
The brutal tyranny of the left-wing regime has caused many to fear speaking out against Maduro’s rule since he came to power.
Gaby Fenella Silva, 42, who moved to the UK afraid of the direction her country was heading in, worries about her family and friends back home.
“I’m begging them to stay away from getting involved in protests, in fear of the regime’s oppression and it’s consequences,” she said.
“Worrying and suffering with them is our day to day normal.
“I just hope they can make it another day without being killed either by uncontrolled crime or by lack of medicines if they’re ill.”
READ MORE: VENEZUELANS SO DESPERATE FOR FOOD THEY SEARCH BINS
Venezuela crisis: Maduro’s corrupt socialist regime has left people afraid for their lives (Image: GETTY)
Venezuela crisis: Protests have occured across the country in anger at the left-wing government (Image: GETTY)
A chronic shortage of medicines means measles and Diphtheria are spreading throughout the country.
Meanwhile, statistics from the US Overseas Security Advisory Council claim 73 Venezuelans died a violent death every day in 2017.
Delia said: “Where I lived, someone could kidnap you or steal your belongings.
“That’s why I left Venezuela, because it’s not a good place to live now because it’s really dangerous.”
Angry at Maduro’s failure to protect Venezuelans, she added: “The government are trying to say they are socialist and everyone is equal. But the truth is we’re not equal.
“What’s happening is not natural, it’s not fair.”
READ MORE: JUAN GUAIDO URGES STREET PROTESTS
Venezuela crisis: A new hop has emerged in Caracas in the form of Juan Guaido (Image: GETTY)
Admitting Venezuelans are in a state of desperation, Maria said: “We are Catholics, so we do a lot of praying. You say ‘I hope God helps us’. But there’s nothing you can do, just wait and survive”.
However, now, there is finally hope among Venezuelans that change may be coming.
Following the re-election of Maduro as president in a corrupt election last year, the leader of the country’s national assembly, Juan Guaido, claimed the constitution gave him the legal authority of president until new elections could be held.
His claim to power has been supported by the UK, US and many other national leaders, giving hope the Maduro regime could soon collapse.
Delia said: “I’ve been waiting for change for 20 years and it never happens. We just fight and die and that’s it. But this time I’m pretty sure there will be change.”
Gabby agrees: “It will take time and it won’t be easy.
“We will rebuild the country. We just want it back, under democracy, so we can get to work.”
