Venezuela is located in the north of South America. Shaped roughly like a triangle, the country has a 2,800 km (1,700 mi) coastline in the north, which includes numerous islands in the Caribbean, and in the northeast borders the northern Atlantic Ocean. Venezuela borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south. Caribbean islands such as Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Curacao, Aruba, and the Leeward Antilles lie near the Venezuelan coast.
Venezuela's most significant natural resources are petroleum and natural gas, iron ore, gold, and other minerals. It also has large areas of arable land and water. Venezuela has the largest oil reserves, and the eighth largest natural gas reserves in the world, and consistently ranks among the top ten world crude oil producers.
In 2014, a series of protest and demonstrations began in Venezuela, attributed to inflation, violence and shortages in Venezuela.
Parliamentary Elections were held in Venezuela on 6 December 2015 to elect representatives of the National Assembly. The opposition won the majority of seats.
The President acknowledged defeat, but attributed the opposition's victory to an intensification of the "economic war". Despite of that, he said "I will stop by hook or by crook the opposition coming to power, whatever the costs, in any way".
In the following months, the President fulfilled his promise of preventing the democratically, and constitutionally, elected National Assembly from legislating.
The first steps taken by the government were the substitution of the entire Supreme Court a day after the Parliamentary Elections contrary to the Constitution of Venezuela, acclaimed as a fraud by the majority of the Venezuelan and international press. The government used this violation to suspend several elected opponents, ignoring again the Constitution of Venezuela. The President said that "the Amnesty law (approved by the Parliament) will not be executed" and asked the Supreme Court to declare it unconstitutional before the law was known.
In January, 16th 2016, the President approved an unconstitutional economic emergency decree, relegating to his own figure the legislative and executive powers, while also holding judiciary power through the fraudulent designation of judges the day after the election on 6 December 2015. From these events, the President effectively controls the three democratic powers.
On 14 May 2016, constitutional guarantees were in fact suspended when the President decreed the extension of the economic emergency decree for another 60 days and declares a State of emergency, which is a clear violation of the Constitution of Venezuela in the Article 338th: "The approval of the extension of States of emergency corresponds to the National Assembly.". Thus, constitutional rights in Venezuela are considered suspended in fact by a large number of publications and public figures.
In March 2017, the Venezuelan Supreme Court took over law making powers from the National Assembly but reversed its decision the following day.
The Venezuelans are now on the street protesting against the regime ...
Venezuela's most significant natural resources are petroleum and natural gas, iron ore, gold, and other minerals. It also has large areas of arable land and water. Venezuela has the largest oil reserves, and the eighth largest natural gas reserves in the world, and consistently ranks among the top ten world crude oil producers.
In 2014, a series of protest and demonstrations began in Venezuela, attributed to inflation, violence and shortages in Venezuela.
Parliamentary Elections were held in Venezuela on 6 December 2015 to elect representatives of the National Assembly. The opposition won the majority of seats.
The President acknowledged defeat, but attributed the opposition's victory to an intensification of the "economic war". Despite of that, he said "I will stop by hook or by crook the opposition coming to power, whatever the costs, in any way".
In the following months, the President fulfilled his promise of preventing the democratically, and constitutionally, elected National Assembly from legislating.
The first steps taken by the government were the substitution of the entire Supreme Court a day after the Parliamentary Elections contrary to the Constitution of Venezuela, acclaimed as a fraud by the majority of the Venezuelan and international press. The government used this violation to suspend several elected opponents, ignoring again the Constitution of Venezuela. The President said that "the Amnesty law (approved by the Parliament) will not be executed" and asked the Supreme Court to declare it unconstitutional before the law was known.
In January, 16th 2016, the President approved an unconstitutional economic emergency decree, relegating to his own figure the legislative and executive powers, while also holding judiciary power through the fraudulent designation of judges the day after the election on 6 December 2015. From these events, the President effectively controls the three democratic powers.
On 14 May 2016, constitutional guarantees were in fact suspended when the President decreed the extension of the economic emergency decree for another 60 days and declares a State of emergency, which is a clear violation of the Constitution of Venezuela in the Article 338th: "The approval of the extension of States of emergency corresponds to the National Assembly.". Thus, constitutional rights in Venezuela are considered suspended in fact by a large number of publications and public figures.
In March 2017, the Venezuelan Supreme Court took over law making powers from the National Assembly but reversed its decision the following day.
The Venezuelans are now on the street protesting against the regime ...