His name was David José Vallenilla. At 22, he became the latest of at least 75 fatalities tied to civil unrest in the streets of Venezuela, a country mired in economic crisis and political instability. In a shocking video, a protester is seen hurling what appear to be rocks over a fence at La Carlota airbase. At least two soldiers approach from the other side of the fence. One of them fires at the young man with a shotgun or a rifle from a few feet away. The protester, a knapsack slung over his chest and his face covered with a bandana, falls to the ground. Another protester, carrying a makeshift shield and a Venezuelan flag draped over his back, moves in as if to provide cover. The wounded protester gets up and staggers away, grasping his chest...READ MORE

" Nicolas Maduro's plan to rewrite the constitution is opposed by 85 percent of Venezuelans, according to a survey by polling company Datanalisis carried out as protests calling for presidential elections intensified. In the poll, conducted May 29-June 4, 85 percent of respondents agreed with the statement: "There is no need to change the current constitution" ... READ MORE

Not so long ago, the country enjoyed a semblance of comfort, security and hope. Today, Stephanie Nolen reports, it is a shambles, the people suffering from inadequate health care, food shortages – and government that appears to be looking out for its own, sometimes brutally...READ MORE

The principle of non-intervention in the sovereignty of a country is inserted in the Charter of the United Nations. This rule of international law is not absolute because sovereignty also implies the obligation to protect its citizens. When a population suffers major harm as a result of repression by its government, and the latter refuses or neglects to redress the situation, it is the responsibility of the international community to act in its place. This rule of law is called the responsibility to protect. It derives from international declarations, commitments and treaties on human rights as well as international humanitarian law...EXCELLENT ARTICLE - READ MORE

An economic collapse such as this happens only in countries at war. In the case of Venezuela, two things – not war - are currently happening. One, runaway inflation, which is in the hundreds (again, it is hard to check the figures): estimates range from 500% to 800% last year, with salary adjustments by presidential decree lagging behind and covering less than half at the very best...READ MORE

Venezuelans have taken to the streets in their tens of thousands over the past seven weeks in anti-government protests that have left at least 43 demonstrators dead and hundreds injured. They show no signs of abating...READ MORE