Imagine what would happen if the U.S. president accused a big-city mayor who opposed him politically of plotting to overthrow the governmentand then federal agents arrested the mayor.
Something just like that is unfolding in oil-rich Venezuela. That country supplies more crude oil to the United States than all but two other nations, but its economy is so shaky that some people stand in line for hours just to buy milk and chicken.
Critics say the Venezuelan government arrested the mayor to deflect attention from that sputtering economy. The President says the mayor was involved in a plot to overthrow the government.
Not up to speed on the ins and outs of Venezuelans politics?
Let these nine questions get you up to speed about what’s going on in Venezuela — and why it may matter beyond South America.
–
8. So what does the opposition want?
In one word: change. Opposition leaders say Ledezma’s arrest is the government’s latest attempt to manufacture controversy and target political opponents. They say the socialist policies espoused by the government of President Nicolas Maduro are ruining the country and scaring away foreign companies and investment.
9. Are foreign companies truly leaving Venezuela?
Yes. From the time the late President Hugo Chavez was in power, the government not only drove away, but also expropriated foreign companies. Exxon Mobil won a $1.6 billion lawsuit over the nationalization of its Cerro Negro Project. Airlines have also been affected. According to the International Air Transport Association, Venezuela owes foreign airlines $3.6 billion. Air Canada has stopped flying to Venezuela altogether and many other airlines have reduced their frequency of flights to Caracas and other Venezuelan cities.
