Crisis in Venezuela

Venezuela is going through an economic and political crisis. Hyperinflation, cuts to power, and curbs on fuel, food, and medicine have resulted in protests against the government against Nicolas Maduro.

Instructors, click the link below to download this week’s lecture for use in your classroom. The deck contains a writing prompt and a debate question as well as other assessment questions.

Download the PowerPoint Lecture Spark for Crisis in Venezuela

Links

“Venezuelans call for humanitarian aid as political crisis deepens”
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/venezuelans-call-humanitarian-aid-political-crisis-deepens-190130225106119.html

“Who’s really in charge in Venezuela?”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06z2zq0

“As Venezuela scrambles for fuel, looming sanctions tangle exports”
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-tanker/venezuela-government-threatens-to-board-tanker-to-have-fuel-discharged-sources-idUSKCN1PP2VR

“French and Spanish reporters detained in Venezuela have been freed”
https://www.euronews.com/2019/01/30/venezuela-two-french-journalists-arrested

“Colombia’s radical plan to welcome millions of Venezuelan migrants”
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/01/colombia-welcomes-millions-venezuelans-maduro-guaido/581647/

“Venezuela’s Guaido courts Russia; powers divided on Maduro”
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuelas-guaido-courts-russia-powers-divided-on-maduro-idUSKCN1PP2J3

“Tulsa World editorial: Venezuela’s ‘socialist paradise’ teeters”
https://www.tulsaworld.com/opinion/editorials/tulsa-world-editorial-venezuela-s-socialist-paradise-teeters/article_1af6c533-91b2-593f-81a7-7bdd41f9bc5e.html

“Opinion: Foreign forces did not start Venezuela’s transition. Venezuela did.”
https://www.npr.org/2019/01/30/689286896/opinion-foreign-forces-did-not-start-venezuelas-transition-venezuela-did

“Opinion: The truth about Venezuela’s new leader”
https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/opinion/contributors/2019/02/01/truth-venezuelas-new-leader-opinion/2724845002/

“Venezuela teeters on the brink of collapse – just as Zimbabwe does”
https://mg.co.za/article/2019-01-31-venezuela-teeters-on-the-brink-of-collapse-just-as-zimbabwe-does

“Opinion: The dangerous privilege of those who want the U.S. to stay out of Venezuela”
http://www.philly.com/opinion/commentary/nicolas-maduro-juan-guaido-venezuela-united-states-20190131.html

Assessment

• Writing: Describe the economic and political conditions in Venezuela.
• Debate: The United States should refrain from injecting itself into the internal affairs of Venezuela.
• Poll: Juan Guaidó should be recognized as the legitimate president of Venezuela.
• Short Answer: Why has Nicolas Maduro become so unpopular in Venezuela?

Current events quiz:

1) Who preceded Maduro as the Venezuelan president before his death in 2013?

a. Hugo Chávez
b. Fidel Castro
c. Kim Jung Un
d. Xi Jingping

2) How long has Maduro been in power?

a. Since 2013
b. He was recently elected in 2016
c. Since 2015
d. Since 2014

3) Maduro is a member of the _______________ party, and Guaidó is a member of the _____________ party.

a. Democratic Action, United Socialist Party of Venezuela
b. Centrist Social-Democratic Popular Will, United Socialist Party of Venezuela
c. United Socialist Party of Venezuela, Centrist Social-Democratic Popular Will
d. United Socialist Party of Venezuela, Democratic Action

7) Maduro has more international support than
Guaidó . (T/F)

8) The EU parliament recently recognized Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim president. (T/F)

9) Russia supports Maduro because he and Putin have close ties. (T/F)

Answers:

1) A

2) A

3) C

4) F

5) T

6) T

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