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Venezuela on the Brink

Venezuela鈥檚 shops are empty of even the most basic commodities, and its people are desperate. How has a country so rich in natural resources ended up so poor?

How has a country so rich in natural resources ended up so poor? That鈥檚 the question Owen Bennett Jones and his guests are discussing in this week鈥檚 Newshour Extra. Venezuela鈥檚 economy is in freefall, the shops are empty of even the most basic commodities, and its people are desperate. For a nation blessed with vast oil wealth, the descent into chaos has been spectacular. President Maduro鈥檚 government is widely blamed for the mess, but how much does the fault lie with the policies of former president Hugo Chavez, and, more recently, the low price of oil? Join Owen and his panel as they analyse these issues, and ask - what possible hope is there for a recovery in Venezuela?

(A child stands in front of graffiti in the 23 de Enero neighbourhood in Caracas, where the remains of late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez are kept. Photo credit: Getty Images)

Available now

50 minutes

Last on

Sat 28 May 2016 10:06GMT

Contributors

Yolanda Valery, 91热爆 Mundo.

David Smilde, Senior fellow at the Washington Office on Latin America.

Moises Naim, Distinguished fellow at the Carnegie Endowment, former Venezuelan trade minister.

Barry Cannon, Maynooth University, author of 'Hugo Chavez and the Bolivarian Revolution'.

Broadcasts

  • Fri 27 May 2016 08:06GMT
  • Fri 27 May 2016 23:06GMT
  • Sat 28 May 2016 03:06GMT
  • Sat 28 May 2016 10:06GMT

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