Venezuela

<p>Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830, the others being Ecuador and New Granada (Colombia). For most of the first half of the 20th century, military strongmen ruled Venezuela and promoted the oil industry while allowing some social reforms. Democratically elected governments largely held sway until 1999, but Hugo CHAVEZ, who was president from 1999 to 2013, exercised authoritarian control over other branches of government. This trend continued in 2018 when Nicolas MADURO claimed the presidency for his second term in an election boycotted by most opposition parties and widely viewed as fraudulent. The legislative elections in 2020 were also seen as fraudulent, and most opposition parties and many international actors consider the resulting National Assembly illegitimate. In 2021, many opposition parties broke a three-year election boycott and participated in mayoral and gubernatorial elections, despite flawed conditions. As a result, the opposition more than doubled its representation at the mayoral level and retained four of 23 governorships. The 2021 regional elections marked the first time since 2006 that the EU was allowed to send an electoral observation mission to Venezuela.<br><br>MADURO has placed strong restrictions on free speech and the press. Since CHAVEZ, the ruling party has expanded the state's role in the economy through expropriations of major enterprises, strict currency exchange and price controls, and over-dependence on the petroleum industry for revenues. Years of economic mismanagement left Venezuela ill-prepared to weather the global drop in oil prices in 2014, sparking an economic decline that has resulted in reduced government social spending, shortages of basic goods, and high inflation. Worsened living conditions have prompted nearly 8 million Venezuelans to emigrate, mainly settling in nearby countries. The US imposed financial sanctions on MADURO and his representatives in 2017 and on sectors of the Venezuelan economy in 2018. Limited sanctions relief followed when the MADURO administration began making democratic and electoral concessions. <br><br>The government's mismanagement and lack of investment in infrastructure has also weakened the country's energy sector. Caracas has relaxed some controls to mitigate the impact of its sustained economic crisis, such as allowing increased import flexibility for the private sector and the informal use of US dollars and other international currencies. Ongoing concerns include human rights abuses, rampant violent crime, political manipulation of the judicial and electoral systems, and corruption.</p>

Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana

8 00 N, 66 00 W

South America

almost six times the size of Georgia; slightly more than twice the size of California

2,800 km

tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast

petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds

10,550 sq km (2012)

Rio Negro (shared with Colombia [s] and Brazil [m]) - 2,250 km; Orinoco river source and mouth (shared with Colombia) - 2,101 km<br><br><strong>note:</strong> [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

most of the population is concentrated in the northern and western highlands along an eastern spur at the northern end of the Andes, an area that includes the capital of Caracas

subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts

<p><strong>note 1:</strong> the country lies on major sea and air routes linking North and South America</p> <p><strong>note 2:</strong> Venezuela has some of the most unique geology in the world; <em>tepuis </em>are the massive table-top mountains of the western Guiana Highlands that tend to be isolated and thus support unique endemic plant and animal species; their sheer cliffsides help create some of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world, including Angel Falls, the world's highest (979 m; 3,212 ft) that drops from Auyan Tepui</p>

unspecified Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, Indigenous

Roman Catholic 48.1%, Protestant 31.6% (Evangelical 31.4%, Adventist 0.2%), Jehovah's Witness 1.4%, African American/umbanda 0.7%, other 0.1%, believer 3.5%, agnostic 0.1%, atheist, 0.4%, none 13.6%, unspecified 0.6% (2023 est.)

0.88% (2025 est.)

16.45 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

6.54 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-1.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

most of the population is concentrated in the northern and western highlands along an eastern spur at the northern end of the Andes, an area that includes the capital of Caracas

2.972 million CARACAS (capital), 2.368 million Maracaibo, 1.983 million Valencia, 1.254 million Barquisimeto, 1.243 million Maracay, 964,000 Ciudad Guayana (2023)

227 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

2.16 children born/woman (2025 est.)

1.05 (2025 est.)

1.66 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

1 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

25.6% (2016)

sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil and urban pollution of Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation; soil degradation; urban and industrial pollution, especially along the Caribbean coast; threat to the rainforest ecosystem from mining operations

tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

16.1 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

1.325 trillion cubic meters (2022 est.)

federal presidential republic

23 states (<em>estados</em>, singular - <em>estado</em>), 1 capital district* (<em>distrito capital</em>), and 1 federal dependency** (<em>dependencia federal</em>); Amazonas, Anzoátegui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales (Federal Dependencies)**, Distrito Capital (Capital District)*, Falcon, Guárico, La Guairá, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Táchira, Trujillo, Yaracuy, Zulia

civil law system based on the Spanish civil code

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

A New Era (Un Nuevo Tiempo) or UNT<br>Cambiemos Movimiento Ciudadano or CMC<br>Christian Democrats or COPEI (also known as the Social Christian Party)<br>Citizens Encounter or EC<br>Clear Accounts or CC<br>Coalition of parties loyal to Nicolas MADURO - Great Patriotic Pole or GPP<br>Coalition of opposition parties - Democratic Alliance (Alianza Democratica) (includes AD, EL CAMBIO, COPEI, CMC, and AP)<br>Come Venezuela (Vente Venezuela) or VV<br>Communist Party of Venezuela or PCV<br>Consenso en la Zona or Conenzo<br>Convergencia<br>Democratic Action or AD<br>Fatherland for All (Patria para Todos) or PPT<br>Fearless People's Alliance or ABP<br>Fuerza Vecinal or FV<br>Hope for Change (Esperanza por el Cambio) or EL CAMBIO<br>Justice First (Primero Justicia) or PJ<br>LAPIZ<br>Movement to Socialism (Movimiento al Socialismo) or MAS<br>Popular Will (Voluntad Popular) or VP<br>Progressive Advance (Avanzada Progresista) or AP<br>The Radical Cause or La Causa R<br>United Socialist Party of Venezuela or PSUV<br>Venezuela First (Primero Venezuela) or PV<br>Venezuelan Progressive Movement or MPV<br>Venezuela Project or PV

none<br><br><strong>note</strong>: the embassy, which had been run by the Venezuelan political opposition, announced on 5 January 2023, that it had ended all embassy functions

ACS, Caricom (observer), CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, LAS (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

5 July 1811 (from Spain)

Independence Day, 5 July (1811)

<strong>description: </strong>three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and red, with the coat of arms on the left side of the yellow band and an arc of eight five-pointed white stars centered on the blue band<br><br><strong>meaning: </strong>yellow stands for the riches of the land, blue for the courage of its people, and red for the blood shed in attaining independence<br><br><strong>history:</strong> the flag retains the three equal horizontal bands and three main colors from the flag of Gran Colombia, the South American republic that broke up in 1830; in 2006, President Hugo CHAVEZ added the eighth star -- the original seven stars represented the country's provinces that united in the war of independence -- to match Simon Bolivar's flag from 1827 and to represent the historic province of Guayana

troupial (bird)

yellow, blue, red

South American economy; ongoing hyperinflation since mid-2010s; chaotic economy due to political corruption, infrastructure cuts, and human rights abuses; in debt default; oil exporter; hydropower consumer; rising Chinese relations

$139.395 billion (2023 est.)

milk, sugarcane, maize, rice, plantains, oil palm fruit, bananas, chicken, pineapples, potatoes (2023)

agricultural products, livestock, raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials, medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, iron and steel products, crude oil and petroleum products

11.136 million (2024 est.)

33.1% (2015 est.)

USA 50%, China 10%, Spain 9%, Brazil 6%, Turkey 5% (2023)

crude petroleum, petroleum coke, scrap iron, alcohols, fertilizers (2023)

China 35%, USA 24%, Brazil 12%, Colombia 7%, Turkey 4% (2023)

refined petroleum, soybean meal, corn, plastic products, vehicle parts/accessories (2023)

mix of state-run and private broadcast media subject to high levels of control; 13 public service networks, 61 privately owned TV networks, 1 privately owned news channel with limited national coverage, and a Maduro-backed Pan-American channel; 3 Maduro-aligned radio networks control about 65 news stations and another 30 stations targeted at specific audiences; Maduro-sponsored community broadcasters include 235 radio stations and 44 TV stations; the number of private broadcast radio stations declining, but many remain&nbsp; (2021)

.ve

YV

509 (2025)

88 (2025)

Bolivarian National Armed Forces (Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana, FANB): Bolivarian Army (Ejercito Bolivariano, EB), Bolivarian Navy (Armada Bolivariana, AB; includes marines, Coast Guard), Bolivarian Military Aviation (Aviacion Militar Bolivariana, AMB), Bolivarian Militia (Milicia Bolivariana), Bolivarian National Guard (Guardia Nacional Bolivaria, GNB), Presidential Honor Guard<br><br>Ministry of Interior, Justice, and Peace: Bolivarian National Police (Policía Nacional Bolivariana, PNB) (2025)

information varies; approximately 125-150,000 active Armed Forces; estimated 200,000 Bolivarian Militia (2025)

the FANB inventory is a mix of mostly older and some more modern armaments from a variety of foreign suppliers, including China, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Russia/former Soviet Union, Spain, the UK, and the US (2025)

18-30 (25 for women) for voluntary service; the minimum service obligation is 24-30 months; 17-39 for Militia service; all citizens of military service age (18-50) are obligated to register for military service and subject to military training (2025)

the armed forces (FANB) are responsible for ensuring Venezuela’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity; they also have a domestic role, including assisting with maintaining internal security, conducting counter-narcotics missions, contributing to national socio-economic development, and providing disaster relief/humanitarian assistance; the military has been deployed against illegal armed groups operating in the Colombian border region and other areas to combat organized crime gangs involved in narcotics trafficking and illegal mining; it has ties with the militaries of China, Cuba, Iran, and Russia<br><br>the FANB has a role in the country’s economy and political sectors; military officers hold key positions in state-owned companies, government ministries, and funding agencies; the FANB runs corporation involved in agriculture, banking, communications, energy, insurance, mining, and transportation (2025)

Bolivarian Agency for Space Activities (Agencia Bolivariana para Actividades Espaciales, ABAE; formed 2007) (2025)

has a small national program primarily focused on acquiring satellites and expanding the country&rsquo;s science and technological capabilities; operates satellites and maintains two satellite ground control stations; participates in multinational space organizations such as the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency; closest bilateral partners are China and Russia; also has bilateral framework agreements for space cooperation with Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Uruguay (2025)

2005 - signed space cooperation partnership with China<br><br>2008- first communications satellite (Venesat-1 or Bolivar) financed, built, and launched by China<br><br>2012 - first remote sensing (RS) satellite (VRSS-1 or Miranda) built and launched by China<br><br>2017 - second RS satellite (VRSS-2 or Sucre) built and launched by China<br><br>2021 - signed agreement to establish the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency (formally established in 2022)<br><br>2023 - joined China-Russia project to construct a permanent base on the Moon by the 2030s<br><br>2025 - announced intent to participate in planned Mars sample-return mission (Tianwen-3) led by China

National Liberation Army (ELN); Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP); Segundo Marquetalia (SM); Tren de Aragua (TdA)