An estimated 1 million Venezuelans took to the streets on Sept. 1 to demand that President Nicolas Maduro be ousted.
An economic crisis has caused deep frustration among Venezuelans fed up with rampant inflation and food shortages.
Protesters in the capital city of Caracas are demanding a referendum on Maduro’s tenure in office. At a political event on Margarita Island on Friday, Sept. 2, Maduro was chased by angry protesters banging on pots and shouting that they were hungry.
“People are hungry, they’re dying, and the conditions are just unthinkable for a country in the Western Hemisphere,” said Jason Marczak, director of the Latin America Economic Growth Initiative at the Atlantic Council.
“It’s a humanitarian disaster that should capture the world’s attention.
“The situation in Venezuela is awful. Inflation is projected to be 720 percent this year. There are medicine and food shortages. The poverty, malnutrition, and infant mortality rates have all risen.”
