Life in Venezuela

After the dramatic US military operation that saw Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife taken from the country and placed in a New York prison, what, if anything, has changed for Venezuelans?

In our conversations, our guests share their experiences of living in Venezuela – the good and the bad. Vanessa tells us that even liking social media posts that appear to oppose the government could land people in jail.

“I read a lot on social media, why aren’t Venezuelans celebrating that Maduro is detained by the United States? It’s because we can’t,” she says. “We are very happy, but we are so scared. And even though he's no longer in the country and he’s no longer president, the regime is the same.”

Donald Trump said the US would “run” Venezuela and he has plans for the country’s crude oil reserves, which are the largest in the world. Despite this relatively untapped wealth, half the population lives in poverty and there have been shortages of food, fuel, water and medical supplies.

Our guests in Venezuela talk about the difficulty of earning money, while millions have decided to flee the country, due to economic challenges and political persecution.

We also bring Venezuelans together in the US, UK and Brazil who have moved abroad. They discuss what they miss about home and what might make them return.

Presenter: James Reynolds with Rahul Tandon
BBC producers: Isabella Bull and Adam Chowdhury
Boffin Media producer: Richard Hollingham
Editors: Arja Haikonen and Simon Peeks
A Boffin Media production in partnership with BBC OS

(Photo: Protesters hold up a huge Venezuelan flag. Credit: Maria Puerta-Riera)