Venezuela Geography Located in northern South America bordering
Venezuela
Geography �Located in northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana �Total area: 912, 050 square kilometers �Capital city: Caracas �Other big cities: Carora, Maturín, Guanare, Ciudad Ojeda
Political �Venezuela was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830. Since 1959, democratically elected governments have held sway. However, since 1999, the executive branch has exercised increasingly authoritarian control over the other branches of government. �In 2017, a Constituent Assembly was formed and it changed the constitution to dismiss government institutions and officials. Democratic institutions continue to deteriorate, freedoms of expression and the press are curtailed, and political polarization has grown. �Current government type: Federal Presidential Republic �Current president: Nicolás Maduro
Nicolás Maduro �Nicolás Maduro is the 63 rd president of Venezuela and has been in office since 2013. From 2006 to 2013, Maduro served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, and from 2012 to 2013, he served as the Vice President of Venezuela. �His presidency has coincided with a decline in Venezuela’s socioeconomic status, with crime, inflation, poverty and hunger increasing. Many analysts have attributed Venezuela’s decline to both Chávez and Maduro’s economic policies. �Shortages in Venezuela and decreased living standards resulted in protests beginning in 2014 that escalated into daily marches nationwide. �Maduro has been accused of authoritarian leadership, especially following the suspension of the recall movement that was directed towards him. �After the 2017 Venezuelan Constituent Assembly election, the United States sanctioned Maduro, freezing his U. S. assets and prohibited him from the entering the country. Several other countries have also refused to recognize the Constituent Assembly and the validity of the 2018 reelection.
People �Population: 31, 304, 016 (July 2017) �Ethnic groups: Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous people �Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2% �Languages: Spanish, numerous indigenous dialects �Literacy: 97. 1% of the total population ages 15 and over can read and write �Major infectious diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, dengue fever, malaria, and there is active local transmission of Zika virus
Economy �Venezuela is highly dependent on oil revenues, which account for almost all export earnings and nearly half of the government’s revenue. Foreign experts estimate that GDP contracted 12% in 2017, inflation exceeded 2000%, people faced widespread shortages of consumer goods and medicine, and the central bank’s international reserves dwindled. Domestic production and industry continues to severely underperform and the Venezuelan Government continues to rely on imports to meet basic food and consumer goods needs. �GDP – per capita: $12, 100 (2017) �GDP – composition by sector of origin: agriculture 4. 4%, industry 38. 2%, services 57. 4% (2017) �Population below poverty line: 19. 7% (2015) �Unemployment rate: 26. 4% (2017)
Transnational Issues �Venezuela has many land disputes with countries such as Guyana, Barbados, and Colombia. �Colombian organized illegal narcotics and paramilitary activities penetrate Venezuela’s shared border region. �There are 171, 920 refugees from Colombia as of 2016. �Venezuela is a source and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor. It has a tier rating of 3, meaning that Venezuela does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so.
Transnational Issues cont. �Venezuela is a small-scale illicit producer of opium and coca for the processing of opiates and coca derivatives. �Large quantities of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana transit the country from Colombia bound for the US and Europe. �There is significant narcotics-related money-laundering activity, especially along the border with Colombia and on Margarita Island. �There is an active eradication program primarily targeting opium and there also increasing signs of drug-related activities by Colombia insurgents on the border.
Operation World: Prayer Challenge �The needier sections of society �The upper and middle classes are under-evangelized but influenced by other religious groups. A number of missions and churches are concentrating efforts to reach these important groups. �Cities. Caracas, the capital, is one of the least-reached areas. Over one million live in the ranchos (slums), and gangs of drug barons control entire areas – but there are fewer than 300 churches in the city. Churches and missions are mobilizing to reach the cities in this most urbanized of Latin American countries. �Students, young people and children need more focused outreach. Fewer than 20 Christian student groups (CCCI, MUEVE/IFES) exist for 100 universities, despite over 40 years of campus ministry. Many children live in poverty and have little opportunity to encounter the genuine gospel. More needs to be done to evangelize and disciple this key sector of society
Operation World: Prayer Challenge cont. �Prisoners live with severe overcrowding, inhuman conditions, frequent violence, torture of detainees, lengthy pre-trial detention and seemingly untouchable criminals operating within the government, police and armed forces. VOCEP and others share Christ in these dangerous places, and significant numbers are coming to faith. Pray for the safety of believing prisoners, for their spiritual growth and for their integration into society and the Church upon release. �The unreached minorities �The growing Arab community (more than 130, 000) has become more prominent in commerce. Most are Lebanese and Syrian. Many are Orthodox and Maronite Catholics, but most are Shi’a and Sunni Muslims. No direct effort to evangelize them has been made, although some ministries (WEC) have a vision for outreach. There also growing numbers of Iranians and Turks.
Operation World: Prayer Challenge cont. �The Chinese are mostly Cantonese and are growing in number. There are several congregations of believers for the 50, 000 -strong community. Several missions have a ministry among them (Mennonites, CMA and WEC). �Western immigrant groups, such as Italians, Portuguese and Spanish, have almost no evangelical believers or outreach focused on them. There is one Messianic Jewish assembly.
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