Research Paper on Poverty in Venezuela: Causes, Government Response and Solutions

Introduction

An issue refers to an important topic or problem that is for debate or discussion (Chamlee, 2). The issue that will focus on in Venezuela is poverty which has affected the citizens of Venezuela for a very long time. Poverty refers to the state of being extremely poor or lacking enough money to live in the standards that are considered normal in the society (Wilpert, 1). The main aim of this paper is to look at the poverty issue in Venezuela, how the government has dealt with the issue as well as the prospects on the issue.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Why Poverty Is Defined As an Issue in Venezuela

Poverty may be seen as a significant issue in Venezuela because, in the present day, almost 90% of the citizens live in poverty (Kurmanaev, 14). This is a dramatic increase in the level of poverty by 48% as compared to the poverty levels in 2014 (Wilpert, 3). The population's salaries compared to the rate at which the prices rises suggest that every Venezuelan is practically poor. Poverty has been seen to be a serious issue that has led to the food crisis leading to malnutrition. People in Venezuela are seen to lose a considerable amount of weight due to the lack of food. Poverty has also led to a shortage of medicine, and it is noted that there is almost 85% shortage of message in the country (Messina, 25). It has also seen that the government food subsidies in Venezuela are not enough because of a large number of poverty-stricken citizens who are increasing daily, making it hard for the government to satisfy all of them.

The increasing rate of inflation has also led to the increase in poverty levels of the Venezuelans.80 % of the people in Venezuela are seen to live below the poverty line, and the prices of goods are increasing daily making it hard for some people to afford them(Chamlee, 3). This has, in turn, led to an increased rate of unemployment as most of the companies have closed down. These poverty levels have led to the Venezuelans fleeing the country so that they can go and seek for aid in other neighbouring countries.

The Reaction of the Government to Poverty

The government has reacted to the poverty level in Venezuela by creating a support program that helps in distributing foods to those in need. The program is called the Local Supply and Production Committee, also known as CLAP in Spanish (Kurmanaev, 16). The government also made anti-poverty policies that helped in ensuring that the poverty levels in Venezuela are reduced. Most of the policies that were made mainly focused on education and this supports research that states that education is one of the most effective ways that can reduce poverty in Venezuela (Lopez, 34). The Venezuelan government also concentrated on other poverty reduction programs so that they would reduce the levels of poverty in the country. These programs included support for micro-credits and cooperatives, urban and rural reforms as well as macro-economic reforms.

Future Prospects

The likelihood that the poverty levels in Venezuela will be reduced is nowhere near. This is because the strategies that the government is using to reduce the poverty levels are not working and the country is being faced with other issues such as corruption that affect the way that the poverty eradication will be done (Kurmanaev,17). Poor leadership in Venezuela has also affected the reduction of poverty levels because the leaders have in some cases been seen refusing to accept foreign aid even though its citizens are going through extreme poverty conditions such as lack of food as well as lack of medical supplies. This has made the Venezuelans look for alternative methods such as fleeing the country as well as using expired medicines.

The poverty situation in Venezuela has impacted world opinion in different ways. These ways include the sanctions that the Western governments, as well as the EU, have imposed on Venezuela's government officials who have been seen to have led to the increase of poverty levels in the country (Wilpert, 4). Most loans that were being given to Venezuela have been banned, and this leads to a decrease in the number of developments that were being supported by these loans. The U.S government was also considering oil embargo on Venezuela, which would mean that the market for Venezuela's war would decrease (Messina, 25).

The media, as well as other interest groups outside the country, have influenced the solution of poverty in Venezuela. This is because they have contributed by methods such as donations to those affected by poverty in Venezuela. The media such as The New York Times asks for support from different agencies by airing news of those suffering in poverty and hunger and by this way people come out and assist with the little that they have (Lopez, 34). Other interest groups such as humanitarian groups and NGOs also ensure that they provide humanitarian aid where they can by providing food supplies as well as medical supplies for those in need (Lopez,34). These interest groups also advocate for the government to allow humanitarian groups to help those in needfully.

Conclusion

Poverty levels in Venezuela have been seen to be very high, and people are dying in hunger while others lack enough medical supplies. The level of poverty in the country is increasing daily, and it has been affected mainly by factors such as inflation. The government has taken various measures to help reduce the poverty levels, but this issue is far from being solved.

Bibliography

Chamlee V. "Venezuelan Children Are Starving To Death? Here's How You Can Help." Bustle, 18 Dec. 2017, www.bustle.com/p/how-to-help-venezuelan-children-who-are-starving-in-the-midst-of-a-national-hunger-crisis-7627580.

Kurmanaev, Anatoly. "The Tragedy of Venezuela." Wall Street Journal (2018).

Lopez, Alfredo. "Extreme Poverty and Hunger in Venezuela. The result of the economic decline of an oil nation." (2019).

Messina, Italia. "The Effects of Chavez's Populism on Today's Venezuela." Perceptions 5.1 (2019).

Wilpert G. "Venezuela's Mission to Fight Poverty." Venezuelanalysis.com, 11 Nov. 2003, venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/213.