There are at least three FACTS about Venezuela that many of you guys here don't seem to get :
1) Venezuela is bankrupt.
Venezuela's foreign currency bonds trade at "RD" (Restricted Default) which is just one tick above Bankruptcy.
http://cbonds.com/countries/Venezuela-bondThese bonds were trading 20 cts on the dollar as of Dec 2018, which means that investors don't expect to get more than 20 cts back for every dollar invested.
In fact, Bankruptcy status would be better, because then there would be some sort of debt restructuring plan. That's why these bonds showed an up-tick in January when the US announced sanctions against Venezuela's oil industry. Here for example is are some bonds that mature in 2020 :
https://www.bourse.lu/security/USP97475AG56/94852Venezuela is trading below "junk" rating, but hey, if you think there is nothing wrong with the Venezuelan economy, by all means, BUY these bonds. Next year when they mature, and Maduro pays the full dollar amount back to you, you will make a killing !
For the rest of us, we understand that Maduro is defaulting on his dollar bonds, effectively stealing from foreign investors, and we see the writing on the wall, since we pay attention to stuff like this :
https://nypost.com/2019/02/01/venezuelas-maduro-to-sell-gold-reserves-to-prop-up-regime/Maduro is so desperate for cash that he is starting to sell the gold from the central bank.
That's a sure sign your country is done for, financially.
2) People are starving.
None of you guys seem to understand the human suffering.
You let Jimmy Dore say that life is Venezuela is "normal" and Max Blumenthal shops on a dollar store in Caracas, so all must be nice and dandy.
Yet three million Venezuelans left the country already, and if nothing changes, the UN expects another 2 million refugees out of Venezuela.
That would rival the refugee crisis from Syria, folks.
And the country who took in the bulk of Venezuelan refugees ? Colombia.
While Trump wants to build a wall, Colombia kept its borders open.
And Colombians are doing everything they can to help their fellow Venezuelans.
This report gave me hope :
3) Maduro is done for.
He led the country into a financial crisis, an economic crisis, a humanitarian crisis, and a political crisis.
Just think about it : If you drove the economy of your country into the ground like Maduro just did, and millions of your citizens are leaving your country because they are starving, and you have violated the constitution of your predecessor (Hugo Chavez) at least THREE times, and rigged the elections multiple times, while polls show that 80% of the people of your country want you OUT, then wouldn't you realize that maybe, just maybe, it's time for somebody else to take over ?
Any other leader would voluntarily resign and call for new elections.
It's time for Maduro to realize that it is time to go.
