Venezuela a country being made living Hell for its citizens

Pregnant women are crossing the border to give birth and mothers go to health centres in Colombia to get their babies vaccinated.

Millions of Venezuelans have left the country in the last two years, fleeing the oil-rich nation’s economic collapse.

Shortages of food and basic goods, years of recession, soaring inflation and regular power shortages have crippled the country’s economy and entire government infrastructure.

The government says those against the socialist President Nicolas Maduro are waging an “economic war” but many within and outside the country blame his policies, combined with severe corruption and mismanagement.

One of the most affected areas is the state of Zulia, long known as the centre of the country’s oil industry.

The biggest problem facing Venezuelans in their day-to-day lives is hyperinflation which reached to the unbelievable rate of 83,000% in July, according to a recent study by the opposition-controlled National Assembly.

Prices have been doubling every 26 days on average resulting in many Venezuelans struggling to afford basic items such as food and toiletries.

With small items like a cup of coffee costing a gargantuan 2.5m bolivars until recently, it also became increasingly difficult to pay for goods in cash.

Until the currency’s redenomination on 20 August, Venezuelans needed 25 of their highest denomination notes i.e. the 100,000 bolivar bill to pay for their caffeine fix.

To avoid going shopping with backpacks full of cash, Venezuelans increasingly started using electronic transfers for even the smallest transactions.

Shoppers face empty shelves in supermarkets, and in some cities there have been water shortages and power cuts caused by a lack of investment in Venezuela’s decaying infrastructure.

Pregnant women are crossing the border to give birth and mothers go to health centres in Colombia to get their babies vaccinated.

Those who cannot leave often spend days and weeks searching for the medication they need. With food increasingly scarce, child malnutrition levels are at a record high.