Interesting how one person can lead an entire country into such a state. Nicolás Maduro, the current president of Venezuela, apparently didn't start out that way. A guy from a working-class family, son of a union leader, worked as a bus driver. It seemed like a typical rags-to-riches story.

But what happened next is a whole different story. Maduro came into Ugo Chávez's orbit in 1992 when Chávez attempted a coup. After Chávez came to power in 1998, Maduro quickly rose through the ranks. First in parliament, then as chairman of the National Assembly, then as foreign minister. Chávez even named him his successor. And in 2013, Maduro became President of Venezuela, although he won by a narrow margin.

And then the disaster began. His rule has been marked by hyperinflation, hunger, and political repression. The 2024 elections, widely regarded as rigged by international observers, led to mass protests. Thousands of people are imprisoned just for opposing him. Millions of Venezuelans have fled the country.

The U.S. and other countries imposed strict sanctions. In 2020, the Americans even filed corruption charges. The UN recently documented serious human rights violations committed over the years. And in 2025, Maduro took the oath for a third term—after elections that no one considers legitimate.

Especially symbolic is that in the same year, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to María Corina Machado, the opposition leader against the Venezuelan president. It’s like a direct response from the international community to the repression of his regime. It’s hard to imagine a more striking contrast.