Socialism is a failed experiment. In every iteration, across the globe and throughout history, it ends the same way.
But this hasn’t stopped many on the Left from pushing for socialism in Canada. It’s honestly bizarre that we still take socialism seriously; even educated Canadians still advocate for it.
One only needs to look at Venezuela to see how socialism has been such a crushing failure.
Venezuela was considered rich in the early 1960s. Its produced more than 10 percent of the world’s crude and had a per capita GDP many times bigger than that of its neighbours. However, at the turn of the millennium, Venezuela became a socialist country and ever since it’s citizens have been plunged into poverty and food shortages.
Out of touch celebrities like Sean Penn and Michael Moore have naively praised Venezuela in the past. Today, thanks to its socialist policies, Venezuela is facing a refugee crisis and millions of citizens are fleeing the country.
Hugo Chavez came into power after a failed coup and rewrote the constitution and appointed his own supreme court. Soon after Chavez nationalized most of the privately-owned businesses in the country, including the oil industry, and confiscated millions of hectares of farmland.
After Hugo Chavez’s reign, his successor Nicolas Maduro took over power and doubled down on Chavez’s disastrous socialist policies.
- Venezuela’s GDP is sinking at a rapid rate and inflation is through the roof.
- Under Maduro’s watch, dozens of protestors were killed while hundreds were injured during anti-government demonstrations as reported by UN Human Rights Watch
- Due to socialist policies, consumer inflation rose by 800% in 2016
- 75% of Venezuelans have lost 19 pounds in weight according to the National Survey of Living Conditions
- Over 1/3rd of the country are eating no more than two meals a day
- 82% of Venezuelans are living in poverty
- United Nations has reported that approximately 7% of the population or 2.3 to 4 million Venezuelans have fled from the country in search of a better life
- Venezuelans are resorting to stealing animals from zoos and butchering them, while prisoners have been eating rats to stay alive
- Venezuelan women and girls as young as 14 are being forced into the sex trade to provide for themselves and their families
- A survey conducted by the country’s National Assembly found that Venezuelan hospitals are in such a terrible condition that 79% have no running water
- The same survey found that pregnancy-related deaths rose by 66% since 2016 due to lack of basic medical supplies
- The country has become a hotbed for the spread of disease. It is currently facing a Malaria epidemic as cases have tripled by 2013. Alongside the vast quantity of migrants leaving the country, Venezuela is a source for the spread of diphtheria and measles throughout South America and beyond.
- President Maduro raised minimum wage continuously up to 58% in 2018 to battle inflation with no success
- In 2017, members of the media reported a 26.5% increase in harassment from state officials
- Several South American countries alongside the United States and Canada reject Maduro’s 2019 re-election and claim it is not legitimate
- “The suffering of Venezuelans will only worsen should he continue to illegitimately cling to power,” said Canada’s Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland
