Emily Smith Llinás

Recent events brought global attention to Venezuela, the petroleum-rich South American nation – once one of the region’s wealthiest, which suffered multiple political and economic crises under the Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro regimes. Attention peaked on January 3, when the U.S. military entered the Maduro residence and removed the Venezuelan leader from power, charging him with corruption and drug trafficking. News of the capture dominated media coverage across the world.

Disnahir Pinto, AAPG member and Latin America and Caribbean Region delegate, awoke early on the morning of January 3. He was on vacation outside Caracas with his wife and children when friends called to tell them that the U.S. military had entered Venezuela and carried out strikes in several areas of the city. A few hours later, he learned though social media that President Nicolas Maduro had been removed from power.