5 reasons why Venezuelans are protesting against their government

Members of a pro-government "colectivo," or "collective," march in downtown Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014. (AP/Rodrigo Abd)

What began as a largely student protest calling on the Venezuelan government to address a growing economic crisis and a surge in violent crime has turned into deadly demonstrations on the streets of Caracas and other cities. But what’s fuelling the protests and why are they happening now? Here are five reasons behind the crisis:

Surging inflation

Venezuela recorded one of the world’s highest inflation rates in 2013 at 56 per cent. Many have blamed the government’s strict price controls and the fixed exchange rate, which has slowed down imports and use of foreign currency. The government has been trying to stem black-market exchange of U.S. dollars, but doesn’t seem to be having much success.

Lack of basic goods

The staggering inflation has led to shortages of basic goods like milk, cooking oil, sugar and, most famously, toilet paper. The chronic shortage of toilet paper in Venezuela made international headlines and led to drastic measures last year, when a national price-control agency temporarily took control of a toilet paper factory to ensure proper distribution.

Cheap, but problematic, gas prices

For almost two decades, Venezuelans have enjoyed unbelievably low gasoline prices, frozen at roughly five U.S. cents per gallon (and even cheaper at the black market exchange rate). Sitting on the world’s biggest oil reserves, Venezuelans have grown accustomed to spending less on fuel than on water and other basic goods.

Filling up the tank with pocket change has been described as a Venezuelan “birthright.” When it was suggested in 1989 that gas prices be raised, deadly riots broke out in the streets.

That’s why the late President Hugo Chavez avoided raising gas prices until his death in March 2013. But his successor, President Nicolas Maduro, said in December that he may have no choice but to raise gas prices. It has been reported that the government is spending more than $12 billion per year to subsidize domestic gasoline sales and can no longer afford to virtually give away fuel to its citizens.

Murder and violence

Venezuela’s murder rate has been steadily rising since the late 1990s. In December, the Venezuelan Violence Observatory, a non-governmental group, estimated that 24,763 people were killed in 2013 – a rate of 79 per 100,000 inhabitants. In 1998, the rate was 19 per 100,000 people, the group said. Kidnappings and other violent crimes have also been on the rise.

The murder of a popular Venezuelan actress, Monica Spear, and her ex-husband highlighted the country’s violence problem. Spear and her ex were shot to death early this year when their car broke down on a highway. Their five-year-old daughter was wounded, but survived.

Questions about election results

Following Chavez’s death, presidential elections were held in April 2013. Nicolas Maduro, hand-picked by Chavez as his successor, won by less than two per cent of the vote, leading the opposition candidate, Henrique Capriles, to demand a recount. Although allegations of vote fraud have been dismissed by local and foreign election observers, doubts still persist today.

With files from The Associated Press