Venezuela’s Darkest Hour

Venezuela is an extraordinary country in many ways. It is blessed with the largest proven oil reserves on the planet and boasts some of the most wonderful natural marvels, including the world’s tallest waterfall and the only permanent lightning. After the Second World War, Venezuela became a beacon of freedom, welcoming Europeans fleeing the war-torn continent, my grandparents among them. When it became democratic in 1958, Venezuela welcomed people persecuted by dictatorships in Cuba, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, and Syria, as well as those fleeing conflict caused by communist guerrillas in...