Pray for Venezuela

Venezuela sits on one of the world’s largest oil reserves. As crude prices have fallen, socialism has run the nation’s economy into the ground. Inflation is in the triple digits, spreading chaos and instability. Many hospitals are out of medicine — everything from anti-inflammatory drugs to chemotherapy is unavailable — prompting an emergency appeal to the United Nations.

Some grocery store shelves are bare. Malnutrition is widespread; Venezuelans lost almost 20 pounds on average over the past year.

And as his weakening country limps along, in large part because of his incompetent and ideological rule, Nicolás Maduro, successor to Hugo Chávez, tightens his grip on every lever of power.

Maduro’s intelligence officials function as a form of secret police. Under his edicts, they have detained political prisoners without trial.

Maduro has postponed local elections and cracked down on political protests with Putinesque severity.

The government has ordered CNN en Español and other news channels that dared challenge the administration off the air.

Last week, Maduro’s loyalists on the nation’s highest court effectively dissolved the country’s legislature, which is run by the president’s foes, before having to back off in the face of international outrage.

Thirty million South Americans now live under the thumb of what can fairly be called a socialist dictator.

As protesters risk their liberty and take to the streets, Americans stand with them in spirit.