Why I support Nicolás Maduro — The Tico Times »
Protesters in Venezuela are portrayed as peaceful students repressed by an authoritarian Maduro government that has caused shortages and widespread crime. In this light, many will wonder why Nicolás Maduro’s administration continues to have widespread support.
The explanation is that the situation is much different than the way it is portrayed in the media. The protests are neither a student rebellion, nor are they peaceful. There is no government repression or censorship, and while there are economic and criminal problems, living conditions in the country have improved sharply.
Students have led opposition protests, but they are only a small minority from wealthy areas. Under the late leader Hugo Chávez and current President Maduro, the education system has been revolutionized to the benefit of the entire population, leading to an increase in the number of university students from 895,000 in 2000 to 2.3 million in 2011. Most of those are students from poor families who are pro-government. This has been confirmed by student elections.