Support for NPR and the following message come from Yarl and Pamela Mone, thanking the people

who make public radio great every day and also those who listen.

In quanto the heroic and disditchada Venezuela,

its accomplishments have been so rapid and its devastations talies. With respect to heroic and hapless Venezuela, events there have moved so rapidly,

and the devastation has been such that it is reduced to frightful desolation and almost absolute indigence.

Nevertheless, it was once among the fairest regions that are the pride of America. Simone Bolíard was once among the fairest regions that are the pride of America.

Simone Bolivar, September 6, 1815.

Hey, everyone, it's Ramtin.

Anne Rund.

On January 3rd, the U.S. military seized Venezuela and President Nicolas Maduro after a series of strikes on Venezuela's capital that killed at least 80 people.

The military brought Maduro to the U.S. for trial on federal drug trafficking and weapons charges.

To understand what's happening in Venezuela and the U.S. government's latest escalation,

we're bringing you an episode from our archive, the story of two leaders in Venezuela,

separated by nearly two centuries who shaped the country into what it is today.

When this episode was first released back in 2019, Venezuela was facing an economic and

humanitarian crisis. That remains true today. And it's gotten so bad, nearly eight million

people have fled Venezuela in recent years to escape extreme poverty.

The Justice Department's case alleges that while Venezuela's economy collapsed, Maduro used his power to run a narco-terrorism operation that made him rich.

Maduro pleaded not guilty to these charges.

The thing is, Venezuela was once the richest country in South America.

So the question becomes now, how did such a once prosperous nation end up here?

When we looked into this, it quickly became clear that Venezuela's problems began way before

...