Why Are Children Starving in Venezuela? This Week in Hot Chocolate and Current Events

Note: This post is an archived newsletter from 10.6.17. To get the latest current events, subscribe to our newsletter. 

Why are Children Starving in Venezuela?

One reason we study current events is to give our kids a heart for the world. Things aren’t easy for people in Venezuela right now. Please read this article about the hunger crisis in Venezuela. There is also a video. 

Key People, Places, and Map Points

Venezuela is an oil-rich country on the northern coast of South America. American politicians have called the country a “socialist dictatorship.” This means that the government controls much of the economy, and one leader, President Nicolas Maduro, has all the power. Several years ago, under Maduro's leadership, the Venezuelan economy seriously contracted. They have seen a 700 percent increase in the price of goods or hyperinflation. Today, most Venezuelans are living in poverty. 

What would you do if your family was forced to scavenge for food? Where would you look? Would you beg? 

Why do you think the soup kitchen only serves 100 children per day? 

Why do you think the soup kitchen does not serve parents?

Why does cook Judith Arcia say that “shame has been forgotten”?

If the country is so rich in oil, why cannot it not feed its people?

Why do you think the government would not open a “humanitarian corridor”? 

Why do you think the government is unwilling or unable to feed its people?

What has been the role of the church in this crisis? 

What do you think will be the future of Venezuela?  

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