Read the following Introduction from the Council on Foreign Relations on the crisis in Venezuela:
"Venezuela in Crisis: Introduction" by Danielle Renwick, updated February 2, 2018.
1-2 paragraph post answering the following:
Discuss state strength as covered in our text in Venezuela today: does the state enjoy autonomy and/or capacity as discussed by O''Neill?
Define your terms and use detail from the CFR introduction to support your position.
and respond to this your opinion
"State strength in Venezuela today is severely waning. The government of Nicolas Maduo lacks capacity, which is the "ability of the state to wield power in order to carry out the basic task of providing security and reconciling freedom and equality" (O'Neill, pg. 54). This is because Maduro has consolidated power, and yet violence between the state and citizens who oppose its actions is on the rise (Renwick, 2018). Therefore, the government is not able to carry out its basic duty to provide security and ensure freedom (such as freedom of speech). Also, Venezuela lacks autonomy, which is "the ability of the state to wield its power independently of the public of international actors" (O'Neill, pg. 54). This is evident in that the government has defaulted on loans from foreign investors, and its economy is in tatters (Renwick, 2018). The government is barely able to fund itself, and it has been looking to Russia, China and even to crypto currency in order to stay afloat. This coupled with low support levels among the public, and one can see that autonomy is almost nonexistent."