Thomson Reuters
A placard with the letters "SOS" written in the colors of Venezuelan flag at a rally against Venezuela's government in Santiago, Chile, January 23, 2018.
Venezuela has been riven by protracted political and economic crises that have prompted mass protests and sparked a wave of migration. Venezuelans have fled throughout the region, with some going as far afield as Spain.
The many who remain live in a deeply divided country, where President Nicolas Maduro maintains power - solidified in a May 20 presidential election granting him another term amid widespread doubts about its legitimacy - in spite of rampant shortages, high rates of crime and violence, and a deteriorating economy.
Geoff Ramsey, the associate for Venezuela at the Washington Office on Latin America, a Washington, DC-based research and advocacy group, spent April in Venezuela, meeting with members of the public, the government, the opposition, civil-society groups, and others.
Ramsey spoke with Business Insider in late May, describing the conditions Venezuelans face at home as well as the political outlook fora situation that has frustrated the region and the world.
The interview below has been edited for length and clarity.