Politics
Political expert John Magdaleno said that the crisis affecting Venezuela is leading people to "a major confrontation" because the government is determined to "force a transition to socialism" although there are important sectors of the population who "do not want this model."

"The government is implementing socialism despite the limits that the Venezuelans have imposed, the results of a referendum in 2007, growing criticism against Chávez administration in opinion polls. This trend will grow if the government obtains a majority in parliamentary elections," said Magdaleno in an interview with El Universal.

Magdaleno added that, in his quest to impose a model in the country, Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez tries to disperse efforts in two separate consultations (a recall referendum and the parliamentary elections) to polarize public opinion and create a favorable climate for his main goal, which is "the imposition of a socialist model which is more similar to the 20th century's than the 21st century's."