Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, has declared a 60-day state of emergency after a week of violent demonstrations for a recall vote and hours after US intelligence officials warned the country disintegrate.
Maduro hopes the state of emergency will allow him to invoke powers to help stabilise the country and “confront all the international and national threats against our fatherland in this moment”.
Soaring inflation, a shrinking economy, food shortages and power cuts – attributed to a lack of rain affecting Venezuela’s dams, the country’s main electricity source – are daily struggles for most Venezuelans.
In an attempt to ease the strain, the government has tried moving clocks forward by half an hour, closing schools on Fridays, assigning public servants two-day weeks and the president has even asked women to stop blow-drying their hair.
If you’re in Venezuela, we’d like to know what the situation is like where you are; how the state of emergency is affecting your life and what you think of Maduro’s efforts. Fill in the form anonymously below, and we’ll use a selection of responses in our coverage. You do not need to answer every question.
