Venezuela is situated between Colombia on the west, Brazil to the south, and Guyana to the east. The country is one of the most biodiverse countries on the planet and has some of the most unique geology in the world. It is also among the most urbanized countries in Latin America, with around 90 percent of the population living in cities that are located in the northern part of the country. Much of Venezuela’s economy relies on oil exports, which flourished during the 2000’s due to the fact that it has the world’s largest known oil reserves.
However, the country is currently in an economic crisis due to hyperinflation and Venezuelans now suffer from large shortages of basic goods, unemployment, and severe crime and corruption. Often, people are required to stand in line for hours just to receive a bag of rice or a portion of bread. Violence has soared and it is estimated that someone is murdered in the country every 21 minutes. As a result of the current crisis, it is estimated that around 5.5 million Venezuelans have emigrated to surrounding countries, including Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile.
Amidst the difficult circumstances in Venezuela, God is calling people to Himself through the preaching of the gospel and churches are growing. As one Venezuelan pastor wrote, “We rejoice when brothers and sisters, despite having to deal with the shortage of drinking water or not having gasoline for their vehicles or having to go without electricity in their homes or having no access to the internet—despite all of these things, they remain firm and at peace in the Lord. Pastors in Venezuela preach the Good News of Christ, even in the midst of the often bad news inside and outside the church.”
The need remains great. Venezuela is a predominantly Roman Catholic society and is in great need of hearing the preaching of the gospel of grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Pray that God would continue to magnify His grace through Christ in Venezuela and draw sinners to Himself through repentance and faith.
*Sources: Wikipedia and CIA.gov