 Peter De Bruyne of UNESCO. Fuel shortages and a lack of basic goods have made life hard for most Venezuelans. More than 7 million people have left the country since 2015, when global oil prices plummeted and caused inflation to soar. That backdrop will almost certainly be at the forefront of voters' minds when they go to the polls a week from today. The left-wing president, Nicolás Maduro, who's seeking re-election,