Venezuela’s Maduro urges women to have more kids to boost country

“Give birth! Give birth!” Maduro said at a televised event promoting a national women’s healthcare plan in Caracas on Tuesday night. “Every woman is to have six children! Every one! For the good of the country! May God bless you for giving the country six little girls and boys.”

The US has over the past years imposed harsh economic sanctions on the country to pressure Maduro to step down, forcing millions of Venezuelans to abandon their homeland due to a lack of basic food and necessities. According to UN statistics, at least 3.3 million people have left the country of 30 million since the end of 2015.

Venezuela’s Guaido defends US sanctions against Maduro Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido has been slammed for defending US sanctions against the country.

Venezuela has also been shaken by political unrest since January last year, when opposition politician Juan Guaido abruptly declared himself “interim president” of Venezuela, challenging the outcome of the 2018 presidential election, which Maduro had won.

Guaido later launched an abortive coup against the elected government.

Guaido’s self-proclamation as president and his coup received full support from Washington. Ever since, the US has been escalating tensions against oil-rich Venezuela, and has not ruled out the military option to take out Maduro’s government.

Caracas has established paramilitary forces to help the regular army defend the country against potential invasion.

Maduro’s Tuesday call for an increase in the country’s population faced criticism from the opposition.

“Hospitals are not functioning, vaccines are scarce, women cannot breastfeed because they are malnourished or buy baby formula because it is unaffordable, and the country faces forced migration due to the humanitarian emergency,” said Manuela Bolivar, an opposition figure.