Life under communism sucks unless you’re part of the communist elite. Even then it’s not that great. A substantial part of the Venezuelan population probably hopes that Trump will regime-change Maduro’s government. From Amir Taheri at gatestoneinstitute.org:
In the case of Machado, a case could be made to support her brave campaign to force an authoritarian regime to respect its own constitution by allowing free and fair elections according to the law of the land.
“There is no need for anyone to be poor in a country as rich as ours,” Hugo Chávez asserted. “Give me four years, just give me four years!”
Well, Chávez had three times as many years and left Venezuela as poor, if not poorer, and certainly more divided than ever under Maduro, whom he called “my bus driver.”
Venezuela has headed the list of Latin American nations as far as capital flight is concerned. Over the years, something like $170 billion has been transferred by Venezuelans to foreign, mostly American, banks. The “Bolivarians” also spent billions helping Cuba and distributing free or cut-price oil to several countries, including some areas of the United States.
Venezuela ended up with a shortage of gasoline, seeking emergency imports from far-away Iran.
Bolivar wanted Latin America to seek allies among Western democracies, not the potentates of the Orient.
Simón Bolívar wanted Latin America to compete with the United States by enhancing its own freedoms, improving its educational system, achieving economic growth, and developing its culture. Bolívar did not believe that seeking the destruction of the United States was a worthy goal for any sane person, let alone a nation.
Communism is utopia to the appartchiks.
Not so much for the equality of results for all comrades.
It does work at burning down a current working system.