10 Worst Dictators In Power Today

6. Nicolás Maduro (Venezuela)

FILE - In this July 25, 2013 file photo, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, arrives at the cemeteries of fallen fighters of the Korean People's Army (KPA) in Pyongyang, North Korea. South Korea's spy agency says it has an explanation of North Korean
Tasnim News Agency [CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Nicolás Maduro Moros is the sitting president of Venezuela who took the office following the death of his predecessor, Hugo Chávez. Chávez famously transformed the Venezuelan government into a dictatorship under his rule when he nationalised just about everything in 1999 with a new constitution. From that time forward, Venezuela was effectively a dictatorship, so Maduro's continuation of an authoritarian system of government surprised nobody.

Maduro isn't just a dictator: he's a really bad dictator who has presided over one of the worst economic downturns in Western history. The inflation rate soared while everyday goods and sundries dwindled in supply across the country. This has resulted in a large population of hungry and malnourished people who refer to their situation as the "Maduro Diet."

Food scarcity is only one problem thanks to corruption and horrible economic policies, the bolívar, Venezuela's national currency, was devalued in August 2018 by 95% and the nation's currency was tied to cryptocurrency. Meanwhile, Maduro is eating well and living like a King... which is pretty much what he is.

On August 4, 2018, there was an assassination attempt made via drones armed with explosives, which suggests the level of desperation he has placed his people into thanks to his dictatorship.

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Jonathan is a graphic artist, illustrator, writer, and game designer. Jonathan retired from the U.S. Army in 2017 and enjoys researching and writing about history, science, theology, and many other subjects. He writes for ScreenRant, CBR, NerdBastards, Listverse, Ranker, WhatCulture, and many other sites online. You can check out his latest on Twitter: @TalkingBull or on his blog: jonathanhkantor.com