Oil accounts for 95% of Venezuelan’s export revenues and it was used to finance the Governments generous social programmes. However due to falling oil prices the social programmes have been curtailed and the opposition are exploiting this through violent anti Government protests, so much so that one is reminded of the coup in Chile of 1973 when Allende was forcibly removed followed by years of military rule under General Pinochet.  The Venezuelan Ambassador says that the opposition are covertly supported external forces and much of the media are anti the current Government. The Ambassador has been meeting TD’s to give an informative update on the reality followed by a Question and Answer session. A representative of Finian McGrath TD attended this meeting.