HAVE THEY CHECKED UNDER MADURO’S OFFSHORE ACCOUNTS? Half of Venezuelan economy has disappeared.

This year will mark the third consecutive year of double-digit contractions in Venezuela’s gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic activity. The nation’s GDP declined 16 percent in 2016, 14 percent last year and it’s projected to fall 15 percent this year, according to the IMF.

Venezuela is deep into an economic, political and humanitarian crisis, largely inflicted by the government’s own policies, economists say. Food and medical shortages are widespread. People are scavenging for food in dumpsters. Citizens are fleeing by the thousands. The currency, the bolivar, is nearly worthless. The government has defaulted on its debt. World leaders are calling President Nicolas Maduro a dictator.

The political turmoil is not expected to get better. Maduro’s administration said this week it will hold presidential elections this spring. Maduro has already excluded opposition leaders from participating in the election. It’s unclear if anyone is actually allowed to run against him. Meanwhile, the economy shows no signs of recovery.

This is just the socialist state withering away so that the fruits of full communism can be enjoyed by the survivors, if any.