VALENCIA, Venezuela — It began as a jailhouse party. Witnesses said that grieving relatives who had come were sprayed with tear gas by security forces who tried to disperse them. The scenes were shocking, even in Venezuela, where tragedy has become the norm. President Nicolás Maduro marches toward autocracy, isolating his country from humanitarian aid and keeping opponents in jail ahead of a presidential election in May. Hundreds of thousands of people have fled the country, seeking lives in lands where there is more hope.

Source: New York Times March 29, 2018 16:32 UTC