"It is a wall built by the communist regime," Hernandez told Reed. "Unfortunately it is a consequence," he said, acknowledging that the current hardships were initially voted into existence in the elections that brought Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro to power. The day-to-day effects of these elections, begun almost 20 years ago, are seen in the wealthy, military-backed government, the closed borders, and the fear and weakness of the Venezuelan people.