How the war in Ukraine has raised hopes in Venezuela and bolstered its strongman president

CARACAS, Venezuela — Just three years ago, Venezuela was a nation on the verge of collapse.

Grocery shelves were bare, the national currency was nearly worthless, millions of people were fleeing the country, and a hostile U.S. government was exerting a “maximum pressure” strategy designed to oust its socialist president.

And though Venezuela has one of the world’s largest reserves of oil, motorists often waited 24 hours or more in lines stretching miles to fill up with gasoline that was nearly free.

Today, the sense of despair has receded ever so slightly as the government of President Nicolás Maduro has backed away from leftist orthodoxy and the war in Ukraine has boosted oil prices and given him more leverage on the international stage.

Few here would say times are good —