government, Fernando Soto Rojas, a pro-government politician elected to the assembly, said in a live broadcast of the swearing-in ceremony. Maduro and his government blame the country's woes on an economic war being waged by the political opposition, the private sector and foreign powers.

Economic woes

Oil is the country's main industry, and Venezuela's oil production has plummeted to its lowest levels since oil prices started to crash in 2014, according to an OPEC report released in July.

"[Even] when Chavez was alive, things started to get worse," Vivas said, referring to the country's President Hugo Chavez, who died of cancer on March 5, 2013. "But I can assure you, things were better with Chavez than what we have now with Maduro."

From 1999 to 2013, Chavez led the country and developeda number of oil-subsidized social programs aimed at helping the poor. His supporters were known as Chavistas, and after he died, his vice president, Maduro, took over. Maduro was elected president after defeating opposition candidate Henrique Capriles less than six weeks after Chavez's death.

But as oil prices stay under $50 a barrel, Venezuelans are bearing the brunt of their country's lack of money for imports and the corruption involved in distributing food. The Chavez-built social programs have grown too costly for Maduro's cash-strapped government.

"Venezuelans are living — it's sad to say — they are living to eat," Vivas said. "I often prefer, just like my husband, to not eat but to make sure my children have their meals."

"Economists project that by the end of 2017, the Venezuelan economy