Autogolpe in Venezuela: The Last Vestige of Democracy Ends

[WMS]

Damnation, no one's noticed this yet?

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-39449494

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http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-39459855

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(emphasis mine)

The Chavistas, and the useful idiots that support them, have finally tossed aside the last fig leaf hiding their naked exercise of power. Another unpleasant international development in a decade full of reverses for democracy.

Oh, and on a massive scale, I told you so.

[WMS]

Overdrammatic title.  They will vote Maduro out in 2018 if the election is anything close to fair.

 They have not yet held an unfair election.  Not to say they won't.

...Seriously?! That is so far from reality I can't even get snarky about it...

[WMS]

It's hard to see Maduro succeeding in an anti-democratic coup when his approval rating is hovering around 20 percent. Even a rigged election is not enough to cover up this level of unpopularity.

He's kept the military well-fed and well-paid, often through encouraging their ventures into organized crime. They are corrupt and quite willing to use violence in support of his government. He has also intertwined the political state with organized crime. He - and the Chavistas in general that run things - don't need popular support. And given the borderline starvation stalking the country, it makes it harder to protest when you have to spend the day looking for food. The country at large may be in utter ruin, but the elites at the top - leftist this time around - are doing juuuuuuuust fine.

[WMS]

What is Maduro's goal? Looks like he and top allies are in Kim Jong-un mode. It's clear that he isn't going to win next presidential election, even if oil prices will rise, Venezuelan economy is in ruins (maybe only in Syria and Somaly situation is worse)

I think your second sentence pretty much sums it up. Power At All Costs. They might even think they're doing it for some noble reason, although how anyone actually still thinks this by now is a mystery to me.

[WMS]

Well, Maduro took a half-step back...he still got the power to unilaterally enter into joint-venture business investments and oil projects with foreign partners, deals that are supposed to require lawmakers’ approval. So under the surface, still a power grab.

And there has been yet more violent suppression of protesters, part of a long trend...

This isn't over yet, sad to say.