Former Miss Venezuela blames 'socialism and open borders' for her country's devastating collapse

By Fox News · Fox News

Americans unfamiliar with Venezuela may not know that in the not-so-distant past the nation was rich with oil and opportunity. Congressional candidate Carmen Maria Montiel remembers a Venezuela that brimmed with optimism — before decades of political and economic turmoil turned it into one of the hemisphere’s poorest nations. " Socialism and open borders ," Montiel told Fox News Digital in an interview, are what sent her country into decline. The Houston-area Republican won the Miss Venezuela title at age 19 in 1984 and later finished as a runner-up for Miss Universe. But long before her pageant fame, she says, Venezuela’s political foundations were already beginning to crack. CHINA CONDEMNS US MILITARY BUILDUP OFF VENEZUELA COAST AS FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IN REGIONAL AFFAIRS While the nation remained a democracy for decades, two socialist parties dominated power. "We got the influx of illegal immigrants, crime went up, drugs started to be a problem," she said. "The first thing they destroyed was the healthcare system. Venezuela used to have one of the most wonderful healthcare systems — it was paid for, it was our social security. Because the country was so rich, it provided so many services to the Venezuelan people. And of course, no country has the infrastructure for a vertical growth of the population." Montiel came to the U.S. for college in 1988, hoping the unrest at home would ease. Instead, she watched from abroad as Hugo Chávez led two coup attempts in 1992 and the country erupted in riots and looting. IS TRUMP’S ‘HEAT’ ON VENEZUELA THE START OF A WIDER CAMPAIGN FOR REGIME CHANGE? "I decided I’m gonna stay a little longer, see if things get better," she said. "But they never did." From Chávez’s failed coup to Nicolás Maduro’s current hold on power, Montiel sees a straight line — one she says runs through corruption, cartel influence, and foreign alliances with Russia and Iran. "Communism always runs out of money," Montiel said. "Even in a rich country like V…