Venezuela is currently facing a takeover by the National Liberation Army, a cartel originally from Columbia.
Over the past couple years, a mismanaged government has resulted in a failing economic situation in Venezuela. People struggle to put food on their plates as the main export of oil has fallen by 90% since the crash in 2014. As a result, public salaries dropped drastically resulting in more corruption. This in turn means that Nicolas Maduro, the President, has lost power in much of the north-western region of Venezuela. Profiting off of the President's negligence, National Liberation Army members are coming around the Guajira Peninsula from Columbia into Paraguaipoa, Venezuela where they are beginning to settle.
While this seems to be more ostensibly problematic than positive, there are a few benefits to having these US-deemed terrorists in the area. Before the National Liberation Army took over, competing criminal organizations in the area fought violent battles displacing and killing many locals- all to claim contraband routes to Columbia. Now however, the National Liberation Army "bring drinking water to residents in the arid scrublands, teach farming workshops and offer medical checkups" seemingly providing a sort of infrastructure and security for the folk.
However, the economy in Venezuela- especially rural north western Venezuela- is still struggling. Where previously small profits could be made by exporting gasoline across the border to Columbia, now gas comes from across the border to help Venezuela cope with their gas crisis.
While the National Liberation Army is responsible for bombings and kidnappings and a lot of violence, the clearly assuaged people of north-western Venezuela provide an alternative insight. The locals' relief shows that the situation is far from black and white, and the National Liberation Army provides positive despite their negative intentions. At the end of the way, there is an ethical dilemma- is it more valuable to target insurgent groups and fragment cartels at the expense of the people or allow them to reign.