Venezuelan people, is it true? anybody from Venezuela?

is it true that life in Venezuela is miserable and that Chavez is a dictator and takes over peoples stores and businesses and that most of the people there live in poverty? I am from Eastern Europe and I've always wanted to go to Venezuela for the beautiful nature and people there, but my American friends always try to picture this awful situation in Venezuela, and I don't know what to think I would like not to believe them because they say pretty much the same about Russia ( and is not true I've been there) mexico ( also not true I've been there too)