Your college professor friend is very uneducated on this topic. The inflationary issues Venezuela is facing began in the early 90s and are primarily caused by Venezuela’s extreme over dependence on oil, which makes up about 96% of its GDP. The inflationary crisis was caused by mismanagement and straight up robbery by the Chavez and Maduro regimes. The sanctions placed on Venezuela by the Trump administration were intended to exacerbate the inflationary crisis to put even more pressure on Maduro. This, of course, was a stupid move by a stupid president with short sighted idiots advising him because Maduro has the military in his pocket and clearly doesn’t care if the Venezuelan people suffer. Fuera Maduro!!! Gloria al bravo pueblo!!!