As the standoff continues without much sign of a plan B from the White House, the Maduro government is threatening to arrest President Juan Guaidó. It’s time for the other members of the 50-plus international coalition to put some muscle into the game.
Though often neglected in coverage of the political battle between Guaidó and Maduro, restrictions to digital freedoms have become an important means for Maduro to silence his critics.
The use of military force to bring about regime change in Latin America would set U.S.-Latin American relations back decades. The U.S. needs to follow a more pragmatic and ultimately productive approach.
Juan Guaidó, who only a month ago was little known on the international scene, has positioned himself as the leader of a generation of service-oriented young Venezuelans who today represent the best option for unleashing a democratic transition in the country.
In confronting an autocrat intent on remaining in power, empty dialogue only prolongs the agony of the Venezuelan people. Will the Montevideo Mechanism continue this failed policy?
Putting Venezuela back together again will mean that weak or non-existent institutions in government, law, business, and civil society will need to emerge. International coordination will be key.
U.S. decision makers must not let frustration or enthusiasm distract them from the importance of the Venezuelan people and the constitution. Any role for the U.S. military must be a limited, supporting one at most.
Maduro’s long-term survival is no longer feasible, but the timeline for his departure and a subsequent democratic transition is still far from certain. Here are three possible scenarios.
The events of January 23 were a victory for the once divided and dispirited Venezuelan opposition. But with Maduro so far refusing to step aside and a rogues’ gallery of governments lining up to support him, could the U.S. have stumbled into an international showdown?
Venezuela continues to be mired in the worst economic and humanitarian crisis in Latin America’s recent history. With Maduro beginning a second term, prospects for a way out are uncertain. But two events have pointed to a potential for change.