A Requiem for UNASUR
UNASUR’s failure goes beyond political fortunes. The rhetoric of integration fell flat in the face of reticent national bureaucracies unwilling or unable to give up sovereignty and protectionist policies.
UNASUR’s failure goes beyond political fortunes. The rhetoric of integration fell flat in the face of reticent national bureaucracies unwilling or unable to give up sovereignty and protectionist policies.
If Mauricio Macri wants Argentina to be taken seriously as a regional leader, he should work with its regional partners to punish the Maduro regime.
By refusing to participate, the Venezuelan opposition has lost an opportunity to provide an option to voters and mobilize domestic and international democrats.
Immersed in an economic and political labyrinth, Venezuela faces the worst crisis of its modern history with an absent opposition and a regime determined to win re-election at all costs.
It was good that 19 OAS member states mildly condemned Maduro and his rushed elections, but don’t expect change until there’s greater collective action outside and inside the country.
Venezuela’s inevitably doomed plan to save its economy by issuing its own kleptocurrency may well undermine the fragile foundations of other booming cryptocurrencies.
The international community has turned to economic sanctions as a tool to force policy and even regime change. But they rarely work. So, is there an alternative?
By failing to tie a sanctions policy to demands for credible election observers in the October 15 elections, the international community bought more time for the Maduro government and sold out the opposition.
The Maduro government refused to invite standard, professional election observation groups to monitor Sunday’s balloting. Instead a previously unknown group, CEELA, showed up to praise the process. Who are they?
President Trump finally called out the Venezuelan government at the UN. Unfortunately, the way he did it isn’t helpful.