Crisis upon crisis in Venezuela
VENEZUELA was once one of Latin America’s economic powerhouses and a regional diplomatic heavyweight. To grasp how precipitously its global standing has eroded under President Nicolás Maduro, consider these two recent developments.
Last month, the United Nations announced that Venezuela had lost its right to vote in the General Assembly for a second year because it owes tens of millions of dollars in dues. And on Tuesday, against Venezuela’s ardent protests, diplomats from across the hemisphere convened a rare meeting in Washington to discuss what it would take to restore democracy and a semblance of order in the autocratic, impoverished and dysfunctional nation.
Tuesday’s hearing at the Organization of American States did not result in a clear plan to address Venezuela’s political and humanitarian crisis. But the fact it was held at all was deeply embarrassing to Venezuela, which just a decade ago aspired to become a counterbalance to US power and policy in the region.
Venezuelan diplomats have sought to characterise growing regional opposition to Maduro’s rule as part of an underhanded effort by the United States to justify military intervention. A coalition of OAS members, currently led by Mexico, isn’t buying that excuse and is trying to find and broker solutions to the crisis.
One proposal being floated is to expel Venezuela from the organisa- tion. While this would be fully justified, given that the government’s repression of the political opposition and its dismal human rights record violate the OAS charter, it’s hard to see what this would accomplish.
A more fruitful step for the international community would be to find ways to help alleviate Venezuela’s immediate problems. The most urgent issue is persuading the government to accept humanitarian aid by putting forward detailed offers of needed food and medicine. A growing number of Venezuelans are going hungry in a food shortage and dying from treatable ailments in squalid, ill-equipped hospitals.
Another international priority should be to press the government to hold local elections, which were suspended last year, and to release political prisoners. Until political prisoners are released, the prospects for a restoration of democratic rule are very dim. Finally, the international community could propose specific macroeconomic reforms that could curb Venezuela’s runaway inflation and stabilise its currency.
It’s quite likely that Maduro’s government will dismiss all overtures and cast them as meddling by its neighbours. Still, these proposals could become harder to reject if a large international coalition presents them to the Venezuelan people as assistance that should not be interpreted as an affront to their country’s sovereignty.