Agreement onVenezuela

Having driven his country and its oncerich oil industry into a ditch, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is now pushing for snap elections that would allow him to lock in another term. The U.S. can halt Venezuela’s slide toward autocracy, if it convinces other countries to do more of the heavy lifting.

That’s easier said than done. Getting Venezuela’s neighbors, who face their own troubles and elections, to ratchet up the pressure on Maduro will require canny behind-the-scenes diplomacy. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s six-day trip to Latin America should be the start of a sustained—and respectful—campaign of greater U.S. engagement.

Venezuela’s neighbors have scorned Maduro’s election pitch. The so-called Lima Group, formed last August by 12 regional governments to address Venezuela’s unraveling, has said the precipitous timetable makes “democratic, transparent and credible presidential elections . . . impossible.”

The U.S. has the greatest economic leverage over Venezuela, and its sanctions have already triggered a de facto debt default. But waving Uncle Sam’s big stick too vigorously could crack a united diplomatic front. President Trump’s unwise bluster about military intervention in Venezuela is a case in point; his policies on immigration, trade and narcotics have also sown regional discord.