Which Could be the Solution to the Actual Venezuelan Crisis?

Abstract

Three main stages of the Bolivarian government can be identified. This article analyzes the last period, particularly the severe political and economic deterioration to which the Maduro government has led the country. An authoritarian turn has been configured, which has undermined democracy, and generated an economic collapse that was worsened as a consequence of the unilateral economic sanctions imposed by the Trump government. This has resulted in an unprecedented social/humanitarian crisis. The Venezuelan and international opposition have erred in their reading of the situation and in not recognizing the permanence of a minority but significant popular support and military unity as a core component of the Maduro government, leading them to take “regime change” actions that resulted in notorious failures. Venezuelan society is divided, the zero-sum political game is not sustainable. A negotiated solution to the Venezuelan crisis is seen as the only alternative to violence. The challenge of shaping a post-Maduro Venezuela remains, including the need to overcome oil dependency and building a post-rentier Venezuela.