Venezuela (Washington Insider Magazine) – US-backed opposition block has tacitly admitted the failure of its political tactics by announcing they’ll be fielding candidates in November’s local and regional elections for the first time in four years.
The bloc boycotted the 2018 elections as part of a wider attempt by right-wing governments from the West to topple the long-standing socialist government. Despite western media widely hailing Venezuela’s electoral system a few years earlier – Forbes called it “a model for the world” after Maduro’s victory in 2013 – that rhetoric changed in line with foreign policy shifts as the US began a devastating campaign of economic warfare in 2018.
Venezuela has retained support from countries such as China and Russia under Maduro but it has not been enough to prevent the economic spiral the country has found itself in for the last few years. Although the Chavista government oversaw an economic miracle during its first 15 years the collapse of oil prices, which the country relies on heavily, has left Maduro overseeing a perilous situation that has caused one of the world’s biggest outpourings of refugees. The downturn also led to a drop in popularity from the once highly-esteemed Chavista movement which fractured the political landscape and resulted in a battle that poured into the streets during 2018’s hotly contested election.
After embarrassing himself and his backers by declaring himself president to little effect Juan Guaido, who leads the opposition bloc, has now said that returning to the polls will serve as a “useful battleground”.
Critics including Guaido accuse Maduro’s government of tightening its grip on key institutions and only using negotiations to divide his enemies. A new round of talks due to run between Friday and Monday will involve greater international participation in the hopes that a non-compromised opposition can fairly compete with a government that respects democracy.
The key goal for Maduro’s government during the talks will be sanctions relief so to ease the impoverishment being pushed on the population, which will greatly help any honest electoral chances. Guaido’s team will be hoping for the release of political prisoners and the promise of a more even playing field for the coming election. The US and Europe have recently announced that they were open to easing sanctions if they saw progress at the negotiating table.
Each side will be skeptical of one another, although both prefer to maintain Venezuela’s autonomy from Russia and China. That could provide the midway point.
