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The situation in Venezuela is critical. The geopolitical location of this South American nation is key for the stability of the region, therefore, what is at stake goes beyond the Venezuelan borders. It is not only about Nicolás Maduro 's presidency or recognizing Juan Guaidó as President , but rather about the democratic viability of the country in the short and medium term.
Venezuela
has been embroiled in a political and economic crisis for a long time. Its oil richness has diminished, while the economic and monetary policies have sparked unprecedented inflation . It has resulted in an unparalleled social crisis since a large number of Venezuelans live in economic and food poverty.
In regards to politics , the opposition has been firm in its contrary view to the regimes that have governed Venezuela through the years, first Hugo Chávez and then Nicolás Maduro . Since 1998, officialism dismantled the progressive institutions and democratic counterweights until it consolidated as an authoritarian governmen t that threatens the most basic freedoms every day.
The democratic decay worsened after the 2015 elections when the opposition won the majority in the legislative branch, something that was later rejected by Maduro , who created the new National Assembly. Since then, Maduro and his government weakened and in the 2018 election s, they forbid the opposition from participating, attracting international repudiation .
The rigidity of Maduro's government has marked the political relations, economic decisions, and the social situation in Venezuela . Before Guaidó 's rise as an alternate Presiden t, Maduro had shown no disposition to dialogue or collaborate with the opposition: the imprisonment of Leopoldo López is the proof and sparked criticism from foreign countries.
In this case, multilateralism has failed because nor the countries supporting Guaidó nor the countries calling for a dialogue between the government and the opposition, Mexico and Uruguay , were able to prevent the situation from reaching an alarming stage.
Although the pacific means to solve the crisis seem to be exhausted, the region and foreign countries should help the people of Venezuela . The end of this road towards democracy is nearing and in the face of a violent confrontation between Maduro's forces and the opposition , Venezuela needs help from the i nternational community, now more than ever.
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