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1 1 (March 1, 2019)

handle is hein.crs/govebdn0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congresional Rerch Ser U. Venezuela: Political Crisis and U.S. Policy Political and Economic Crisis Venezuela has been in a deep crisis under the authoritarian rule of President Nicolas Maduro of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). Maduro was narrowly elected in 2013 after the death of populist President Hugo Chavez, who had served since 1999. Maduro's regime has exhibited high levels of corruption and economic mismanagement, which have exacerbated the impact of a decline in global oil prices on the country's economy. According to the International Monetary Fund, Venezuela's economy contracted by 18% and inflation exceeded 1.37 million percent in 2018. Nevertheless, Maduro has used the courts, security forces, and electoral council to repress political opposition and quash dissent. According to the Venezuelan human rights organization Foro Penal, the regime held 918 political prisoners as of mid-February 2019. Most Venezuelans and much of the international community considered Maduro's May 2018 reelection illegitimate. Shortages in food and medicine, declines in purchasing power, and a collapse of social services have created a humanitarian crisis in Venezuela that is affecting the entire region. According to household surveys, the percentage of Venezuelans living in poverty increased from 48.4% in 2014 to 87% in 2017. Health indicators, particularly infant and maternal mortality rates, have worsened. Previously eradicated diseases, such as diphtheria and measles, have returned and spread. As of January 2019, United Nations (U.N.) agencies estimated that at least 3.4 million Venezuelans (1 in 10) had left the country, 2.7 million of whom were in Latin America and the Caribbean. Interim Government Challenges Maduro Regime Since January 2019, the democratically elected, opposition- controlled National Assembly and its president, Juan Guaid6, have garnered domestic and international support for their efforts to declare Maduro's second term illegitimate and establish an interim government. The United States and 53 other countries (most of the European Union, 15 Western Hemisphere countries, Australia, and Japan) have recognized Guaid6 as interim president of Venezuela. They view the National Assembly as Venezuela's only democratic institution. The National Assembly elected Guaid6 as its president on January 5, 2019; he is a 35-year-old industrial engineer from the Popular Will (VP) party of Leopoldo L6pez (under house arrest). In mid-January, Guaid6 announced he was willing to serve as interim president until new presidential elections are held. He called for protests on January 23, 2019, the 61St anniversary of the ouster of another dictator. Buoyed by massive turnout, Guaid6 took the oath of office on that day. Under Guaid6's leadership, the National Assembly has enacted resolutions declaring that President Maduro's mandate is illegitimate, establishing a framework Updated March 1, 2019 for a transition government, drafting a proposal to offer amnesty for officials (including the military) who support the transition, and creating a strategy for receiving humanitarian assistance. Many of Guaid6's supporters had hoped that these actions, which culminated in a large-scale effort to have Venezuelan civilians bring assistance from the United States and other donors into the country on February 23, 2019, would encourage military officers to abandon the Maduro regime. In anticipation, the Maduro regime erected barricades at the border with Colombia, closed the border with Brazil, and halted air and sea traffic from three neighboring Dutch Caribbean islands, one of which (Curacao), like Brazil and Colombia, had agreed to pre-position U.S. assistance. According to Foro Penal, National Guard troops and armed civilian militias (colectivos) killed at least five individuals (four indigenous people), injured hundreds, and burned trucks containing food and medical supplies. With the Maduro regime willing to use force to restrict the arrival of food and medicine, Guaid6 has limited room to maneuver. For now, the military high command remains loyal to Maduro. Many military leaders have enriched themselves under Maduro through corruption, drug trafficking, and other illicit industries. Others may fear that they will face prosecution for human rights abuses and others crimes should a new government take office. Human Rights Concerns Human rights abuses have increased as security forces and colectivos have quashed protests, detained and abused those suspected of dissent, and used violence against civilians seeking to bring food and medicine into the country. In August 2017, a U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights report documented human rights violations perpetrated by Venezuelan security forces against protesters during clashes that left more than 130 killed and thousands injured. The International Criminal Court (ICC) is examining the regime's serious human rights violations; the Lima Group, a group of Western Hemisphere countries that formed in 2016 to coordinate regional efforts to hasten a return to democracy in Venezuela, has urged the ICC to investigate the regime's recent denial of access to international assistance, which constitutes a crime against humanity. Since 2018, the Maduro regime has arrested and tortured many of those it perceives as threats, including military officers and opposition politicians accused of involvement in alleged coup attempts. A February 2019 Amnesty International report documents serious human rights abuses among the more than 900 individuals arbitrarily detained in January 2019. international Response The international community remains divided over how to respond to the multifaceted crisis in Venezuela. Russia, https://crsreports.congress.go\

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