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handle is hein.crs/govehfq0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congre s&onaI FResedrch Sern anfrming Ih Ieg ilaive dIebate soc 1914 Updated December 8, 2021 Venezuela: Political Crisis and U.S. Policy Venezuela, under the authoritarian rule of Nicolas Maduro, remains in a deep economic and humanitarian crisis worsened by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Maduro has consolidated power over all of Venezuela's institutions since claiming victory in the 2013 election following the death of President Hugo Chavez (1999-2013). His United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) took control of the National Assembly, the last independent branch of government, in January 2021. The PSUV and its allies won 19 of 23 gubernatorial elections in flawed elections held in November. Maduro has quashed dissent and resisted international pressure to step down since his reelection in a May 2018 presidential vote widely condemned as fraudulent. In the meantime, support for opposition leader Juan Guaid6, the former National Assembly president once regarded as interim president by the United States and nearly 60 other countries, has dissipated. The Biden Administration and Congress continue to recognize the interim government led by Guaid6, in part to prevent Venezuelan assets abroad from coming under Maduro's control. Political Situation Maduro has used security forces, buoyed by corrupt courts, to quash dissent. His government has rewarded allies, particularly in the security forces, with income earned from illegal gold mining, drug trafficking, and other illicit activities. Those forces have detained and abused Maduro's opponents, including military officers, opposition politicians, and civic leaders. As of November 29, 2021, the government held 251 political prisoners, according to Foro Penal, a Venezuelan human rights group. The U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has documented thousands of extrajudicial killings and other abuses by security forces. In November, the International Criminal Court opened an investigation into crimes against humanity in Venezuela. The Venezuelan opposition has been weak and divided, with many of its leaders in exile. Guaid6 challenged Maduro's authority in 2019; his support has since faded. After Norway-led negotiations stalled in mid-2019, the Maduro government persecuted Guaid6's supporters. In April 2021, Guaid6 called on opposition parties, labor and civic groups, and business leaders to form a Unity Platform to negotiate with Maduro officials. The Unity Platform seeks better human rights, humanitarian, and electoral conditions; Maduro's team seeks sanctions relief and international recognition. Mediated by Norway, the negotiations began in Mexico in September, but Maduro suspended them after the United States extradited a top ally, Alex Saab, from Cape Verde to stand trial for money laundering. Should the talks resume, the opposition may be in a weaker position than before, since rifts within the opposition hurt its performance in the November elections. In those elections, corrupt courts disqualified an opposition candidate who was on the verge of becoming governor of the state of Barinas. Economic and Humanitarian Crisis By most accounts, Maduro's government has mismanaged the economy and engaged in massive corruption, exacerbating the effects of a decline in oil prices and production on the country's economy. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that Venezuela's economy contracted by 74% from 2014 to 2020 and forecasts a 5% contraction for 2021. Shortages in food and medicine, declines in purchasing power, and a collapse of social services have created a humanitarian crisis. According to a May 2021 survey by a group of Venezuelan universities, the National Survey of Living Conditions (ENCOVI), 94% of Venezuelans live in poverty, with 77% in extreme poverty, and 60% have moderate to severe food insecurity. In April 2021, the Maduro government allowed the World Food Program to launch a school lunch program; it aims to reach 1.5 million children. Health indicators, particularly infant and maternal mortality rates, have worsened. Previously eradicated diseases such as diphtheria and measles have returned. According to data from Johns Hopkins University (JHU), Venezuela reported 5,193 deaths from COVID-19 (as of December 6, 2021), but experts maintain the actual number is much higher. The pandemic has strained Venezuela's hollowed-out health system. According to JHU, 34.6% of Venezuelans were fully vaccinated as of December 6. Venezuela has used Russian and Cuban vaccines and has received Chinese vaccines both bilaterally and through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility. As of November 2021, U.N. agencies estimated 6 million Venezuelans had left the country (with 27 million remaining). Some 4.9 million migrants fled to other Latin American and Caribbean countries. Migrants have faced obstacles keeping jobs and accessing health care during the pandemic; they are vulnerable to human trafficking and other abuses. In 2021, Colombia and Peru began granting temporary protective status to Venezuelan migrants. International Response The international community is divided on policies toward Venezuela, potentially hindering the effectiveness of efforts to restore democratic processes. The United States has encouraged other countries to sanction Maduro officials, hold the Maduro government responsible for human rights violations, and provide humanitarian aid to Venezuelans. The United States, European Union (EU), Canada, and 11

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