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1 1 (September 15, 2021)

handle is hein.crs/govehfr0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service Infcrming the legislitive debate sinco 1914 Venezuela: Political Crisis and U.S. Policy Venezuela, under the authoritarian rule of Nicolis 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 democratic institutions since his narrow 2013 election following the death of President Hugo Chivez (1999-2013). His United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) took de facto control of the National Assembly, the last independent branch of government, in January 2021. Maduro has quashed dissent and resisted international pressure to step down since his reelection in a May 2018 presidential vote that was widely condemned as fraudulent. Meanwhile, international 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 have maintained pressure on Maduro and support for Guaid6. U.S. policy could change, however, if recently restarted negotiations between the opposition and Maduro officials bring meaningful progress toward democracy. 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, humanitarian actors, and civic leaders. As of September 13, 2021, the government held 261 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 committed by security forces that it describes as crimes against humanity. 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 increased persecution of Guaid6's supporters. Guaid6 and other opposition legislators face prosecution by judicial authorities, who assert the legislators no longer have immunity because their terms ended in January. 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. Unlike in past Updated September 15, 2021 failed negotiation efforts, Russia is accompanying the Maduro team and the Netherlands is accompanying the opposition. Most opposition parties also are fielding candidates in November's state and local elections, even though the elections are unlikely to be free or fair. 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. In September 2021, the Economist Intelligence Unit estimated Venezuela's economy has contracted by more than 77% since 2013. In 2020, the economy shrank by 30%, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF predicts 3.8% growth for 2021, partially due to higher global oil prices. Shortages in food and medicine, declines in purchasing power, and a collapse of social services have created a humanitarian crisis. According to a 2019-2020 household survey (the most recent available), the percentage of Venezuelans living in poverty increased to 96% in 2019. A February 2020 World Food Program (WFP) assessment estimated that 9 million Venezuelans were food insecure. In April 2021, Maduro allowed the WFP to launch a school lunch program that 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 and spread. According to data from Johns Hopkins University (JHU), Venezuela reported 4,200 deaths from COVID-19 (as of September 15, 2021), but experts maintain the actual number is much higher. The pandemic has strained Venezuela's hollowed-out health system. JHU suggests that 15% of Venezuelans were vaccinated as of mid-September. Venezuela has contracted to receive Russian and Cuban vaccines and has received Chinese vaccines through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility. As of September 2021, U.N. agencies estimated 5.7 million Venezuelans had left the country; some 28 million remain. Some 4.6 million migrants fled to other Latin American and Caribbean countries. Migrants have faced obstacles keeping jobs and accessing health care during the pandemic. In 2021, Colombia began granting 10-year 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 continue recognizing the Guaid6 government, sanction Maduro officials, hold the Maduro government responsible for human rights

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