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Venezuela: Political Crisis and U.S. Policy
Political and Economic Crisis
Venezuela has been in a deep crisis under the authoritarian
rule of 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 892 political
prisoners as of early March 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. Migrant
flows could increase, as a massive, nationwide blackout that
began on March 7 worsened conditions considerably.
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 [EU], 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
Updated March 14, 2019
Maduro's mandate is illegitimate, establishing a framework
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. According to Foro Penal, National
Guard troops and armed civilian militias (colectivos) killed
at least five individuals (four indigenous people) and
injured hundreds as they blocked most aid from entering the
country on February 22-23. The aid remains blocked. With
the Maduro regime willing to use force to restrict the arrival
of assistance, 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. 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 as 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 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,
Cuba, Turkey, and other countries support Maduro, and
Russia and China have blocked efforts at the U.N. Security
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