Venezuela is once again on the brink of a fall of the Bolivarian regime that has driven an oil-rich nation to become a failed state. And while that’s a good thing, there are multiple warning signs about ongoing developments that could set dangerous precedents for the region and the world more generally.
María Corina Machado, the opposition leader who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, has been clear that she and her allies pursue a peaceful transition of power, one which Nicolás Maduro has rejected. From Oslo – where Machado arrived after 16 months in hiding in Venezuela – she indicated this week that the Maduro regime must not be treated like traditional dictatorships, but as a criminal organisation that relies on drug-trafficking, oil and gold dealings and even human-trafficking to finance its ambition to remain in power. She deflected answers regarding whether a military intervention by the administration of US President Donald Trump would be acceptable to the Venezuelan opposition, tacitly giving her approval. Asked what would be appropriate conditions for a negotiation with Maduro, she explained that the socialist leader had been given multiple opportunities to secure an exit but was either unwil
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