Venezuela, the region and the world: steps for a possible way out of the crisis

Since Nicolás Maduro took over as Venezuela’s president in 2013, the country's gross domestic product and oil production have fallen by more than 50 percent. Political institutions, on the other hand, have doubled: there are two legislative bodies, two Supreme Courts and, since Juan Guaidó’s self-appointment in early 2019, two com­peting presidents. The international community is divided - many states stand behind the regime, many others behind the opposition. Groups of states are addressing the Venezuela issue in various initiatives, without the participation of the parties in the conflict. The EU and its member states should refrain from any action that could increase the risk of military intervention and bloodshed. Instead, they should exert diplomatic pressure to protect the population from repression, hunger and disease, and to strengthen the opposition. Furthermore, they should support a con­flict resolution process that is upheld by national actors and embedded in Latin America, and which has democracy as a long-term goal. (author's abstract