“As U.S. military assets accumulate in the Caribbean and diplomatic pressure on the Nicolás Maduro regime intensifies,” writes José Ramón Morales-Arilla in a new Journal of Democracy online exclusive, “two starkly different visions of Venezuela’s future dominate policy discussions.” One envisions a “seamless democratic transition,” and the other, “a collapsed state fractured by civil war, with armed factions competing for territory and plunging the country into chaos.” Both are mistaken and misrepresent what is Venezuela’s most likely path to regaining its democracy.
Read Morales-Arillas’s analysis, along with the Journal’s other recent coverage of the current crisis in Venezuela.
How Venezuela Actually Becomes a Democracy
The South American country may be on the verge of real change. But it isn’t going to descend into civil-war chaos like Libya. It will be difficult, imperfect, and far better than what Venezuelans have had to endure.
José Ramón Morales-ArillaHow Maduro Stole Venezuela’s Vote
Nicolás Maduro brazenly stole Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election, despite a free, fair, and transparent ballot count that showed a clear opposition victory. Why would an autocrat want to maintain one of the world’s best voting systems?
Javier Corrales and Dorothy KronickWill Maduro’s Autocratic Allies Desert Him?
Nicolás Maduro’s regime has long relied on support from China, Cuba, Russia, and other authoritarians to stay afloat. But now that the United States is stepping up the pressure, will his fellow autocrats leave him high and dry?
Adriana Boersner-HerreraHow Venezuela Became a Gangster State
Nicolás Maduro is a mafia boss, not a president, and the Venezuelan government is now a criminal enterprise with the power of a state. It poses a threat to democracies everywhere.
Juan Miguel MatheusWomen Are Leading Venezuela’s Fight for Democracy
María Corina Machado’s Nobel Peace Prize has made her the face of the struggle for democracy in Venezuela. But throughout the opposition, women are the backbone of the fight against Nicolás Maduro’s corrupt authoritarian regime.
Paola Bautista De Aleman
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