July 25, 2024

How to rebuild the rule of law in Venezuela

Courtesy

Venezuela’s political stability and future hangs in the balance due to history of authoritarian rule, under weakened democratic institutions, leading to widespread corruption, alarming regime-backed criminality, illicit economies, and organized criminal activities. Following decades of dominance by President Nicolas Maduro’s regime, an opposition political roadmap known as the Barbados agreement has led to the planning of elections. However, the Supreme Court has disqualified the leading opposition candidate, making the journey to the planned July 28, 2024 elections difficult. The text highlights the connection of the government with international criminal groups like Russia’s Wagner Group and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. The ramifications of this governance have led to a humanitarian crisis, forcing over seven million Venezuelans to flee, marking it as one of the world’s largest migration crises. International interventions to the crisis have ranged from U.S. sanctions to dialogues encouraging democratic elections. The text suggests establishing an internationally backed commission, similar to those in Central America, but acknowledges that this solution will not be a complete cure unless it is helped by a solid and independent judiciary. Original Text by Ronald Trenchi-> Diplomatic Courrier

Translation/ Traducción