Speaking to Voice of America’s Victor Beattie on April 10, WOLA Senior Fellow David Smilde discussed the ongoing protests in Venezuela this week, as well as the clear impact that mounting international pressure (particularly from Latin American countries) is having on the Maduro government’s calculations.
As Smilde notes, the United States has wisely allowed Latin American countries–like Mexico, Peru, and others–to take the lead in regional diplomacy efforts. According to him, the widespread international condemnation of the attempted dissolution of the National Assembly has combined with domestic pressure in a way that is more potent than in the past.
