U.S. rejects return to maximum pressure against Venezuela
Jan. 31, 2024
The U.S. Biden administration defended its strategy of calibrating sanctions against Venezuela in order to push the Maduro government towards freer and fairer elections this year. The White House “is rejecting calls from members of Congress for the United States to return to a campaign of maximum pressure” after a court maintained a ban against opposition candidate María Corina Machado’s presidential bid last week, reports the Miami Herald.
Earlier this week, the Biden administration announced the reversal of sanctions relief if Maduro does not comply with political agreements signed in Barbados last year. (See yesterday’s post.)
But Maduro officials countered that they are prepared for the reimposition of U.S. sanctions on its oil and gas exports and will stop accepting repatriation flights from the U.S. if "economic aggression" intensifies, reports Reuters.
“The Venezuelan opposition continues to face heavy legal defeats and harassment from the Maduro regime,” reports El País, including unfounded accusations against members of Machado’s team of involvement in alleged assassination plots, followed by arrests.
The Venezuelan government’s attacks against adversaries — from the discursive to the judicial — counter any hopes of freer and fairer elections this year. “I don’t think we have any evidence that Maduro plans to allow a competitive election so far,” the Atlantic Council’s Geoff Ramsey told the Associated Press. “What we are seeing is the government making clear that they don’t plan on going anywhere any time soon.”
The U.S. Biden administration must look beyond sanctions, and focus on fostering democracy in Venezuela (and the region), argues Boris Muñoz in El País. Such an approach is critical for domestic politics, dominated by migration concerns, as well as regional diplomacy. Beyond sanctions, the U.S. must decisively support opposition leader María Corina Machado’s right to run for president, and create a regional coalition of support for fair elections.
Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa announced yesterday that he will not recognize the results of the Venezuelan election. (EFE)
More Venezuela
Maduro’s “criminal alliances will be crucial for the survival of his regime,” reports InSight Crime in an investigative report on how the elections could consolidate Venezuela’s “hybrid system of governance, an alliance between the government and organized crime networks.”
“Despite the increased international attention and threat of sanctions, previous experience demonstrates that Maduro will not hesitate to use political violence if he feels his position is threatened,” reports InSight Crime.
Migration
U.S. President Joe Biden’s early commitment to show compassion to migrants “have largely been set aside as chaos engulfs the border and imperils Mr. Biden’s re-election hopes,” reports the New York Times. “The number of people crossing into the United States has reached record levels, more than double than in the Trump years. The asylum system is still all but broken.”
Brazil
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva fired the country’s deputy intelligence director in the midst an investigation into alleged illegal espionage involving one of former President Jair Bolsonaro’s sons, reports AFP.
Regional Relations
A U.S. mining company’s lawsuit against Mexico rejection of an underwater mine “opened a window into an opaque legal system, one with the power to fatally undermine the abilities of countries to protect their own environments,” reports the Guardian.
Ecuador
Last year 770 children were killed in Ecuador, a 640% increase compared to 2019, according to UNICEF. (El País)
Argentina
Argentine President Javier Milei’s “omnibus” bill of reforms — already pared down in heated negotiations with lawmakers to 384 articles, from the original 664 — will be debated by lawmakers in the lower chamber of Congress. The session is expected to last 35 hours minimum. Milei has the numbers for the bill to pass, but the fate of individual controversial articles, especially “delegated powers” that would allow the president to bypass Congress on key issues, is uncertain. (Infobae)
An Argentine court overturned labor rules decreed by Milei in December that made it easier to fire workers, saying that chapter of the decree is unconstitutional. It is the latest judicial blow to Milei’s efforts to enact broad deregulation rapidly, though the administration can appeal to the Supreme Court. (Associated Press, El País)
Argentina’s femicides are at a record high, “despite the measures and policies for the protection of women that the Argentinian state has tried to implement,” according to a report by the National Ombudsman’s Office. “Entrenched patriarchal culture, impunity in many cases and the persistence of gender stereotypes also contributed to the high prevalence of femicides,” reports the Guardian.
Chile
A violent robbery of two nuns inside a convent has heightened concerns about public security in Chile, reports El País.
Colombia
Authorities are investigating whether a donation from Colombia’s Federation of Education Workers to President Gustavo Petro’s Colombia Humana party were unlawfully used in his 2022 presidential campaign, reports El País.
Regional
Transparency International voiced concerns about “opacity and undue influence” in justice systems in Latin America and the Caribbean, in its latest corruption index, released yesterday. (Associated Press)