Ambassador Duddy on Venezuelan Crisis, US Sanctions, Regional Reaction

Former Ambassador to Venezuela, Patrick Duddy, comments on the crisis in Venezuela, the recent imposition of sanctions on Venezuelan officials, and the role of the Union of South American Nations. Summary:
“The language in the U.S. executive order characterizing Venezuela a threat to the national security of the United States may seem hyperbolic to some but the crisis in Venezuela is real. UNASUR efforts to encourage dialogue last year failed. At the same meeting at which they scolded the U.S. for interventionism, they announced their intention to try again to foster a dialogue between the Maduro government and its domestic opponents. North Americans should wish them success. Criticizing the U.S. for taking the very limited steps contemplated by President Obama’s executive order will not improve the reality on the ground in Venezuela. Maybe a new mediation effort will fare better. It is in no one’s interest to see Venezuela collapse—either politically or economically. But stability achieved at the price of the political liberties that the region worked so hard to recover in the relatively recent past is not going resolve the problems of the present moment.”
This report appeared originally in American Diplomacy. Readers can link to homepage: http://www.unc.edu/depts/diplomat/. Ambassador Duddy is currently director of Duke University’s Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies.