Venezuela: Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

It has been 50 days since Juan Guaido declared himself the legitimate president of Venezuela. What has happened in this South American nation, well-known for its oil reserves and large number of beauty pageants? Is the situation turning for the better? Is the fierce confrontation between Nicolas Maduro and Juan Guaido less antagonistic? Do the majority of the Venezuelan people feel happier?

The answers to these questions are definitely "No"!

Logically speaking, it is easy to understand that the government, as well as the majority of the population, wish to see more stability and less turmoil. But Guaido, supported by the United States, would love to see the opposite because, in the minds of Guaido and the United States, more turmoil and less stability would make people believe that all the crises are created by Maduro. They hope that the more chaotic, the less legitimate of the Maduro government.

That is why Guaido tried hard on February 23 to bring the so-called “humanitarian aid” from the United States into Venezuela. The American aid arrived at the Colombian border city of Cucuta, but the Tienditas bridge linking Colombia and Venezuela was blocked. Venezuelan troops fired tear gas and stopped crowds trying to bring the American materials across the bridge.

Maduro said the people of Venezuela do not need any external aid. Indeed, if the United States is really concerned about lives of the Venezuelan people, why is it imposing economic sanctions against the South American country?

Turkey's economy may not be disturbed much from the U.S.'s withdrawal of the Generalized System of Preferences. /VCG Photo

Two days after the entry of the American "humanitarian aid" failed, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence wrote on social media, saying that "the tyrant in Caracas danced as his henchmen murdered civilians burned food medicine heading to Venezuelans." The U.S. State Department released a video also indicating that President Maduro had ordered the trucks burned.

The opposition in Venezuela spread the video of the burning of American aid throughout Latin America, as evidence of Maduro's cruelty.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro speaks in a press conference at the Miraflores Presidential Palace, Caracas, Venezuela, March 11, 2019. /VCG Photo.

However, according to The New York Times, the opposition itself, not President Maduro's men, appeared to have set the cargo on fire accidentally.

On February 23, an anti-government protester hurled a Molotov cocktail, i.e., a homemade bomb made from a bottle filled with gasoline, toward the Venezuelan police. But the rag used to light the Molotov cocktail separated itself away from the bottle, flying toward a truck instead. A short while later, that truck was in flames.

There was another slap in the face for Guaido and the U.S. government. The burned shipment contained masks and gloves, but not medicine.

There is no doubt that, with the strong encouragement from the United States, Guaido will continue to stir up anti-Maduro sentiment among Venezuelans.

It is worth noting that Simon Bolívar Hydroelectric Plant, or the Guri Dam, failed on March 7, leaving many places in darkness. President Maduro blamed the blackout on "the electrical war announced and directed by American imperialism against our people."

But U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denied the accusation by saying that "power shortages and starvation are the results of the Maduro regime's incompetence."

Guaido said, "This blackout is evidence of the usurper's inefficiency." On March 9, he called on Venezuelans nationwide to travel to Caracas for a protest against the government.

For the time being, no one can predict how the Venezuelan situation will evolve. But one thing is sure: The way out of the current crisis is through political negotiation and compromise by the two sides.

President Maduro has repeatedly expressed his willingness to sit down with the opposition to turn over the page for the nation. He reportedly said, "We believe that it's only possible through dialogue and diplomacy to find solutions to conflicts… not through violence or foreign interventions or coup attempts or war." But Guaido has turned down offers from the presidents of Mexico and Uruguay to negotiate with Maduro.

President Maduro even said he remains ready to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump wherever Washington wants to hold discussions.

The current situation in Venezuela is impossible to last forever. But who will have the last laugh? People on the ground need to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

(CGTN)