Flashpoint, Venezuela

Venezuela is the latest flashpoint in the world where things could go horribly wrong if the United States insists blindly on bringing about a regime change by backing Opposition leader Juan Guaido, who has declared himself the interim President. With the military chief and Army units backing him, the incumbent, leftist President Nicolas Maduro, has been emboldened to ask US diplomats to quit his country at short notice. Lives have been lost as violence has been rocking the country even as a Cold War type of standoff has begun with Moscow backing Mr Maduro while Donald Trump’s hawkish NSA John Bolton has gone about putting the US oar in the water by backing a regime change. The attempted coup by Mr Guaido, who seems to have the backing of a chunk of citizens fed up with the economic problems and shortages faced in the Maduro regime, besides a rigged election last year, emerged from hiding to put more pressure on the President.

The threat of US intervention has exacerbated the crisis in Venezuela. The fear is that a Trump regime, bereft of senior officials and advisers in the wake of many quitting in his two years in office, might be headed for an adventurous foray into South America with the President himself threatening military action on the premise that Mr Maduro is a corrupt autocrat without legitimacy. The US position on the crisis may endanger their diplomats besides inviting international action as both Russia and China seem to be standing by Mr Maduro.

India has stated the most logical stream of thought in saying that it is for the Venezuelans to find a political solution to resolve their differences, and without resorting to violence. The Army views the Guaido declaration as an attempted coup and the international community can only hope to convince Mr Maduro of holding free and fair elections soon to resolve the grave crisis gripping the country. Venezuelans may themselves want the change in regime, but it cannot be imposed by Trump’s America.