Can the international community solve Venezuela’s crisis?

Pressure is growing on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, but he shows no sign of giving in to calls from the international community for him to step down.

In the days since National Assembly leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president, dozens of countries in the Americas and Europe have recognised him as Venezuela’s legitimate leader.

But Maduro has rejected calls that he step aside or call new, free and fair elections.

Venezuela’s economy is near collapse, with critical shortages of food and medicine growing by the day, but with the country having already laboured for years under sanctions, it’s an open question whether more pressure can do much to convince Maduro to go.

On Thursday, representatives of the EU and Latin American nations met in Uruguay to discuss the crisis.

There were calls to avoid politicising the delivery of aid, but that has not stopped Venezuela‘s military from stopping shipments of American-donated food and medicine from crossing into the border from neighbouring Colombia.

So, can international pressure change the situation in Venezuela?

Presenter: Peter Dobbie

Guests:

Guillaume Long – Former Ecuadorian minister of foreign affairs
Phil Gunson – International Crisis Group
Charles Shapiro – President of the World Affairs Council of Atlanta and former US ambassador to Venezuela