Visiting Fellow David Smilde (Charles A. and Leo M. Favrot Professor of Human Relations, Department of Sociology, Tulane University) has written an opinion piece for The Washington Post titled, “Trump’s Bluster Failed Venezuela. Biden must use Diplomatic and Economic Levers to Address the Crisis.” In the article, Smilde describes why the Trump administration’s efforts to take down Maduro failed, and offers suggestions for how the Biden administration should interact with Guaidó.
He concludes, “The goal should not be for outside powers to determine the fate of Venezuela, but for them to facilitate a solution instead of impeding it. The Venezuelan opposition will be much more likely to negotiate if they are obliged to forget the chimera of U.S. intervention.”