I was a congressman in the already-polarized and tough Venezuela of 2001-2002, when members of the parliament from opposing political tendencies formed the Boston Group (BG).
Back then, and still today, those of us who thought that dialogue should never be renounced in democracy, even if to achieve it when society is subject to some form of authoritarianism, were criticized. When the BG started working, dialogue allowed for the most difficult topic discussions to postpone until the next legislative constitutional period, of which election, regrettably, the opposition withdrew from.
In Washington, nobody sees the crisis in Venezuela with indifference. The implementation of sanctions to specific people, under the Obama administration; that have escalated to other broader and of impact on the economy, during the Trump administration, as well as the commitment to address the humanitarian crisis and defend Human Rights, have resulted from bipartisan consensus such as the Menéndez-Rubio Law. The work of Republican Senator Bob Corker with the Boston Group also has bipartisan support.
Ultimately, regardless of the different appreciations and of stridencies like the dangerous idea of a military intervention (which would break all consensuses, even in the Republican Party), people with greater influence in Washington know that in the “realpolitik,” international pressure does not replace negotiation to restore democracy with minimal social cohesion. Even more in this case, given the magnitude of the Venezuelan economic crisis, for which the solution requires basic agreements.
On the other hand, many of us in Washington are concerned that, if the sanctions are escalated without the support of an effective political negotiation, the isolation will place Russia and China in a position of greater influence over the fate of Venezuela, based on economic contributions.
But, of course, clear signals are needed from the official sector in Venezuela. The credibility of their willingness to dialogue and rectification is very low. The persecution of the opposition leadership, as well as the corrosive and unpunished presence of corruption and organized crime, shortens the patience of influential voices in Washington. The will to seek a democratic solution through dialogue faces growing resistance in sectors of the opposition.
The reality, whether admitted or not, is that all roads to democracy in Venezuela go through Washington; for this goal, the Boston Group’s contribution could be fundamental.
Para español lea en El Universal: Washington, Venezuela y el Grupo Boston