Venezuela’s Opposition Shifts Gears on Talks With Maduro

Something interesting is happening in Venezuela. Just as the rest of the world risked becoming resigned to a stalemate in that failed nation’s political crisis, with essentially no viable path to a solution, a sudden flurry of activity suggests a possible way forward. Even if experience tells us a strong dose of skepticism is warranted when it comes to the Venezuelan regime’s real intentions, the recent developments must be taken seriously.

The key event came last week, via Twitter. Opposition leader Juan Guaido released a video calling for talks with the government of President Nicolas Maduro in pursuit of a “national salvation agreement,” under international auspices. Guaido, who was recognized as Venezuela’s legitimate acting president by dozens of countries back in 2019, spoke of the urgency of tackling the country’s grave humanitarian crisis and the need to “reach an accord to save Venezuela.” ...