The growing crisis in Venezuela in the wake of its controversial, all but certainly fraudulent election results has become a test for other leftist governments across Latin America. After President Nicolas Maduro claimed he had won reelection—a verdict rejected not only by the opposition but also by international observers—it forced governments around the world to decide how to respond. Pressure on regional leaders has only grown amid mass protests, a mounting death toll and thousands of opposition members taken prisoner in Venezuela since the July 28 contest.
For Maduro’s fellow leftists in the region, the choices seemed stark. They could stand with the Venezuelan strongman and ignore the growing evidence of a stolen election, or they could reaffirm their own commitment to democracy and rebuke Maduro.
But for some, there now seems to be a third way, a middle path of forging a bloc that has enough credibility and influence over Maduro to break the impasse and prevent a violent unraveling. In this way, these leaders hope to salvage their democratic bona fides without permanently damaging their ties with Caracas, thereby remaining in the good graces of whichever side emerges victorious when this chapter in Venezuela’s long crisis concludes.