What You Need To Know About The Protests In Venezuela

The United States has a long history of ignoring (or intervening in the affairs of) their neighbors to the south. The lack of coverage of South America has been on stark display recently as Venezuela continues experiencing widespread protest and unrest, with little airtime in the mainstream press compared to Ukraine. With the scant attention being paid, the escalation of violence and rallying seen in the past week have left many unclear on where protests began and where the country is headed.

Student-led protests

Demonstrations against rising crime rates began in San Cristobal, a city in western Venezuela, on Feb. 2. University students made up the majority of those protesting, which continues to be the case now. Unrest soon became nationwide as protests took up economic issues, such as food shortages, in addition to crime. On Feb. 12, three protesters were killed in clashes with security forces, news that quickly spread through social media and brought global attention.

Students remain the backbone of anti-government rallies, with opposition politicians stepping in to organize and lead the demonstrations. Riveting images of streets filled with smoke and confrontations between security forces and demonstrators have further drawn international attention and condemnation. Leopoldo Lopez, a politician who organized early protests, turned himself in to authorities when charges of terrorism and murder were brought against him. The charges have since been changed to conspiracy and arson, with Lopez still being held as of Sunday. Henrique Carpiles, a governor and opposition politician, rallied supporters and has been encouraging protesters to remain peaceful and refrain from engaging in the behavior they are fighting against.

Government crackdown

President Nicolas Maduro, who was elected eleven months ago following the death of long-time president Hugo Chavez, has responded to demonstrations with vitriol and security forces. He has repeatedly blamed unrest on the United States, alleging a coup attempt and challenging President Obama to meet with him for talks. Maduro has referred to protesters as an infection, and international rights organizations allege he has attempted to cut the internet and block media access to cover up violence against those in the streets.

Government supporters have also began holding counter-rallies, with thousands turning out to voice support for Maduro. The streets of Caracas were filled Saturday as both pro- and anti-government rallies were held in separate parts of the city. Violence between protesters on either side of the struggle have resulted in riots and clashes. As of Saturday, eleven had been killed and scores more had been injured. Capriles has called on protesters to demand the disarming of those he alleges are responsible for instigating violence on behalf of the state, while also warning demonstrators to be careful not to turn to violence themselves. Lopez has called for continued resistance from prison.

Venezuela’s Socialist government long in question

This isn’t the first time Venezuela has seen widespread protest. In 2002, a coup briefly removed then-President Chavez from office, although he was later re-elected and served until his death last year. The Socialist country has struggled with high inflation and displeasure with economic policy, although those who support the government have pointed at success in providing pensions and other social welfare programs.

The Venezuelan government has long had tense relations with the United States, despite the U.S. being the country’s largest exporter of oil. President Chavez became well known for his outspoken denouncing of the Bush administration and support for Iran’s nuclear program. Tension has continued under Maduro and Obama, as demonstrated by the accusations Maduro has hurled at the US since the current unrest began. President Obama has responded by calling on the government to listen to the legitimate concerns of the people.

Given the United States’ sordid history in South America, which is littered with economic intervention and coups, it should be little surprise that our relations with an outspokenly Socialist government have been strained. But the often knee-jerk reaction to Venezuela seen in the US, including the implied invalidity of the government, masks a more complicated political situation. Although the continued crackdown on protesters could quickly leave Maduro with few options beyond stepping down from office, the future for Venezuela is far from clear at this point. With a broad coalition of opposition leaders standing with protesters, talks could facilitate a political solution to the issues bringing people to the streets. But for that to happen, Maduro must acknowledge the validity of the demonstrations and agree to negotiations, something that has yet to take place.