Valdai Club

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has been in a deep economic and political crisis for almost a decade. Both the domestic opposition and a tangible part of the international community dispute the legitimacy of its government. The country is being deprived of a large share of foreign investment and has been subjected to many sanctions by the countries of the collective West. Venezuela’s population is short of basic necessities and medications, which has led to social unrest and significant emigration.


The restrictions could not lead to an apparent split of the elites, despite the fact that they have affected the main beneficiaries of the economic system — high-ranking military personnel, as well as the political leadership. At the same time, the threat to their personal safety and possible criminal prosecution in the event of a regime change outweigh the losses from the sanctions. Given these conditions, neither the command of the armed forces, nor senior government officials are ready to take decisive action or side with the opposition, writes Dmitry Rozental, Deputy Director of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Latin America.

The lull caused by the pandemic will end sooner or later, and the region will have to face its consequences. The inevitable decline in socio-economic indicators will be a challenge to regimes and socio-political systems, writes Dmitry Rosenthal, Deputy Director of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Latin America.