Venezuela's international relations.
Incautious interventions on the Venezuelan crisis, including from Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary-General Luis Almagro, new US Ambassador to Colombia Francisco Santos and US Senator Marco Rubio have inflamed regional tensions ahead of next week’s UN General Assembly meeting. They have also served to drive Venezuela closer to China, which has extended a 5-billion-dollar credit line to President Nicolas Maduro’s government.
The China loan is part of Beijing’s rising regional engagement, even as US relations with the hemisphere become more fractious.
Once again Maduro appears to have emerged stronger from a period of grave weakness as external threats boost regional and domestic support.
International efforts are no closer to encouraging a mediated resolution of the interminable Venezuelan crisis.
