Venezuela, no longer a democracy, should be suspended from OAS

(Photo: Alejandro Cegarra – AP)

Now that Venezuela’s autocrat Nicolás Maduro has broken the rule of law and closed all avenues to a peaceful resolution of his country’s crisis, there is only one way to prevent a possible bloodbath: an international diplomatic offensive to restore democracy in Venezuela.

It’s no longer enough for the United States and Latin American countries to express their “strong concern” about the Venezuelan regime’s latest authoritarian measures. Twelve countries — including Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, the United States and Canada — did just that in a joint statement on Oct. 22.

The time for words is over. To prevent violence and a Syrian-style refugee crisis that could impact the whole region, Venezuela’s neighbors should threaten to suspend Venezuela from the OAS if it doesn’t restore the rule of law by — let’s say — Nov. 15.

Maduro’s latest move to effectively kill the opposition’s constitutional right to gather signatures to demand a recall referendum that could force him out of office has closed all paths to a legal resolution of the crisis.

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