Bolivia Urges Strategy for Venezuela’s ‘Day After Maduro’
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Bolivia’s new foreign minister said Venezuela’s crisis can only be resolved through a democratic transition anchored in institutions strong enough to survive “the day after” President Nicolas Maduro potentially leaves power.Author of the article:You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.(Bloomberg) — Bolivia’s new foreign minister said Venezuela’s crisis can only be resolved through a democratic transition anchored in institutions strong enough to survive “the day after” President Nicolas Maduro potentially leaves power.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Drawing on Bolivia’s experience protecting elections that ended 20 years of socialist rule, Foreign Minister Fernando Aramayo said Venezuela’s crisis must be resolved to prevent further fragmentation and polarization across Latin America.“We believe Bolivia is a strong example of what a democratic transition rooted in the will of the people and anchored in institutions can look like,” Aramayo said in a recent interview in Washington, while avoiding direct questions on whether Maduro should step down. “It may sound poetic, but Bolivia shows that it can be achieved — so why shouldn’t Venezuela be able to achieve it as well?”Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againInterested in more newsletters? Browse here.Aramayo said Bolivian officials traveled to Washington last week to lay the groundwork for support from multilateral lenders and from the Trump administration.
The South American nation is seeking financing and investment to alleviate an acute shortage of dollars.The visit came as Washington remains heavily focused on Maduro’s regime in Venezuela, a longtime ally of past leftist governments in Bolivia, particularly under former President Evo Morales. The US is carrying out its largest military deployment in Latin American waters in decades, and on Tuesday ordered a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers going into and leaving Venezuela.As Venezuela will need international backing to emerge from years of crisis, Bolivia’s new President Rodrigo Paz is also seeking alliances — particularly among the growing bloc of conservative leaders in the region who are more closely aligned with Donald Trump.“This is a path we cannot walk alone,” Aramayo said. “And this is not only about money.”Washington’s SupportLeading the Bolivian delegation alongside Finance Minister Jose Gabriel Espinoza, Aramayo said the new government is focused on delivering the “right signals” to secure US economic support.Aramayo, who previously worked in development for the United Nations in Bolivia, met with Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau to discuss short-term strategic priorities to safeguard Bolivia’s fragile economy. He emphasized the importance of backing from the State Department, the US Treasury and Congress.Paz, the son of a former president and until recently a relatively little-known senator, won the Oct. 19 runoff, becoming the first conservative elected in 20 years and ending the rule of Evo Morales’s Movement Toward Socialism party, known as MAS. He quickly eased fuel shortages and eliminated long lines at gas stations during his first days in office. But diesel queues have returned in recent weeks, and authorities acknowledged supply problems in early December amid a persistent dollar crunch.The administration, in office for just a month, is now finalizing a plan to unwind the two-decade fuel-subsidy regime that keeps domestic prices among the region’s lowest but has drained reserves and encouraged cross-border smuggling.Aramayo said the government expects to secure agreements on financial aid, debt-for-program swaps and US investment in the first quarter of next year to stabilize the economy and ensure fuel supply. He added that Washington had previously signaled it would support Bolivia if the country demonstrated sound economic management and reliability as an ally.A US government mission is traveling across Bolivia this week, meeting with local business leaders to discuss investment and trade opportunities. Bolivia also aims to play a larger geopolitical role in Latin America by leveraging its vast lithium resources and strategic location as a land bridge between the Atlantic and Pacific, Aramayo said.Despite the government’s pivot toward Washington, Bolivia will maintain pragmatic ties with China — its largest bilateral creditor and a major player in infrastructure, mining, nuclear and energy projects during the MAS era.“What we must do is represent the interests of Bolivians,” Aramayo said.Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.