Once again Venezuela’s democratic opposition finds itself in an electoral dilemma. This time, though, it’s not (entirely) of their own doing. The moral weight of whether and how to participate in the November 21 regional and local elections hangs more on the European Union.
One does not usually think of bananas as big business, let alone as a factor in the fate of nations.
The international community’s patience is running thin as Guyana’s incumbent government continues to abuse the judiciary in its last attempt to stay in power.
After almost a quarter of a century of negotiations, a trade agreement between Mercosur and the EU could be signed soon. But the electoral uncertainty in South America as well as the protectionist tensions that emerged after Brexit could present risks for the agreement’s ratification.
In confronting an autocrat intent on remaining in power, empty dialogue only prolongs the agony of the Venezuelan people. Will the Montevideo Mechanism continue this failed policy?
If negotiations over the proposed agreement between the two trade blocs succeed, it could become the most important bi-regional trade agreement in the world.
