What the world needs to do about Venezuela

Tens of thousands of Venezuelans who have reached a breaking point over the country’s humanitarian and political crisis poured into the streets all over the country on Wednesday. They demanded that the government let aid enter Venezuela to help the many people who are desperate for food and medicine. They demanded that the government hold elections, free political prisoners, and reestablish judicial independence and the powers of the National Assembly.

The Venezuelan government’s harsh reaction — complete with a show of force — was a hugely irresponsible replay of its response to previous protests. The government’s response to these protests is further evidence of the need for strong international pressure, especially from other states in the region, to push for the restoration of human rights and democracy in Venezuela — and a demonstration of the potential cost of a failure to act.

Before the demonstration, President Nicolás Maduro — invoking his “defending peace” slogan — accused the opposition of engaging in “violence, conspiracy, [a] coup d’etat, and interventionism.” He announced he would multiply the number of pro-government militias and arm them. All of this happened amid explosive tensions, in a country where security forces have brutally repressed anti-government demonstrations, sometimes in collaboration with armed pro-government groups.

When the demonstrations ended, Diosdado Cabello, the powerful politician from Maduro’s party who once headed the National Assembly, said in his weekly TV show that he “wouldn’t want to be in the shoes of those delinquents who are calling to destabilize [the country],” according to local media. He also showed a booklet with the title “Manual of the Revolutionary Combatant” and photographs of opposition leaders with their home addresses, telling the audience that they knew “where they live, where they go.” In a country where impunity is the norm, and where the government has repeatedly taken advantage of the lack of judicial independence to arbitrarily prosecute and jail political opponents, these implicit threats must be taken very seriously.

Those willing to criticize the actions of the Venezuelan government should take their disapproval one step further. Latin American leaders should immediately convene a high-level meeting to address the Venezuela crisis and press the Maduro administration to welcome independent monitors when organizing the country’s next elections. They must demand that he release political prisoners, reestablish the independence of the judiciary and National Assembly, and most of all, allow sufficient humanitarian aid into the country to relieve the suffering of the Venezuelan people.

More From CNN: