Why the American right gets Venezuela all wrong, and the left doesn’t get it at all

Last month’s Venezuelan elections, with over 8 million participants, highlighted the deepening crisis in the country’s democracy. Marred by accusations of fraud and voter suppression, these elections were a litmus test for Venezuela’s future. The official results, controlled by Maduro’s regime, claimed 5.1 million votes for the government, while the opposition, led by Edmundo González, allegedly secured 4.4 million votes — results that experts have deemed improbable.

Opposition tallies suggest a different outcome, with González receiving around 6.2 million votes compared to Maduro’s 2.7 million. These figures, recognized by the U.S. and international observers, underscore the desperate plea for change from the Venezuelan people.

This crisis has ignited strong reactions from the extremes of American politics. On the right, figures such as Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) blamed the Biden-Harris administration for easing sanctions, arguing it emboldened Maduro’s regime. However, this narrative is flawed. Historical evidence shows that sanctions aimed at regime change in Latin America have little impact—Cuba being a prime example, where decades of U.S. sanctions have failed to dislodge the government but have significantly harmed the Cuban people.

Similarly, Trump-era sanctions made Maduro more entrenched, driving him closer to powers like Russia and China. These sanctions exacerbated economic hardships in Venezuela, contributing to the mass exodus of nearly 8 million Venezuelans since 2014 — the largest refugee crisis in the Americas.

Meanwhile, on the far left, there’s a dangerous naivety. Some progressive organizations have painted the Venezuelan opposition as “far-right” and the Maduro regime as a victim of U.S. imperialism. Simplifying the Venezuelan opposition is not only incorrect but harmful. The Democratic Unitary Platform is a broad coalition of center-left and center-right parties united by a commitment to democracy and the rule of law.

This narrative ignores Maduro’s blatant disregard for democratic norms. Groups like The People’s Forum and certain Black Lives Matter chapters have been unwittingly legitimizing a dictatorship in Caracas, advancing misguided “anti-imperialist” rhetoric that supports a regime responsible for widespread oppression and human rights violations.

In Venezuela, this isn’t a debate about political ideologies; it’s about the survival (or revival) of democracy. The current moment is an opportunity to turn the page on the failed promises of Chávez’s socialism, rampant organized crime and ongoing disregard for democratic principles.

The Biden-Harris administration’s use of sanctions relief as leverage in the Barbados Agreement, which led to the July 28 elections, was a pragmatic approach to encouraging democratic reforms in Venezuela. The negotiations and subsequent concessions created the conditions for Maria Corina Machado to galvanize the Venezuelan opposition in an unprecedented way.

However, what began as a pivotal opportunity for democracy has been subverted by Maduro’s regime, which barred leading opposition figures from running and is now delaying the release of transparent election results and the peaceful transition of power.

There is still hope. Maduro’s disregard for transparency and ensuing political violence has yielded widespread condemnation from the international community, most notably from center-left governments in Latin America.

Some of these governments, like Colombia and Brazil, drawing from their own experiences with political conflict, are leading negotiations to incentivize Maduro’s regime to exit peacefully and allow the will of the people to be honored. As Venezuelan activist Roberto Patiño suggests, this may even require offering a legal “offramp” for Maduro and his allies on international investigations and sanctions.

The Venezuelan crisis underscores a lesson that has been lost in modern American politics: When extremes dominate the narrative, critical nuances are overlooked, and the potential for compromise is lost. A moderate, sensible approach is essential to help Venezuela escape the grip of authoritarianism and restore power to its people.

The U.S. must support multilateral diplomacy aimed at peacefully resolving the crisis, working with regional organizations to mediate negotiations. The path forward for Venezuela, like in so many global crises, will depend on the willingness to embrace pragmatism, diplomacy and compromise over rigid ideological stances.

Hector D. Mujica is a Venezuelan-American community leader and tech philanthropy executive with a background in public policy, residing in South Florida.