Venezuela’s opposition must regain momentum by Jan. 10, or Maduro will get a second wind

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador

Following Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s decision to welcome Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro to his Dec. 1 inauguration, I’m not very optimistic about the future of Latin America’s diplomatic efforts to press for a restoration of democracy in Venezuela.

Judging from Lopez Obrador’s first days in office, he is likely to follow up on his campaign promise not to criticize Maduro, nor join future regional calls for a return to democracy in Venezuela.

Lopez Obrador has pledged to return to Mexico’s long-held policy of “non-intervention” in other countries’ internal affairs – a stand that the country had used in the past to protect itself against foreign criticism and to support leftist dictatorships.

In recent years, Mexico had been a vocal critic of the Venezuelan regime. Mexico was a driving force within the Group of Lima, a 14-country diplomatic coalition that includes among others Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru and Chile. The group had signed several declarations aimed at isolating Maduro from the region’s diplomatic community.