Latin America's Burning Question: What to do About Venezuela?

Everyone agrees on Venezuela's diagnosis, but agreeing on the best course of treatment is another matter entirely. The economic and political situation in Venezuela has become too dire for its neighbors to ignore, but countries in the region are having a hard time deciding how to arrest Venezuela's slide into authoritarianism and economic catastrophe. More than a dozen countries from North, Central and South America have publicly committed to supporting free elections in Venezuela and sharing financial intelligence on the country, although two of Venezuela's most critical neighbors, Colombia and Brazil, are at odds regarding the best course of action for the country. And with presidential elections scheduled later this year in Colombia and Brazil, all bets are off as to whether states in the region will succeed in taking concerted, united action to solve the Venezuelan problem. (Mexico is also headed to the polls later this year, but the outcome is unlikely to change its stance on Venezuela.More…