Venezuela’s Opposition Flirts with Calls for Military Intervention as the Nation’s Crisis Intensifies

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As economic collapse and political breakdown loom in Venezuela, with the opposition-controlled Asamblea Nacional pushing a recall referendum to oust President Nicolás Maduro, the president decreed special powers that will run into 2017.  Opposition leader Henrique Capriles, who narrowly lost the last presidential election to Maduro, has called on the military to “uphold the Constitution” and defy the president, though rather disingenuously denying that he is calling for a coup.  For his part, President Maduro seems to be shutting off all democratic options for protest while ramping up repression.  Though there are now more vocal critics of Maduro’s government on the Latin American Left, there is still little consensus on how the region should deal with the crisis.