Only revolutionary renewal will save Venezuela

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Editor's note: Andrew Korybko is an American, Moscow-based political analyst. The article reflects the author's opinion, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has been going through its most difficult period in recent history following Juan Guaido's self-proclamation as "interim president" and the subsequent destabilization that this has brought to the country.

The democratically elected and legitimate government claims that this is a U.S.-backed coup attempt intended to function as the culmination of the years-long rolling regime change operation that Caracas has accused Washington of pursuing, while the opposition says that President Maduro "usurped" power by remaining in office following what they claim was a "controversial election" and that Guaido is therefore entitled to temporarily replace him due to their interpretation of a little-known constitutional clause.

Since this unprecedented escalation at the beginning of this year, the U.S. has unashamedly thrown its support behind the opposition and issued countless threats to President Maduro in a desperate effort to get him to step down. When that didn't succeed, the U.S. even hinted that a military invasion was on the table and called on the Venezuelan Armed Forces to overthrow their commander-in-chief before that happens.

Soldiers stand guard on a street near the Generalisimo Francisco de Miranda Airbase "La Carlota" in Caracas, Venezuela April 30, 2019. /VCG Photo

The U.S. is attempting to justify its interference in the sovereign affairs of this oil-rich South American state on the basis of the imperial-era Monroe Doctrine which claims the entire Western Hemisphere as Washington's own, and the Trump Administration has fear-mongered about Chinese and Russian investments there to advance its point.

It's obvious to all objective observers that the U.S.' actions are stark violations of international law and have had the effect of worsening the situation in Venezuela. That evidently seems to have been the point all along, however, given that the modus operandi for regime change has been to stoke an increasingly violent color revolution that could then morph into a Syrian-like hybrid war as a last resort for embroiling the country in such chaos that it becomes utterly dysfunctional, which might be the U.S.' revenge on Venezuela for opposing this geopolitical scheme.

As dire as the situation may seem, the latest statement from President Maduro offers hope that the authorities will successfully thwart this dark scenario before it materializes.

Members of the Bolivarian National Guard who joined Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed acting President Juan Guaido fire into the air to repel forces loyal to President Nicolas Maduro, who arrived to disperse a demonstration near La Carlota military base in Caracas on April 30, 2019. /VCG Photo

The Venezuelan leader just announced an upcoming "Day of Dialogue" during which time the government will encourage all of its citizens to constructively critique its approach to the political crisis and therefore aim to achieve what he described as "revolutionary renewal" in order to ensure that the Bolivarian Republic that was founded by his popular predecessor withstands the tests of time.

Candid and introspective criticism from all members of society is always necessary from time to time in order to correct revolutionary movements and return them back to their proper course, which the government believes is necessary following the recent hardships that its people have been put through during this externally provoked crisis.

Only revolutionary renewal, not a color revolution, will save Venezuela since all solutions to the country's crisis must go through the constitutional framework and involve all members of society. The Day of Dialogue that President Maduro proposed is a bold initiative that builds upon his 2017 effort to assemble a Constituent Assembly for reforming the constitution, a promising move that was regrettably boycotted by the opposition and has since been unable to make much progress.

Members of the Bolivarian National Guard loyal to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro run under a cloud of tear gas after being repelled with rifle fire by guards supporting Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed acting President Juan Guaido in front of La Carlota military base in Caracas on April 30, 2019. /VCG Photo

Nevertheless, the responsible members of the opposition who fear the path that their country is headed down as a result of recent developments have a chance to reconsider their previous recalcitrance and finally begin constructively contributing to a political solution.

The failure to reach a fair agreement between the government and the opposition might doom Venezuela to destruction since there's a very high likelihood that the color revolution will descend deeper into violence if the crisis isn't resolved very soon.

The U.S.' support of the most radical elements of the anti-government movement is aimed at preventing such a deal from being clinched due to Washington's desire to see its years-long regime change plan finally succeed at all costs, that, however, is precisely why the non-radicalized members of the opposition must urgently break ranks with the foreign-backed faction and use President Maduro's Day of Dialogue as their last chance to save the country before it's too late.

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