International peace-making in Venezuela's intractable conflict

Abstract

Efforts at international peace-making commonly present a dilemma. On the one hand, they are worthwhile because they have the power to reorganize a conflict and change its trajecto-ry. But on the other hand, there is no guarantee that this "added value"works in a positive direction. We argue that peace-making efforts need to build upon past efforts to prevent actors from manipulating them. We look at the four dialogue and negotiation processes that have occurred during the government of Nicolás Maduro. Our review shows that while it is clear that the Maduro government uses dialogue processes as a delay tactic, progress has been made in the mediators' ability to generate concrete articulation and discussion of the conflicting parties' demands. However, further progress will require agreement among the international "sponsors"that in 2019 undermined negotiations by providing each side with a better alternative to a negotiated agreement.