Policy analyst Ana Quintana on Tuesday said that the international community is treading into uncharted territory with the political crisis in Venezuela.
“People are expecting this to turn into the next Syria, the next civil war,” Quintana, a senior policy analyst in Latin America at the conservative Heritage Foundation, told Hill.TV’s Buck Sexton and Krystal Ball on “Rising.”
The Trump administration on Monday unveiled new sanctions against Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, inflicting more pressure for President Nicolás Maduro to relinquish power.
“You can’t find a cookie cutter response to this. We’re in uncharted territory right now,” Quintana said.
The U.S. and several other nations have declared Maduro’s recent reelection and inauguration illegitimate, voicing support for the president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, Juan Guaidó, as the nation’s interim president.
The U.S. joined Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Colombia in supporting Guaidó.
The power struggle within the South American country has led to protests and violence.
President Trump’s National Security Adviser John Bolton on Monday did not rule out the possibility of a U.S. military action in Venezuelan, saying “all options are on the table.”
Quintana says peace is still a possibility despite the growing unrest.
“What we should expect to see is for growing international pressure, also growing domestic pressure as well,” she said. “There is the possibility of a peaceful transition out of this.”
— Julia Manchester
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