23rd Annual Session of the Seoul Model United Nations ​

Forum: Security Council ​ Question of: Situation in ​ Student Officer: Sejoon Chang, Assistant President ​ ​

Introduction

Venezuela is currently engulfed in a dire political and economic crisis that has plagued the nation for a decade. The leadership under presidents Hugo Chávez (1999-2013) and Nicolás Maduro (2013-current) has directly caused a drastic increase in inflation rates, food shortages, disease, unemployment, and crime. United Nations human rights experts have expressed their concerns and affirm that “the government must immediately explain how it intends to support people, many of whom are teetering on the brink of survival.”1

The roots of this crisis originate from the leadership of Hugo Chávez, during which his Bolivarian Revolution emphasized nationalism and under the slogan: “Motherland, socialism, or death.” According to the Brookings Institute, Venezuela saw a rapid increase in its oil prices in the early 2000s, which led to the nation gaining a large amount of money. Chávez employed these funds into his , in which the objective was to improve Venezuela’s socioeconomic status by distributing aid to the poor. Literacy rates dropped, housing was provided, and healthcare and nutrition for the citizens drastically improved all under Chávez.2 However, the overreliance on the oil economy, as well as lack of foreign investments from companies such as ExxonMobil due to an attempt to nationalize the oil, presented the nation with greater hardships and a growing deficit in the nation’s budget balance. The next leader, Nicolás Maduro, carried on these policies, but when oil prices plummeted in 2014 causing hyperinflation, previously subsidized goods and services such as food, housing, and medicine became unavailable.3 The official government currency rate of 10 Venezuelan bolívars to one US dollar is only for Maduro and his close allies, while the majority of the population

1 Human Rights. “Venezuelans 'Teetering on the Brink of Survival' Warn UN Human Rights Experts | UN News.” United Nations, United Nations, 6 May 2020, news.un.org/en/story/2020/05/1063372. ​ ​ 2 Bahar, Dany, et al. “Venezuela: A Path out of Misery.” Brookings, Brookings, 23 Oct. 2018, www.brookings.edu/research/venezuela-a-path-out-of-misery/. ​ 3 Ibid.

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23rd Annual Session of the Seoul Model United Nations ​ suffers from a nearly worthless black market currency rate. Furthermore, military and political allies of Maduro have benefited from this status as they import products at government rate and sell at black market rate, gaining massive amounts of profit.4

Currently, Venezuela is experiencing one of the highest inflation rates in the world, and a sharp drop in its economy. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), inflation rates reached a peak of 10 million percent in 2019, and its gross domestic product (GDP) has dropped 35% from 2013, worse than the United States’ Great Depression in the 1920s.5 Venezuela has also seen a drastic increase in their murder rates, as its capital city Caracas saw nearly 120 homicides per 100,000 residents, one of the highest in the world. This violent environment resulted in a public health crisis in which Venezuelans saw a drastic loss in the average life expectancy and an increase in psychological problems on ordinary citizens.6 The economic hardships have eventually resulted in an expeditious rise in the number of citizens leaving Venezuela. Data released from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) revealed that the number of migrants and refugees from Venezuela will see an upsurge from 4.6 million in November 2019 to 6.5 million by December 2020, approximately 20% of Venezuela’s peak population from 2012.7 This has also caused an acceleration of the nation’s brain drain,8 as many scholars and upper class Venezuelans emigrated under Chávez's rule, and lower-middle class citizens leaving due to the economic crisis under Maduro.

Meanwhile, this economic catastrophe has escalated into a political deadlock that involves many of the world’s most powerful nations. The 2017 Constituent Assembly election and the 2018 presidential election, in which the US has accused both times of election rigging,

4 Imbert, Fred. “Venezuela Announces a New Exchange Rate - but This One Probably Won't Help, Either.” CNBC, CNBC, 28 Mar. 2017, https://cnb.cx/3iJttfj. 5 Sanchez, Valentina. “Venezuela Hyperinflation Hits 10 Million Percent. 'Shock Therapy' May Be Only Chance to Undo the Economic Damage.” CNBC, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2019, www.cnbc.com/2019/08/02/venezuela-inflation-at-10-million-percent-its-time-for-shock-therapy.html. ​ 6 Aburto, José Manuel, and Jenny Garcia. “Venezuela's Soaring Murder Rate Has Plunged the Nation into a Public Health Crisis.” The Conversation, 11 May 2019, theconversation.com/venezuelas-soaring-murder-rate-has-plunged-the-nation-into-a-public-health-crisis-116771. ​ 7 Joint UNHCR-IOM Press Release. “US$1.35 Billion Needed to Help Venezuelan Refugees and Migrants and Host Countries.” UNHCR Asia Pacific, 13 Nov. 2019, www.unhcr.org/news/press/2019/11/5dcbd7284/us135-billion-needed-help-venezuelan-refugees-migrants-host-coun tries.html. ​ 8 A brain drain refers to “the emigration of individuals who have received advanced training at home.”

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23rd Annual Session of the Seoul Model United Nations ​ have ensured Maduro’s power over Venezuela. By denying power of the National Assembly, Maduro’s authority remained institutionally unchecked, resulting in protests nationwide. Following the Venezuelan presidential election which Maduro won by a landslide, the United States, European Union, Australia, and other South American and Latin American nations all regarded the election as illegitimate, while the election was recognized by allies including Russia, China, Iran, and Turkey. On January 23, 2019, Juan Guaidó, the President of the National Assembly of Venezuela, declared himself as the acting president, leading to a dispute in support for each side. Eventually, this split in foreign relations has also aggravated the Venezuelan crisis.9 Although many of the issues originate from the government policies under Chávez and Maduro, in recent years, international sanctions have played a large role in the humanitarian crisis. Dire living conditions, nationwide electricity blackouts, and restricted access to food and water have all been direct impacts of the embargo, and the High Commissioner of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Michelle Bachelet stated that “the recent sanctions on financial transfers related to the sale of Venezuelan oil within the United States may contribute to aggravating the economic crisis, with possible repercussions on people's basic rights and wellbeing.”10

Previous efforts to relieve the humanitarian crisis have been undertaken by the United Nations. The United Nations created a coordination system to expand humanitarian response capacities and increase the operational space in Venezuela, through means such as providing health, water, sanitation and food security. The United States has also allocated $333.5 million for humanitarian aid in Venezuela. The Organization of American States (OAS), a multilateral organization which includes 35 member states across all nations in the Western hemisphere, served as the primary dialogue for Venezuela’s political crisis, and recently passed a resolution delegitimizing Maduro’s presidency and authorizing nations to take measures such as sanctions. 11In 2020, the situation in Venezuela has aggravated as a result of the global COVID-19

9 “Venezuela Crisis: How the Political Situation Escalated.” BBC News, BBC, 13 Jan. 2020, www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36319877. ​ 10 Bachelet, Michelle. “Oral Update on the Situation of Human Rights in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.” OHCHR, 20 Mar. 2019, www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24374. ​ ​ 11 Seelke, Clare Ribando. “Venezuela: International Efforts to Resolve the Political Crisis.” IN FOCUS, Congressional Research Service, 11 Sept. 2019, fas.org/sgp/crs/row/IF11216.pdf ​

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23rd Annual Session of the Seoul Model United Nations ​ pandemic. Lack of medicine and health facilities are resulting in increasing mortality rates, and the virus poses a sincere threat to the Venezuelan citizens.12 For a nation that has been suffering from such upheaval for the past ten years, it is now the Security Council’s responsibility as the world enters into a new decade of innovation.

Definition of Key Terms

United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) The United Socialist Party of Venezuela is a political party established in 2006 under former president Hugo Chávez. The party is currently led by Nicolás Maduro, but does not lead the majority in Venezuela’s National Assembly. With over seven million members, PSUV strongly advocates for radical left ideologies such as socialism and .13

Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) The Democratic Unity Roundtable serves as the main opposition against Chávez and Maduro’s PSUV. Although it holds ten more seats than the PSUV in the National Assembly, they are stripped of their powers due to Maduro’s connections with the supreme court and military. MUD holds both center-right and center-left views, and endorses anti-Chavism, or ideals against Chávez’s ideologies.14

Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) The PDVSA was founded in 1976 after the oil industry in Venezuela was nationalized, and is in charge of exploiting one of the nation’s oil reserves, one of the largest in the world. The company is essential to the Venezuelan economy, and is owned by the government. Because it believes that the citizens are the true ones that own this oil, many of the oil income went to social

12 Miranda, Álvaro Sardiza. “The Impact of Covid-19 on the Venezuelan Displacement Crisis - Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of).” ReliefWeb, OCHA , 26 May 2020, reliefweb.int/report/venezuela-bolivarian-republic/impact-covid-19-venezuelan-displacement-crisis. ​ 13 Maloney-Risner, Ryne. “Development of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV).” ​ .com, 12 Nov. 2009, venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/4929. ​ ​ 14 Sonneland, Holly K. “Explainer: Who's Who in the Venezuelan Opposition.” Americas Society / Council of the ​ Americas, 10 Jan. 2017, www.as-coa.org/articles/explainer-whos-who-venezuelan-opposition. ​ ​

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23rd Annual Session of the Seoul Model United Nations ​ services. In August 2017, the United States imposed sanctions against the PDVSA due to its heavy influence on an income source for Maduro’s government.15

National Assembly and Constituent Assembly The National Assembly is Venezuela’s electoral authority, a unicameral body that utilizes a proportional representation system. In 2017, the National Assembly, which the majority of seats were held by MUD, was stripped of its power following a supreme court rule under Maduro’s influence. The Constituent Assembly was established a few months later, which was filled with members of Maduro’s party, and had the power to act against the National Assembly and rewrite the constitution.16

Timeline of Key Events

February 2, 1999 - Hugo Chávez elected president Upon being inaugurated as Venezuela’s president, Hugo Chávez promised his people to drastically reduce corruption and power of elites, and in return help those in poverty. He began his campaign with the Bolivarian Revolution and consistently followed Marxist and socialist policies. With Venezuela’s oil industry booming, the nation became one of South America’s richest, and Chávez spent the majority of the income on social programs such as education, food coupons, and housing subsidies.17

June 2, 2010 - Chávez declares an “economic war” Amid rising food prices and inflation of the currency, Chávez declared an “economic war” against private retailers, which he called the bourgeoisie. He blamed “capitalists” for being “thieves stealing from the people,” and promised to return Venezuela back to normal if his socialist ideologies are reinstated within the economy. However, many economists affirmed that

15 “Petróleos De Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA).” Ministerio De Petróleo, ​ www.minpet.gob.ve/index.php/es-es/entes-adscrito/16-entes-adscrito/80-petroleos-de-venezuela-s-a-. ​ 16 “Can Venezuela's National Assembly and Constituent Assembly Coexist?” News | TeleSUR English, TeleSUR, 9 Aug. 2017, www.telesurenglish.net/news/Can-Venezuelas-National-Assembly-and-Constituent-Assembly-Coexist-20170809-0 045.html. ​ 17 Lieuwen, Edwin, and Jennifer L. McCoy. “The Hugo Chávez Presidency.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 19 July 2020, www.britannica.com/place/Venezuela/The-Hugo-Chavez-presidency. ​ ​

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Venezuela’s downfall was due to rampant spending on social services and foreign exchange controls by the government, yet many of the blame went to private firms.18

March 5, 2013 - Death of Hugo Chávez Chávez was diagnosed with cancer and passed away at the age of 58. Since then, Nicolás Maduro assumed the responsibilities of the president, and he would soon take the oath of office in April 2019 after an election.19

February 14, 2014 - May 8, 2014 - Venezuelan protests Political unrest arose in February 2014 following student protests in the Tachira and Mérida states demanding increased security, and solutions for the country’s food shortage. After the students were arrested, the protests spread to the capital in Caracas calling for the release of the students, until it amplified into a nationwide, anti-government demonstration. Protests were mainly led by the members of the opposition group, MUD, and were a reaction to the violence and economic hardships the citizens were facing. In response, Maduro and his government accused the United States for attempting to stage a coup, arresting thousands and killing dozens of citizens and opposition leaders.20

July 30, 2017 - Constitutional crisis and Constituent Assembly election After Maduro appointed judges loyal to him in Venezuela’s supreme court, Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ), a new ruling called for the dismantling of the National Assembly, where the seats were mostly taken by the opposition party MUD. This meant that all power is under Maduro’s control, including his executive powers and loyal judicial branch. Many believed the act to be dictatorial, and was met with international condemnation, with Peru breaking off diplomatic relations with Venezuela. Eventually, the TSJ reversed their decision and the National Assembly’s power was reinstated. A few months later, the new Constituent Assembly was formed with its election in July 2017; however, many Western nations again

18 Carroll, Rory. “Venezuela's Private Retailers Targeted as Hugo Chávez Declares 'Economic War'.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 27 June 2010, www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jun/27/venezuela-hugo-chavez-private-retailers. ​ 19 “Venezuela: Nicolas Maduro Elected President.” Sky News, 15 Apr. 2013, www.news.sky.com/story/venezuela-nicolas-maduro-elected-president-10448727. ​ 20 “What Lies behind the Protests in Venezuela?” BBC News, 27 Mar. 2014, www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-26335287. ​

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23rd Annual Session of the Seoul Model United Nations ​ denounced the election and was boycotted by the Venezuelan opposition party. As a result, 503 seats out of the 545 seats were given to PSUV’s national affiliation, the Great Patriotic Pole.21

May 20, 2018 - Venezuelan presidential election Nicolás Maduro was reelected for another six-year term in 2018, with a staggering low voter turnout at 46%, mainly due to the MUD boycotting the election. Maduro’s presidential opponents, MUD, the United States, European Union, and many other nations immediately rejected the results due to the unfair electoral process. Not only were opposition parties barred from legislative functions within the Venezuelan government resulting in government propaganda, but workers were coerced to vote and polling stations were strategically placed next to food distribution centers. As a result, many Western nations began targeting Venezuelan officials of human rights abuses and corruption through economic sanctions.22

January 10, 2019 - Ongoing - Venezuelan presidential crisis Juan Guaidó, the federal deputy to the National Assembly, challenged Maduro’s presidential powers and declared himself acting president in January 2018. Maduro again called the action a plot by the United States to overthrow him, and maintains loyalty with several key groups including the military, the Constituent Assembly, and the TSJ. While the United States, European Union, and many other Latin American nations approved Guaidó, Maduro was backed by nations such as Russia, China, Iran, and Turkey, creating further political divide.23

February 28, 2019 - UN Security Council meetings on the situation in Venezuela The United Nations Security Council held meetings throughout early 2019 on the situation in Venezuela following the presidential crisis. Two resolutions were presented, one from the United States and one from Russia. The United States’ resolution advocated for approval of Guaidó as the interim president and a new election to take place; however, it was vetoed by Russia and China and voted against by South Africa. Russia’s resolution called for

21 Romo, Rafael. “Venezuela's High Court Dissolves National Assembly.” CNN, Cable News Network, 30 Mar. 2017, edition.cnn.com/2017/03/30/americas/venezuela-dissolves-national-assembly/. ​ ​ 22 Seelke, Clare Ribando. “Venezuela's 2018 Presidential Elections.” CRS INSIGHT, 24 May 2018, fas.org/sgp/crs/row/IN10902.pdf. ​ 23 “Venezuela Crisis: How the Political Situation Escalated.” BBC News, BBC, 13 Jan. 2020, www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36319877. ​

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23rd Annual Session of the Seoul Model United Nations ​ dialogue between Maduro and the opposition party, but was opposed by seven nations including the United States, United Kingdom, and France. Both did not pass.24

March 13, 2020 - Ongoing - COVID-19 pandemic in Venezuela The Human Rights Watch urgently called for aid in Venezuela during the COVID-19 crisis. Although Venezuela has reached around 10,000 confirmed cases by August 2020, this number is likely to be much higher due to limited testing and the persecution of medical professionals that report on the issue. The humanitarian crisis only aggravates the issue, as Venezuelan citizens do not have access to healthcare, while resources such as water remain deficient in quantity and prisons and impoverished regions are overcrowded.25

Position of Key Member Nations and Other Bodies

United Kingdom The United Kingdom does not approve of Nicolás Maduro’s presidency, as UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt argued that “it is clear that Nicolás Maduro is not the legitimate leader of Venezuela” and that the “United Kingdom believes Juan Guaidó is the right person to take Venezuela forward,” citing counting irregularities and stuffed ballot boxes that indicate an unfair election process.26 The United Kingdom established the Venezuela Reconstruction Unit in 2019 to support humanitarian aid efforts; however, Venezuela responded by requesting the United Kingdom to “withdraw from Washington's coup plans.”27

France Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, also called the election of Nicolás Maduro “illegitimate,” and has supported the European Union’s sanctions against Maduro’s

24 “Venezuela: Competing US, Russia Resolutions Fail to Pass in Security Council | UN News.” United Nations, 28 Feb. 2019, news.un.org/en/story/2019/02/1033832. ​ ​

25 “Venezuela: Urgent Aid Needed to Combat Covid-19.” Human Rights Watch, 26 May 2020, www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/26/venezuela-urgent-aid-needed-combat-covid-19. ​ 26 “Foreign Secretary Statement on Situation in Venezuela, January 2019.” GOV.UK, 24 Jan. 2019, www.gov.uk/government/news/foreign-secretary-statement-on-situation-in-venezuela. ​ 27 “Real Negotiation among Venezuela's Main Political Actors 'Only Way Forward' to Resolving Protracted Crisis, Under-Secretary-General Tells Security Council | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases.” United Nations, 20 May 2020, www.un.org/press/en/2020/sc14193.doc.htm. ​ ​

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23rd Annual Session of the Seoul Model United Nations ​ administration. In response, the Venezuelan government cut water supplies, electricity, and other services to the embassy in Caracas, according to French diplomats in 2019.28 François Delattre, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations Security Council affirmed in a 2019 speech that ”France is committed to helping those women and men who are in desperate need” and that France is working to ensure the Venezuelan people their freedom of expression.29

Belgium Through Twitter, Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister of Foreign Affairs, Didier Reynders, supported Juan Guaidó on his “mission to organize free and transparent elections,” in which Guaidó thanked for his support. Belgium has also cooperated on a joint declaration with other nations in Europe to delegitimize Maduro’s presidency and support Guaidó.30

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic had very close relations with Venezuela due to oil trade, with Venezuelan oil accounting for 75% of all oil consumption in the Dominican Republic.31 However, the Dominican Republic, along with other nations of the OAS, disapproved of the 2018 Venezuelan elections and Maduro’s presidency, while expressing their full support to the President of the National Assembly, Juan Guaidó.32

Estonia As part of the European Union, Estonia stands by the organization’s stance to support Juan Guaidó. Estonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs called the election in Venezuela “neither free

28 “France's Macron Calls Election of Venezuela's Maduro 'Illegitimate'.” France 24, 24 Jan. 2019, www.france24.com/en/20190124-venezuela-france-macron-calls-election-maduro-illegitimate-protests-opposition-g uaido. ​ 29 Delattre, François. “There Can Only Be a Political and Peaceful Solution to the .” France ONU, 26 Feb. 2019, onu.delegfrance.org/There-can-only-be-a-political-and-peaceful-solution-to-the-crisis-in-Venezuela. ​ 30 “Belgium Supports Juan Guaidó in Venezuela.” Brussels Express, 5 Feb. 2019, brussels-express.eu/belgium-supports-juan-guaido-in-venezuela/ 31 Márquez, Humberto. “VENEZUELA-DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Oil a Pawn in Bilateral Relations.” VENEZUELA-DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Oil a Pawn in Bilateral Relations | Inter Press Service, 24 Sept. 2003, www.ipsnews.net/2003/09/venezuela-dominican-republic-oil-a-pawn-in-bilateral-relations/. ​ 32 “OAS Member States Issue Joint Statement on Venezuela.” U.S. Mission to the Organization of American States, 24 Jan. 2019, usoas.usmission.gov/oas-member-states-issue-joint-statement-on-venezuela/ ​

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23rd Annual Session of the Seoul Model United Nations ​ nor fair.”33 By partaking in EU sanctions, Estonia has had difficulty in several sectors in their economy, such as road construction, as vital resources are no longer available.34

Germany Germany is in line with the other European Union nations to support Juan Guaidó. Germany strongly believes that Venezuela must restore their democratic institutions and with a credible presidential election. They have also shown support for a proposal that would set up an interim government for Venezuela in which both sides are represented.35 Moreover, in April of 2020, Germany, along with other European nations in the Security Council including Belgium, Estonia, France, and Poland, expressed concerns in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, to depoliticize humanitarian assistance to Venezuela.36

Indonesia Indonesia took a neutral stance to the dividing issue, with their Foreign Ministry spokesperson recommending all parties to “hold back and not take actions” due to the aggravation of the democratic situation, and that a “political process that is democratic, transparent and credible” should take place. The Indonesian representative to the UN Security Council has also stated that Venezuela needs “dialogue, reconciliation and negotiation” to recover from the situation.37

Niger Niger, like the majority of African nations, has not provided any statement regarding the

33 “Estonia Supporting Interim President Juan Guaidó of Venezuela.” ERR Arhiiv, 4 Feb. 2019, news.err.ee/907406/estonia-supporting-interim-president-juan-guaid-of-venezuela 34 “Venezuelan Oil Sanctions Could Harm Estonian Road Construction.” ERR News, 25 June 2019, news.err.ee/955593/venezuelan-oil-sanctions-could-harm-estonian-road-construction 35 “Real Negotiation among Venezuela's Main Political Actors 'Only Way Forward' to Resolving Protracted Crisis, Under-Secretary-General Tells Security Council | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases.” United Nations, Security Council, 20 May 2020, www.un.org/press/en/2020/sc14193.doc.htm. ​ ​ 36 “Venezuela: EU Members of the UNSC Call for the Depoliticization of Humanitarian Assistance.” Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations in New York, 28 Apr. 2020, onu.delegfrance.org/Venezuela-EU-members-of-the-Security-Council-call-for-the-depoliticization-of. ​ 37 Septiari, Dian. “Indonesia Calls for Restraint in Venezuela.” The Jakarta Post, 26 Jan. 2019, ​ www.thejakartapost.com/news/2019/01/26/indonesia-calls-for-restraint-in-venezuela.html. ​

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23rd Annual Session of the Seoul Model United Nations ​ situation in Venezuela. However, under Chávez’s presidency, Venezuela provided aid to many poor African nations by giving them free oil, including Niger.38

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has consistently voted in favor of Nicolás Maduro with its membership in the OAS, such as opposing a report in 2016 on Venezuela’s current state of democracy and voting against a resolution denouncing Maduro’s establishment of the Constituent Assembly.39 The Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, and Nicolás Maduro even met, wherein Gonsalves condemned the United States’ sanctions against Venezuela and how the actions were crippling the economy.40

South Africa South Africa has approved the results of the 2018 presidential election, wherein president Cyril Ramaphosa congratulated upon Maduro’s inauguration. South Africa, along with Russia and China, consistently votes against UN Security Council resolutions to recognize Guaidó as interim , as they believe Maduro was re-elected with the authority of a constitutionally mandated body and the results of the election should be respected. In 2019, South Africa voted in favor of Russia’s resolution to hold talks between Maduro’s government and the opposition. However, South Africa does agree to the depoliticization of humanitarian aid for the Venezuelan people, and emphasizes the need to respect Venezuela’s constitution without intervention.41

Tunisia Tunisia did not make any official statements regarding the Venezuelan presidential elections of 2018. However, after Tunisia’s election to the UN Security Council, their representative spoke about the situation in a May 2020 video conference. He regretted that “the

38 Herrmann, Clarissa. “Can We Expect an African Position on Venezuela?: DW: 03.03.2019.” DW.COM, 3 Mar. 2019, www.dw.com/en/can-we-expect-an-african-position-on-venezuela/a-47758622. ​ ​ 39 “Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.” Global Americans,.theglobalamericans.org/st-vincent-grenadines/. ​ ​ 40 “'Investigate US for War Crimes' in Venezuela: Saint Vincent PM.” News | TeleSUR English, TeleSUR, 21 Feb. 2019,www.telesurenglish.net/news/Investigate-US-for-War-Crimes-in-Venezuela-Saint-Vincent-PM--20190221-00 ​ 12.html. ​ 41 Mabaya, Ndivhuwo. “South Africa Reaffirms Support in Venezuela at the UN Security Council.” South African ​ Government, Department of International Relations and Cooperation, 28 Feb. 2019, www.gov.za/speeches/south-africa-reaffirms-support-inclusive-political-dialogue-venezuela-un-security-council.

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23rd Annual Session of the Seoul Model United Nations ​ divisions in the [UN Security] Council will not help us walk Venezuela to stability,” and that the political standoff and humanitarian crisis is only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.42

Vietnam Vietnam has actively voiced support for the Maduro presidency. In 2019, Vietnam’s National Assembly Chairwoman invited Venezuela's Vice President of PSUV, , in support of the “constitutional and democratic process” in Venezuela.43 In the recent May 2020 UN Security Council conference, Vietnam had expressed concern over using force against Venezuela’s sovereignty, and advocated for peaceful talks among the relevant parties. Vietnam has also supported dropping sanctions in order to help Venezuelans recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.44

Suggested Solutions

The crisis in Venezuela touches on multiple socioeconomic and political factors that are heavily complex. All of these issues—from the refugee crisis to the economic recession—are all different yet interrelated in one way or the other. Due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the situation has only aggravated with a greater humanitarian issue plaguing the nation. Venezuela needs a layered solution that can tackle all of these aspects efficiently while preventing any coercion and threats to the nation’s sovereignty.

Venezuela’s political deadlock between Nicolás Maduro or Juan Guaidó, as well as the international community divided upon which nation supports which leader, also creates difficulty in injecting aid to Venezuela. A new, supervised election is heavily supported by the United States, as well as other European Union and Latin American countries; however, this also cannot

42 “Real Negotiation among Venezuela's Main Political Actors 'Only Way Forward' to Resolving Protracted Crisis, ​ Under-Secretary-General Tells Security Council | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases.” United Nations, Security Council, 20 May 2020, www.un.org/press/en/2020/sc14193.doc.htm. ​ ​ 43 “NA Chairwoman Receives Venezuelan Guests: Politics: Vietnam+ (VietnamPlus).” VietnamPlus, 30 Sept. 2019, en.vietnamplus.vn/na-chairwoman-receives-venezuelan-guests/161285.vnp 44 “Real Negotiation among Venezuela's Main Political Actors 'Only Way Forward' to Resolving Protracted Crisis, ​ Under-Secretary-General Tells Security Council | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases.” United Nations, Security Council, 20 May 2020, www.un.org/press/en/2020/sc14193.doc.htm.

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23rd Annual Session of the Seoul Model United Nations ​ ensure that a sufficient government would be established. Moreover, countries with veto powers such as Russia and China are heavily against intervention and believe that the United States should respect Venezuela’s sovereignty. Thus, negotiations between all political actors involved in Venezuela should resume as it is unlikely that all supporting nations, Maduro, and Guaidó will reach an agreement without a systematic dialogue. In 2019, Norway-mediated talks occured between Maduro and the opposition party, but ended within weeks to protest sanctions imposed by the United States.45 The coronavirus has also brought the two opposing parties together through secret talks, yet, no proper dialogue has been formed to guarantee a step towards mending relationships.46 Venezuela could host talks with political actors and relevant nations to instigate policies on changing the economy and healthcare to solve the humanitarian crisis the nation is facing, while ensuring that their sovereignty is not threatened.

The economic recession and hyperinflation are the most difficult issues to resolve within Venezuela’s crisis. Before the nation’s economic catastrophe, Venezuela heavily relied on oil exports since the time of Chávez’s presidency, resulting in a lack of diversification of the economy. Thus, investment in other sectors of Venezuelan industries such as tourism and heavy industry, would give the economy another source of revenue.47 Previously nationalized sectors of the economy under Chávez should be privatized for greater revenue generation, and by allowing free investment, Venezuela has the capability of gaining full use from its estimated 296.5 billion oil barrels (the world's largest oil reserves). In fact, in 2020, Maduro finally went against his socialist party’s mission of state monopoly in the economy and agreed to privatize some sectors of the economy by allowing control to several big international corporations. However, this has resulted in Maduro avoiding sanctions from the United States, and thus it must be ensured

45 “Venezuela Opposition: Norway-Mediated Talks with Maduro Are Over.” Venezuela News | Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 17 Sept. 2019, www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/venezuela-opposition-norway-mediated-talks-maduro-190916211901409.html. ​ 46 “Venezuela: Allies of Maduro and Guaidó Hold Secret Talks over Coronavirus Fears.” The Guardian, Guardian ​ ​ News and Media, 22 Apr. 2020, www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/22/venezuela-maduro-guaido-coronavirus-secret-talks. ​ 47 Halff, Antoine, et al. “Apocalypse Now: Venezuela, Oil and Reconstruction.” Center on Global Energy Policy | Columbia SIPA, Columbia Global Energy Dialogues, www.growthlab.cid.harvard.edu/files/growthlab/files/cgepapocalypsenowvenezuelaoilandreconstruction7_17_1.pdf. ​

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23rd Annual Session of the Seoul Model United Nations ​ through a mechanism that the revenue is used on humanitarian aid for the Venezuelan people, rather than for only Maduro and his allies.48

Many experts believe that opening the country to foreign investment could possibly be another method to revitalize the economy, as state investment is impracticable considering the large government debt and food shortages.49 Incentivization for private firms to return to Venezuela and increase the flow of money and economic activity could also serve as possible routes for Venezuela’s future. Several ways this incentivization could succeed would be to allow the value of the Venezuelan bolívar to increase by reducing foreign exchange controls, in order for foreign corporations and firms to find an affordable way of investment. Controlling inflation also needs to come with better economic policies that could be fixed through negotiations, such as calling a halt to printing more money. It could also be considered for Venezuela to enter into bailouts and trade partnerships with nations that it has alliances with, such as Russia and China, as the Maduro administration would most likely object to any injection of cash from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). These alliances could be used strategically to inject more aid and diversify the economy, as Venezuela previously accepted COVID-19 multiple aid shipments from China, consisting of quick testing kits and detection technology.50

The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the social situation, with the United Nations declaring that Venezuela is one of the countries that are most vulnerable to the pandemic due to the humanitarian crisis tied to a lack of hospital facilities and hygienic conditions.51 Recently, the United States expanded their sanctions on Venezuela to “anyone” who supports Maduro.

48 Zerpa, Fabiola, et al. “Venezuela Weighs Privatizing Oil in Face of Economic Free Fall.” Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2020, www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-27/venezuela-weighs-privatizing-oil-as-it-faces-economic-freefall. ​ 49 Sanchez, Valentina. “Venezuela Hyperinflation Hits 10 Million Percent. 'Shock Therapy' May Be Only Chance to Undo the Economic Damage.” CNBC, 5 Aug. 2019, ​ ​ www.cnbc.com/2019/08/02/venezuela-inflation-at-10-million-percent-its-time-for-shock-therapy.html. ​ 50 “Venezuela Receives 6th Aid Shipment from China to Fight COVID-19.” News | TeleSUR English, TeleSUR, 6 June 2020, www.telesurenglish.net/news/Venezuela-Receives-6th-Aid-Shipment-from-China-to-Fight-COVID-19-20200606-0 013.html. ​ 51 Herrero, Ana Vanessa, and Anthony Faiola. “Venezuela's Broken Health System Is Uniquely Vulnerable to Coronavirus. Neighbors Are Afraid the Country Will Hemorrhage Infected Migrants.” The Washington Post, WP ​ ​ Company, 20 Mar. 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/venezuela-coronavirus-health-hospital-maduro-guaido/2020/03/19/7 4ad110c-6795-11ea-b199-3a9799c54512_story.html. ​

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However, UN's human rights chief Michelle Bachelet claimed that these sanctions are “extremely broad and fail to contain sufficient measures to mitigate their impact on the most vulnerable sectors of the population,” and thus more specific and targeted sanctions are necessary to assure that the Venezuelan people are not harmed.52 Moreover, Venezuela has been cracking down on journalists, protesters, and other political dissidents that openly criticize the government, while the nation suffers from massive shortages in supplies. Non-governmental organization (NGO) involvement, through groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, could protect protesters that are targeted by the government. Aiding local organizations such as All for Venezuela could also substantially improve the Venezuelan food and medical shortage, and aiding Venezuelan refugees in nearby nations. These solutions, however, must be considered in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and should address the shortcomings of solely NGOs assisting in humanitarian issues.

The solutions for Venezuela are constantly facing challenges due to shifting situations from the COVID-19 pandemic. The options are limitless, and now the delegates of the Security Council must find plausible and strategic solutions in ensuring Venezuela’s path to security and stability.

52 “US Sanctions May Worsen Venezuela Suffering, Says UN Rights Chief.” BBC News, BBC, 9 Aug. 2019, ​ ​ www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-49287899. ​

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