Venezuela.
So what's it like in Venezuela anyway? Juan Marquéz Guaidó, the incumbent speaker of parliament, has declared himself interim president, saying he will ensure a transitional government is formed and democratic elections are held. The almost 36-year-old politician, who has a university degree and a postgraduate degree in the USA, has been a student activist for many years and is the founder of the political party Popular Will. Guaidó has a scar from being hit by a rubber bullet at one of the demonstrations. The turning point in his perception of politics was surely 1999, the year of the so-called Vargas tragedy, when a flash flood washed away thousands of homes and killed tens of thousands of residents in the Vargas area. Even Guaidó's family was temporarily homeless at that time. The lacklustre response of the then ruling Venezuelan regime to this extraordinary tragedy was one of the factors influencing the young politician's development. In 2010, he won the position of substitute regional federal representative and five years later, after the elections, he managed to take a full parliamentary seat. However, it is still difficult to push through reforms in his native region, as most of the companies are state-owned and therefore pro-Chavez. In January 2019, he is installed as head of the Venezuelan parliament. He sees this as an opportunity to change conditions in a country that is currently facing major economic problems and is entering into open conflict with President Maduro.
From the perspective of a citizen of the Czech Republic, Venezuela is a remote part of the world. More than thirty million inhabitants, the capital Caracas, the Orinoco (river) and the world's highest waterfall Salto Angel are for me the hallmarks of this vast South American country. However, the divergent view and the rapid reaction of a number of major world leaders to the situation in Venezuela makes it clear that we should be interested in it now. There is more at stake here than just formally sitting in the presidential chair somewhere thousands of miles away. Once again, as so many times before, two easily recognisable blocs are pitted against each other. Russia, Turkey, Cuba, Mexico, Bolivia see it differently from the USA, Canada, Argentina, but also Denmark and Sweden. Our diplomacy takes the cautious, albeit understandable, view that a unified EU response needs to be established and presented. That is certainly wise and prudent. But what is our view as the Czech Republic, what do we think is right? And if we do not have an opinion, is the Canadian or Turkish view more to our liking?