CARACAS, Aug 22: Venezuela is at a crossroads, with the government of strongman Nicolas Maduro doubling down on his disputed reelection victory and the opposition vowing to resist "to the end."
The choice, say analysts, is between entrenching authoritarianism or democratic change.
"The conditions exist for almost anything to happen," political analyst Benigno Alarcon of Venezuela's Andres Bello Catholic University told AFP.
With the government unlikely to budge, the outcome depends largely on the path chosen by the opposition and the depth of the international support it can muster, he added.
Within hours of the July 28 elections, Venezuela's CNE electoral council proclaimed Maduro the winner with 52 percent of votes cast but without providing a detailed breakdown of the results. —AFP
