Tamara Taraciuk Broner, director of the Peter D. Bell Rule of Law Program at the Inter-American Dialogue: “While a democratic transition in Venezuela looks naïve with top leadership determined to cling to power by ramping up brutal repression to unprecedented levels, it is not impossible. A transfer of power will not be easy nor quick—and it is certainly not guaranteed—but it may happen if key steps are taken. The opposition’s achievement was not only winning the election, but also proving its victory. Despite spiraling violence to crush dissent, the Venezuelan people bravely took to the streets last Thursday to call for their popular will to be respected. María Corina Machado was abducted after the demonstrations and then let go, evidencing internal disputes within the regime. Edmundo González Urrutia is the legitimately elected president of Venezuela and the only one who should take office. Attendees at Maduro’s unsurprising closed-door swearing-in included…”