THE HAGUE - The Dutch Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD) and the General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) will continue to closely monitor developments in Venezuela, according to the public part of the annual report of the MIVD sent to Parliament by Minister Bijleveld of Defense today.
The MIVD and AIVD have a Team Caribbean (TCG) that has also conducted research into the political-military developments and the security situation in neighboring Venezuela in the past year.
Defense is permanently present in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for military tasks and some police tasks. This concerns, among other things, the defense of the Kingdom, maintaining international (legal) order by combating international organized crime such as drug trafficking and national support for the countries in the Caribbean (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief). The MIVD supports the military on the spot with intelligence.
Last year, the MIVD and AIVD also conducted a joint investigation into the political-military developments and the security situation in Venezuela. Venezuela has been in an economic, political, and social crisis for years. In 2020 there were also structural shortages in the domestic market and a dilapidated oil industry. Sectoral sanctions and COVID-19 have exacerbated the socio-economic crisis.
Basic provisions such as food, water and medicine have become a luxury product that is only structurally accessible to a small elite. Dire economic conditions, coupled with a worrying security situation, have led an estimated 5 million Venezuelans to leave their country.
The political crisis in the country has been dominated since January 2019 by the confrontation between the Maduro regime, led by Nicolas Maduro and backed by the military top, and opposition leader Juan Guaido.
Opportunities to find a democratic solution to the political deadlock between the Maduro regime and the opposition are limited.
The Maduro regime won a large majority in December 2020 in parliamentary elections boycotted by the four largest opposition parties. The Western international community has not recognized the elections due to the lack of minimum democratic conditions. The opposition organized a plebiscite during the same period to give legitimacy to the continuation of the interim presidency of opposition leader Guaido. The downward spiral that Venezuela has been in for years is not expected to be broken anytime soon. The MIVD and AIVD will continue to monitor developments closely.
