Venezuelan Autocrat Maduro Attempts a Public Relations Coup
- He releases prisoners and makes sallies at reconciliation
- Few expect a flowering of democracy in the ravaged land
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After winning re-election in a vote derided as a sham, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is embarking on a more difficult task: persuading everyone who labeled him a ruthless autocrat that he’s allowing enough freedom to avoid more punishment or international retribution.
Since his May 20 victory, Maduro has called for adjusting policies that have scared off foreign investors and made Venezuela’s oil industry crumble. He’s met with members of the opposition, bankers, diplomats and even a U.S. senator. Seeking to “turn the page on political violence,” he’s released dozens of jailed activists, politicians, gang members and most notably Joshua Holt, a Utah man held on questionable gun charges for nearly two years without trial.