Support grows in Venezuela for sanctions against Maduro regime

According to a poll poll released by The Miami Herald, there is growing support by Venezuelans for increasing sanctions and international pressure to force Nicolás Maduro to surrender power.

According to the poll, two out of three Venezuelans believe that Maduro holds the presidency illegitimately, aligning with the opposition's claim that Edmundo González won the election by a two-to-one margin. According to a report by The Miami Herald, today 90% of Venezuelans believe that Maduro rigged the elections.

The data from Venezuela 

The poll, based on 1,200 interviews conducted face-to-face in late February, showed that 73% of non-Maduro supporters in Venezuelans favor the application of international sanctions against individual members of the regime, and 59% in favor of sanctions against the state-owned oil company Petróleos de Venezuela, PDVSA. Only 20% of non-Maduro supporters oppose sanctions against PDVSA.

The poll also found that the level of support for top opposition leader, María Corina Machado has not decreased significantly among non-Maduro supporters, dropping slightly to 72% from the 80% it held in the days prior to the July 28 election. Support for Edmundo González has fallen to 67% from 76% in the same period, while 60% believe he did all that could have been done.

Sanctions as hope for change in Venezuela

Now that protests in Venezuela are considered too dangerous, many Venezuelans see international sanctions and foreign intervention as a hope for change, said David Bluestone, founder and partner of ClearPath Strategies.

The government crackdown on dissent following unrest sparked by the regime's announcement that Maduro had won the election led to the arrest of nearly 2,400 people, including protesters, opposition leaders, journalists and human rights activists.