How Venezuela's Protests Are Different This Time Around

For nearly five weeks, Venezuela's political opposition has organized thousands of people to protest almost every day. All major cities have experienced formal protests organized by the opposition and destructive bouts of looting by hungry citizens. Unlike the protests in 2014, which were led by a relatively small faction of opposition parties, these demonstrations have maintained their momentum after several weeks of violent government crackdowns. The frequency of violent confrontations between protesters and the security forces suggest that the demonstrations will not easily taper off even though the government has been able to disperse the protesters each day. Venezuela's protests have passed the point of no return, though their final outcome depends on actions by the protesters, the government and, most importantly, the armed forces....