What's Next for Strife-Torn Venezuela?

The recent clashes in Venezuela, which left 11 dead and over 100 injured, has put the South American country in the international community's spotlight. In the U.S., thousands of Venezuelan-Americans who oppose President Nicolas Maduro's government have held rallies in solidarity with the protesters, and the country's troubled economy is the focus of much scrutiny.

The question is what happens next - not just for Maduro, but also for the opposition?

"Clearly the economic situation has deteriorated to the point where there are popular and deep frustrations with the government," said Christopher Sabatini, senior director of policy at the Americas Society/Council of the Americas (AS/COA) and editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly. Yet Sabatini says even moderate chavistas may not align themselves with an opposition that has been stridently anti-Chavez. "And how you square the middle is unclear."

Sabatini said Maduro has several significant challenges ahead of him. One is that he must open up avenues of freedom of expression and protest, despite the fact that these will be used by the opposition. Secondly, he has to carve out a more politically moderate and less polarizing position.

"If you look at his rhetoric, he is denouncing the opposition as fascist and spoiled rich kids...If I were a betting man, I wouldn't be betting on Maduro softening his position of power sharing. But for his own survival, it may dictate he do otherwise," said Sabatini.

Thirdly, he believes Maduro must address the extreme overvaluation of the Venezuelan currency, the bolivar, and the scarcity of basic goods.

George Ciccariello-Maher, author of "We Created Chavez: A People's History of the Venezuelan Revolution," said he thinks that in the short term, the protests will taper off. Carnaval, one of the most anticipated events of the year, takes place next week....

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