Many years ago, when Venezuela wasn't notorious internationally for a chavista-made humanitarian crisis but for having a loquacious leader that broke protocol wherever he went, I argued in an article that, ultimately, the end of chavismo could only come about by offering some sort of amnesty, pardons, and compromise to some of the most hated chavista officials and boligarchs in the country. History contains many examples. Seldom peace has been achieved by waging war.

Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), lest our American friends forget, is the principal engine of whatever is left of Venezuela's economy. It has always been thus. Whatever happens with / to PDVSA, is a matter of great significance to / for Venezuela and its citizens. PDVSA launched in Florida and Switzerland competing fraud claims -against Glencore, Trafigura, Vitol, Lukoil, etc.- in what its legal counsel presented as one of the largest corruption schemes to hit the energy giant. A scheme that, allegedly, lasted years and cost the company billions in losses.

Venezuela is, again, in vogue. Is not Hugo Chavez calling George W. Bush names from an U.N. pulpit, but the actions of his Havana-picked heir, Nicolas Maduro. Maduro has all the power that Chavez... Let me rephrase: Maduro has more power than what Chavez could ever amass. Maduro has consolidated a narco trafficking, dictatorial, galloping kleptocracy and has vested himself, and his collaborators, with power quotas beyond democracy's and rule of law reach. Normal rules just don't apply to Maduro and his criminal organization. He can't be voted out, dismissed, impeached, or taken to court.