<\/p>\n
It was a rare diplomatic gamble when the three leaders of Latin America\u2019s largest democracies inserted themselves<\/a><\/span> into the high-stakes standoff between Venezuela\u2019s Nicolas Maduro and his opponents over who won the country\u2019s presidential election.<\/p>\n Dubbed the three amigos \u2014 all dyed-in-the-wool leftists who have been friendly with Maduro \u2014 the presidents of Brazil, Colombia and Mexico broke from decades of hands-off diplomacy toward Venezuela and their own reluctance to meddle in a neighbor\u2019s sovereign affairs in a region where U.S. military interventions during the Cold War still generate resentment.<\/p>\n But some experts say the peacemaking effort<\/a><\/span> is losing steam before barely getting off the ground.<\/p>\n They cite misgivings by Mexico\u2019s outgoing president, divisions among Latin America\u2019s left and pressure from the U.S. on Maduro to recognize defeat and step aside. The main outcome so far, they say, has been to grant Maduro precious time to consolidate his rule and jail more opponents<\/a><\/span> since the July 28 vote.<\/p>\n \u201cThe mediation effort is cautious, focusing on avoiding conflict and a new migration wave rather than defending democracy,\u201d said Daniel Lansberg-Rodriguez, a Venezuelan born analyst and founder of Aurora Macro Strategies, a geopolitical risk consulting firm based in New York.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s hard to be optimistic,\u201d adds Michael Shifter, the former president of the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington.<\/p>\n The diplomatic effort by Brazil\u2019s Luiz In\u00e1cio Lula da Silva, Mexico\u2019s Andr\u00e9s Manuel L\u00f3pez Obrador and Colombia\u2019s Gustavo Petro to resolve the dispute over the election outcome was initially heralded by many in Venezuela\u2019s opposition and the U.S., which was happy to leave that political minefield to others.<\/p>\n Lula, who dispatched a close aide to Caracas to monitor the vote, refused to recognize Maduro\u2019s claim of victory. Joined by L\u00f3pez Obrador and Petro, he also called on Venezuelan authorities to publish detailed tallies of election results \u2014 as it has traditionally \u2014 to back their claim that Maduro won.<\/p>\n \u201cIf there are doubts … then count the votes,\u201d L\u00f3pez Obrador said in his first remarks after the election.<\/p>\n Opposition politicians have said they obtained more than 80% of the country\u2019s vote<\/a><\/span> tally sheets and that they show challenger Edmundo Gonz\u00e1lez winning by a two-to-one margin, which has prompted the U.S. and dozens of other countries to say that Gonz\u00e1lez garnered the most votes.<\/p>\n Brazil, Mexico and Colombia have not joined those countries, trying instead to get Maduro to release the disaggregated results. But as weeks have passed, and as the Venezuelan government\u2019s crackdown on the opposition has continued, the trio has lost some of its mojo. A long-discussed phone call between the presidents and Maduro has yet to take place.<\/p>\n\n\n