that the opposition is a coalition of parties united only in their discontent with the government has failed to reassure many.

"There's a great deal of jockeying for position in terms of who is the leader of the opposition. There are a number of personalities that are important that have had a hard time speaking in one voice," Arnson said.

An uncertain future

Venezuela's turmoil has garnered international attention and provoked fiery rhetoric, such as when President Donald Trump said U.S. military intervention in the country was on the table.

The Trump administration has sanctioned Venezuelan government officials it believes are linked to international drug trafficking and human rights violations, including Vice President Tarek El-Aissami and several government ministers.

For the first time since Maduro's election in 2013, the majority of countries inthe Organization of American States have issued strong condemnations of his government. Although OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro has called Maduro's efforts to sew up power "treason" against the Venezuelan people, the organization has failed to pass any resolutions against the Venezuelan government.

International pressure can do only so much. It's a combination of internal dynamics and external factors that bring about change, Arnson said.

Attempts at formal dialogue between the Maduro government and the opposition — often brokered by former world leaders or other neutral parties — have so far proved fruitless.

Late last year the Vatican tried to mediate talks between leaders from both sides without success.

Opposition leaders and other critics of the Venezuelan government, including Arnson, maintain that dialogue just buys Maduro time.

Four months into the protests and