How Venezuelans Could Reshape Elections in Florida
As an engineer, Jorge Pacheco never expected his job would make him the target of political persecution. But as Venezuela’s finances floundered and its public services deteriorated, the Venezuelan government blamed engineers at the state-owned electrical provider CORPOELEC for power grid disruptions. As political persecution became more common, the young man made the difficult choice … Read more
The Six Players in Venezuela’s Crisis
Venezuela is at a crossroads. President Nicolás Maduro is pushing ahead with a vote Sunday to elect a 545-member National Constituent Assembly (ANC) with powers to rewrite the constitution and cement his hold on power. Events over the next few days will determine the survival of Venezuelan democracy, the welfare of its population, and the … Read more
The Venezuelan Diaspora’s Role in Confronting Maduro
On Sunday, July 16 more than 7 million Venezuelans – at home and abroad – participated in a symbolic referendum against the constitutional convention proposed by President Nicolás Maduro. I was one of the votes from abroad. Besides casting my ballot, I also volunteered to accompany observers witnessing the process in New York City. We started by visiting … Read more
My Brother, Leopoldo López, Is No Longer in Prison. But He Is Not Free – and Neither Is Venezuela.
My brother Leopoldo López, leader of Venezuela’s Voluntad Popular party, was sentenced to 13 years, nine months, seven days and 12 hours in prison for giving a speech in which he denounced the corruption and the antidemocratic repression of Nicolás Maduro’s government. He was arrested in 2014 during a government crack-down on protesters, and charged … Read more
Mid-Terms, Graduation, Fighting a Dictator: Venezuelan Students’ Shifting Priorities
CARACAS – Students at Caracas’ Simón Bolivar University (USB) haven’t had an exam in three months. Professors at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) stopped taking attendance. At the Andrés Bello Catholic University (UCAB), protests and road closures count as excused absences. As a large portion of the 3,500 people detained by security services in recent … Read more
Maduro Justice: Secret Evidence and Military Courts for Venezuela’s Protesters
On May 15, Carlos Ramírez, a student activist in Mérida, Venezuela, was picked up by police at an anti-government protest. Forty-eight hours later, he’d been flown to a military base 300 kilometers away, accused of treason, given only one phone call – and 30 minutes to find an attorney before his first hearing. “It’s very … Read more
Now Is Latin America’s Chance to Rally Against Maduro
Latin America should face an inconvenient truth – it has no workable strategy to confront the Venezuelan crisis. When the region’s foreign ministers meet at the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington on May 31, they will have an opportunity to develop such a joint approach. They should do so. The clock is ticking … Read more
Chávez’s ‘Golden Generation’ Is Now Fighting Chavismo
Leer en español Lorena remembers her first impression of Hugo Chávez. He was the man in the poster that her father brought from the polling station after casting his vote. “He explained to me that he was the president and he was facing a re-election,” Lorena recalls. She was around six years old. “He told … Read more
Venezuelan Refugees Strain Colombian Border Towns
CÚCUTA, Colombia — Majerly Ospina lives with her three children in a tin roof shack with walls of green plastic. They have no running water or electricity. Despite the hardships, Ospina is thankful for what they have in Colombia; living conditions were tougher in her native Venezuela. “You can’t find food there,” she said, holding … Read more
First Aid on Venezuela’s Front Lines
Violent clashes between Venezuelan protesters and government forces wielding tear gas, rubber bullets, water cannons and tanks have killed at least 29 people since April 1 and left many more injured – including members of the security forces. As marches continue this week, this grim tally is expected to climb. Hoping to mitigate risk and … Read more
Can’t We Give Venezuela’s Opposition a Little Credit?
Venezuela’s opposition is perhaps one of Latin America’s most criticized political forces. Even within the opposition itself, critics abound. Every opposition voter I meet has a long list of complaints about the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD, in Spanish), the grand coalition of parties that since 2008 has led the opposition to Chavismo and now President … Read more
Why Protesters in Venezuela Should Resist Responding to Violence with Violence
Most Venezuelans taking part in today’s “mother of all marches” against President Nicolás Maduro are planning to do so peacefully. Even the country’s most outspoken opposition leaders are using the language of nonviolent resistance. Not everyone is on board. Government security forces have cracked down violently on dissent; regime-backed paramilitary groups attacked marchers and have … Read more
Brazil’s Foreign Policy Is “Back In the Game”
Latin America faces many challenges to ensure a better life for its citizens. The best tool to tackle such challenges is improving democratic governance, which does not always find fertile ground to thrive. The main obstacle to democratic governance continues to be populist politicians and their shaky commitment to democracy. The making of a democratic … Read more
Why Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro Doesn’t Look Finished Quite Yet
While it’s tempting to describe President Nicolás Maduro’s government as crazy or erratic, a closer analysis reveals that decision-makers in Caracas operate according to a clear – and effective – set of principles. Indeed, Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chávez have long been aware of the fact that high-profile ruptures of democratic order – such … Read more
Brazil Should Do More for Venezuela’s Refugees and Migrants
Venezuela’s protracted political and economic crisis is reaching a breaking point. Over the past few months thousands of Venezuelans fled across the border to seek sanctuary in northern Brazil, many of them taking only what they could carry on their backs. Although the humanitarian emergency has been brewing for some time, the Brazilian authorities appear woefully … Read more
