Chaos in Venezuela: Can Democracy Be Restored?
Dr. Cynthia Arnson
Dr. Cynthia Arnson
LUNCHEON
24 April, 2018 Arizona Inn
Social Hour: 11:30 AM; LUNCH 12:00 PM; Speaker and Discussion: 12:30 PM
Venezuela had a chance to become one of South America’s leading democracies. It has the world’s largest proven oil reserves and is the fourth largest supplier to the United States. But rather than build on these assets, President Nicolás Maduro has turned himself into a dictator and the country into an economic basket case. He modeled himself on his left-wing predecessor, Hugo Chávez, with excessive public spending that, coupled with massive corruption, mismanagement, and falling oil prices, has sent the economy into a tailspin. The inflation rate for 2017 was estimated at 720 percent, and it is believed that 80 percent of Venezuelans live in poverty, suffering acute shortages of basic food and medicine. Relatedly, Venezuelans have been migrating to Colombia, Brazil, and neighboring Caribbean islands in massive and ever-growing numbers.
President Trump has reportedly deemed Venezuela one of his top three national-security priorities, alongside North Korea and Iran. Throughout his first year in office, he took an aggressive stance, stepping up individual and financial sanctions and threatening military action.
Mr. Trump’s threat of military action appears to have strengthened Maduro. Like his predecessor, Hugo Chávez, Maduro has blamed “U.S. aggression” for the failures of his own government, rallying his base with warnings of alleged American plots to invade. Despite his broad unpopularity, President Nicolas Maduro is expected to retain power in the 2018 presidential elections, using food as a weapon and restricting opposition candidates.
To assess the results of the just held election and the future of Venezuela and its relations with the United States and the region, we welcome Dr. Cynthia Arnson.
Dr. Cynthia J. Arnson is director of the Latin American Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. She is a widely-recognized expert on Latin American politics, political economy, and international relations, including U.S. policy in the Western Hemisphere. She is quoted frequently in major U.S. and Latin American media and has testified on numerous occasions before committees of the U.S. Congress. Her most recent book, co-edited with Carlos de la Torre, is Latin American Populism in the 21st Century.
She has published extensively on Latin American politics and human rights and is a member of the advisory boards of the Social Science Research Council’s Conflict Prevention and Peace Forum, the Salvadoran Foundation for Economic and Social Development, and Human Rights Watch. She served as associate director of the Americas division from 1990-1994, covering Colombia and Central America. In the early 1980s, as a consultant to Americas Watch, Arnson wrote many of the organization’s first reports on human rights conditions in El Salvador.
Arnson served as an assistant professor of international relations at American University's School of International Service from 1989 to1991. As a foreign policy aide in the House of Representatives during the Carter and Reagan administrations, she participated in the national debates over U.S. policy and human rights in Central and South America.
LUNCHEON - ONLINE REGISTRATION CLOSED
Meal Selections:
Shrimp Scampi with Arugula and Lemon Garlic Butter
Chicken with Artichoke Hearts and Capers
Vegetable Tika
24 April, 2018 Arizona Inn
Social Hour: 11:30 AM; LUNCH 12:00 PM; Speaker and Discussion: 12:30 PM
Venezuela had a chance to become one of South America’s leading democracies. It has the world’s largest proven oil reserves and is the fourth largest supplier to the United States. But rather than build on these assets, President Nicolás Maduro has turned himself into a dictator and the country into an economic basket case. He modeled himself on his left-wing predecessor, Hugo Chávez, with excessive public spending that, coupled with massive corruption, mismanagement, and falling oil prices, has sent the economy into a tailspin. The inflation rate for 2017 was estimated at 720 percent, and it is believed that 80 percent of Venezuelans live in poverty, suffering acute shortages of basic food and medicine. Relatedly, Venezuelans have been migrating to Colombia, Brazil, and neighboring Caribbean islands in massive and ever-growing numbers.
President Trump has reportedly deemed Venezuela one of his top three national-security priorities, alongside North Korea and Iran. Throughout his first year in office, he took an aggressive stance, stepping up individual and financial sanctions and threatening military action.
Mr. Trump’s threat of military action appears to have strengthened Maduro. Like his predecessor, Hugo Chávez, Maduro has blamed “U.S. aggression” for the failures of his own government, rallying his base with warnings of alleged American plots to invade. Despite his broad unpopularity, President Nicolas Maduro is expected to retain power in the 2018 presidential elections, using food as a weapon and restricting opposition candidates.
To assess the results of the just held election and the future of Venezuela and its relations with the United States and the region, we welcome Dr. Cynthia Arnson.
Dr. Cynthia J. Arnson is director of the Latin American Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. She is a widely-recognized expert on Latin American politics, political economy, and international relations, including U.S. policy in the Western Hemisphere. She is quoted frequently in major U.S. and Latin American media and has testified on numerous occasions before committees of the U.S. Congress. Her most recent book, co-edited with Carlos de la Torre, is Latin American Populism in the 21st Century.
She has published extensively on Latin American politics and human rights and is a member of the advisory boards of the Social Science Research Council’s Conflict Prevention and Peace Forum, the Salvadoran Foundation for Economic and Social Development, and Human Rights Watch. She served as associate director of the Americas division from 1990-1994, covering Colombia and Central America. In the early 1980s, as a consultant to Americas Watch, Arnson wrote many of the organization’s first reports on human rights conditions in El Salvador.
Arnson served as an assistant professor of international relations at American University's School of International Service from 1989 to1991. As a foreign policy aide in the House of Representatives during the Carter and Reagan administrations, she participated in the national debates over U.S. policy and human rights in Central and South America.
LUNCHEON - ONLINE REGISTRATION CLOSED
Meal Selections:
Shrimp Scampi with Arugula and Lemon Garlic Butter
Chicken with Artichoke Hearts and Capers
Vegetable Tika