David Smilde, curator of the blog, is a WOLA Senior Fellow and the Charles A. and Leo M. Favrot Professor of Human Relations at Tulane University. He has lived in or worked on Venezuela since 1992. Professor Smilde has researched Venezuela for the past twenty years. He has taught at the Universidad Central de Venezuela and the Universidad Católica Ándres Bello. From 2010-2012 he was the Chair of the Venezuelan Studies Section of the Latin American Studies Association. He is currently working on a book manuscript called Venezuela’s Transition to Socialism: Politics and Human Rights under Chávez, 2008-2012. He is co-editor of Venezuela's Bolivarian Democracy: Participation, Politics and Culture under Chávez (Duke 2011).
Yesterday, National Assembly President Juan Guaidó announced that the Venezuelan opposition will meet with Maduro government representatives in Barbados, thereby resuming the negotiation process being guided by Norwegian diplomats. Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs…
(As we are go to publication, the United Nations Human Rights Commission has published the report from Michelle Bachelet’s trip to Venezuela, to be officially released tomorrow, July 5. We will have full coverage in the next edition of …
On Thursday the Inter-American Dialogue’s daily publication the Latin America Advisor ran a Q&A on the significance of the accusations of misappropriation of funds by opposition designates in Colombia and the whether Juan Guaidó’s movement was losing steam. Julia Buxton, …
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, concluded her three day visit in Venezuela. She held meetings with Maduro government officials, the opposition, victims of human rights violations and with numerous representatives of the civil society. Among …
The much anticipated visit holds significant potential for altering Venezuela’s political stalemate as Bachelet was personally invited by Maduro and as a two-term president of Chile, and was part of the regional “pink tide” of leftist governments. This has generated all sorts of opposition conspiracy theories regarding her bias as well as painfully heteronormative calls for her to avoid being “seduced” by Maduro. But all indications are that she will pull no punches.
[In the coming months, longtime friend of the Blog Dimitris Pantoulas will be helping me with the Venezuela Weekly to ensure timely publication.-DS]
The second round of talks in Norway ended on May 29 without an agreement but with indications…
Representatives of the Maduro government and representatives of the Venezuelan opposition are meeting this week in Norway. The Norwegian government announced that talks on Saturday. Importantly, both sides have sent high-level moderates from their coalition. (Transitions research generally suggests that …
The unexpectedly robust statement from the International Contact Group last week—stating they would be sending a political (i.e. not just technical) mission to discuss concrete proposals for elections and accepting the Lima Group’s invitation to discuss working together—generated some …
Friends of WOLA Rafael Uzcategui and Verónica Zubillaga put together a poll for Venezuelans to express their support for a peaceful, democratic resolution of Venezuela’s conflict. It is still open for signatures until tomorrow Friday. Here is the text in …
