Venezuela Is About to Go Bust
Venezuela will have to default. The only question is when.
Juan Nagel
February 8, 2016
“How do you plead Mr. Leopoldo Lopez: Democrat or Innocent?”
How does a trial for a political prisoner in Venezuela turnout? The fourteen year sentence issued to the popular Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez on September 10th, 2015, surely gives away that the outcome is not favorable. But forget the outcome, what about the process? Given Lopez’s commitment to democracy, this question of “procedure” may be self explanatory…
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February 1, 2016
U.S. Leverage in Latin America
One of the legacies President Barack Obama will leave to his successor is increased foreign policy leverage in Latin America. Nowhere is this more evident than in U.S. policy toward Cuba and Venezuela—and because of those two countries with the rest of the hemisphere.
Greg Weeks
January 29, 2016
Venezuela y su Estado de Derecho imaginario
La crisis institucional atravesada por Venezuela invita al ejercicio borgeano de imaginar cómo sería la democracia sin Estado de Derecho.
admin
January 22, 2016
Actual Human Rights Recommendations Made at the UNHRC
Sometimes the statements at the UNHRC make the UN human rights body sound more like a comedy club than a serious forum dedicated to human life, security and dignity.
admin
January 15, 2016
Carta del Secretario General de la OEA al Presidente de Venezuela
La democracia tiene un solo camino: el compromiso con los derechos garantizados a todos los ciudadanos del país. Su esencia es proteger los derechos y las decisiones del pueblo respecto a un gobierno que podría abusar de su poder, ignorando o rechazando los resultados de la elección. Esto es de extrema seriedad porque constituiría la violación de principios fundamentales.
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January 13, 2016
Venezuela’s Supermajority Reconsidered
Any numerical representation of people has institutional and moral consequences. This is especially so in Venezuela where Chavistas consistently had a monopoly on being the majority and used it to discount opposition as los escualidos (the few, rotten elites), a characterization that is now less credible with the recent elections.
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January 8, 2016
Venezuela and the Consequences of Shoddy Electoral Observation
If the absence of protests or conflict on an election day is an indicator of success, then the success of the Union of South American Nations’ (UNASUR’s) election “accompaniment” of Venezuela’s December 6th legislative elections was smashing.
Christopher Sabatini
January 7, 2016
Going Down the Rabbit Hole of the UNHRC’s Universal Review Process
Even in Latin America, a region often thought to share the same democratic orientation and values of the U.S. and Europe, there are some striking differences among groups of countries regarding supporting norms and practices on human rights internationally, with some countries lining up more with autocratic countries of the Global South.
Chris Sabatini & Amy Williams
January 7, 2016
An Ominous Opening for Venezuela’s New Parliament
For the first time in the 17 years since the late Hugo Chávez swept into power, the opposition has firm control of one of the branches of government. This proved too much for the chavista legislators to handle, and their walkout foreshadows the tensions ahead.
Juan Nagel
January 7, 2016