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3 diplomatic hot spots: Iran, Venezuela and Cuba

Cindy Arnson

Cynthia Arnson, Director of the Latin American Program, is quoted in an article on U.S. diplomatic relations with Venezuela.

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In Venezuela, new U.S. sanctions are in place that continue to depress the country's already-suffering economy as oil prices plummet and basic goods begin to run out. Cynthia Arnson, director of the Latin American Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center, said the sanctions are also leading to widespread citizen unrest, with much of the anger directed at the United States:

"What's caused such an enormous problem not just in the US Venezuelan relations but throughout the hemisphere is that the requirements of US law are such that the executive branch, President Obama, has to declare a national emergency and identify Venezuela as a threat to national security in order to implement the sanctions and it's this kind of language that has allowed [Venezuelan President] Maduro to rally his base and has caused ordinary Venezuelans to really sort of wonder what the United States is thinking about...so this language brings up the worst kinds of memory of the history of Us Latin American relations so it's really been unfortunate. It's provided an enormous boost to the President."

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To read the full article, click here

About the Author

Cindy Arnson

Cynthia J. Arnson

Distinguished Fellow, Latin America Program
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Latin America Program

The Wilson Center’s prestigious Latin America Program provides non-partisan expertise to a broad community of decision makers in the United States and Latin America on critical policy issues facing the Hemisphere. The Program provides insightful and actionable research for policymakers, private sector leaders, journalists, and public intellectuals in the United States and Latin America. To bridge the gap between scholarship and policy action, it fosters new inquiry, sponsors high-level public and private meetings among multiple stakeholders, and explores policy options to improve outcomes for citizens throughout the Americas. Drawing on the Wilson Center’s strength as the nation’s key non-partisan policy forum, the Program serves as a trusted source of analysis and a vital point of contact between the worlds of scholarship and action.  Read more