Crisis in Venezuela: Implications for Democracy, Human Rights, and the Environment
Event Sponsor
Overview
As the Wilson Center launches its series “Hemisphere of Prosperity and Freedom,” the situation in Venezuela is deteriorating, amid the persistent oppression, violence, and economic mismanagement of the Nicolás Maduro regime.
With the Mexico City negotiations between the regime and the democratic opposition stalled, the Venezuelan opposition is seeking to hold primaries on the heels of a decision to eliminate the interim government. Meanwhile, human rights conditions have worsened. A recent report by the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela found that the regime “relies on the intelligence services and its agents to repress dissent in the country. In doing so, grave crimes and human rights violations are being committed, including acts of torture and sexual violence.”
In addition to human rights concerns, Venezuela is quickly becoming an epicenter of illegal gold mining and deforestation in the Amazon. Illegal mining provides income to the regime, finances armed groups, and damages sensitive ecosystems. A report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development warned that “all gold originating within Venezuela should be considered high-risk.”
Speakers
Cristina V. Burelli
P. Michael McKinley
Marta Valiñas
Introductions
Keynote Speakers
Hosted By
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
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