The Battle for Democracy in Venezuela: A Conversation with Former Interim President Juan Guaidó
Deteriorating conditions under Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian government continue to raise concerns about democracy and human rights in Venezuela and migration challenges throughout the region.
In a sign of the regime’s repression of the democratic opposition, former Interim President Juan Guaidó recently escaped the country, traveling through Colombia amid persistent threats of government persecution. In recent days, the international community has come together to engage in discussions about the importance of restoring democracy and the rule of law in Venezuela. At the same time, however, Guaidó’s journey to the United States is drawing renewed attention to the challenges faced by the democratic opposition in Venezuela, where the state security and intelligence services brutally quash dissent.
Please join our conversation with former Interim President Guaidó to discuss the challenges confronting Venezuela’s democratic opposition and how international actors could help bring about a democratic future in Venezuela. The dialogue is part of the Wilson Center’s Hemisphere of Prosperity and Freedom series.
Select Quotes
Hon. William Brownfield
Distinguished Fellow, Wilson Center
Career Ambassador serving as US Ambassador to Chile, Venezuela, and Colombia (2001-2010)
Assistant Secretary of State for Drugs and Law Enforcement (2011-2017)
"I dare anyone to be able to blame Mr. Guidó for lack of intense effort to produce a democratic outcome."
"Anyone that wishes to address this issue, cannot with any seriousness suggest that the fault lies in the interim president of Venezuela for a lack of courage, lack of conviction, lack of willingness to make tough decisions."
Hon. Juan Guidó
Interim President of Venezuela (2019-2023)
"For an agreement to be successful, there has to be sufficient pressure for a dictatorship to give in."
"Any approach to a dictatorship without having the tools to hold them accountable...normaliz[es] the dictatorship."
"You can't use a kind or soft approach with this dictatorship."
"Six dollars a month is what a teacher earns in Venezuela."
Hon. Mark A. Green
President and CEO, Wilson Center
"Some things have changed, but most have not."
Event Sponsors
Event Co-Sponsors
Speakers
Introduction
Career Ambassador serving as US Ambassador to Chile, Venezuela, and Colombia from 2001-2010; former Assistant Secretary of State for Drugs and Law Enforcement
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