Crisis In Venezuela Research Articles

How regional organizations cope with recurrent stress: the case of South America

Barely 15 years after the 2008 financial crisis and in a context of rising nationalism, regional organizations are facing multiple challenges. This article introduces an analytical framework that systematizes stressors and identifies characteristics that might help regional organizations to cope with stress. It draws on psychological models of how individuals cope with stress to explore how regional organizations grapple with a sequence of stress situations. Stress factors can aggravate pre-existing problems in regionalism and contribute to regional disintegration. But they can also trigger counter-reactions and strengthen the resilience of regionalism. To substantiate our arguments, we study the repercussions of two recent crises for South American regionalism: the political crisis in Venezuela and the Covid-19 pandemic. © 2021, INSTBRASILEIRORELACOESINT. All rights reserved.

The political crisis of power in modern Venezuela: Reasons, dynamics, prospects of resolution

The article examines the features and contradictions of resolving the political crisis in Venezuela. The authors analyze the activities of the direct parties to the conflict (the ruling regime led by current President Nicolas Maduro and the political opposition supported by the country’s Parliament) to resolve it and get the country out of the impasse. The work emphasizes the importance of socio-economic reasons that led to the emergence of the political crisis and the emergence of political forces, on the one hand, defending the ideas of socialist development, and, on the other, the values of the liberal — democratic structure of the state. The authors focus on the mechanisms and ways of resolving the political crisis implemented by Latin American countries, non-regional states and international organizations. However, their activities, as the study shows, are not effective enough since the national interests of states have a superior influence over the needs of stabilizing the political situation in the country and resolving the crisis. The authors examine the contradictions that prevent the beginning of a constructive dialogue between the parties of the conflict, supported by various segments of the population. The effectiveness of various international platforms and negotiation formats aimed at finding and developing solutions to the current crisis, compromises, and areas of joint activity is analyzed. As a result of the research, the authors come to the conclusion that at present it is necessary to cooperate more closely with both the ruling political elite and the opposition, despite the polar views of their representatives, as well as to expand the number of states in order to form a more objective negotiation process and achieve mutually acceptable solutions.

Crisis y cambio social en las universidades venezolanas

The crisis of the universities is not anomalous, since it is due to their natural form of existence, which allows them to be immersed in the processes of social change, and to be committed to establishing strategies in order to propose processes of national reconstruction, a mission that the situation above the material reality of society. In this sense, this research's main objective was to determine the importance of the university to generate social change in the face of the Venezuelan crisis.

Reconciliation and Peace Opportunity: A Peace Psychology Analysis on Venezuela Crisis

The Venezuela crisis is an intersection between political turmoil, economic crisis, mismanagement of natural resources, poverty, and health issues. The root causes of the crisis can be examined by using a peace psychology analysis, chiefly the concept of moral disengagement. This perspective is useful for looking at the Venezuelan crisis in a different approach and, at the same time, addressing peace efforts. One of the things that need to be pursued by domestic actors and humanitarian intervention is reconciliation. This reconciliation must meet the pre-conditions for the dialogue and peace agenda.

UTILIZAÇÃO DE CONCEITOS EVOLUTIVOS COMO CONTRAPONTO A MANIFESTAÇÕES XENOFÓBICAS

Em anos recentes uma crise econômica na Venezuela resultou em uma onda de emigração para diversos países, incluindo o Brasil. Nas divulgações digitais sobre os casos de migração venezuelana na rede mundial de computadores, diversos comentários xenofóbicos foram emitidos por internautas brasileiros. Considerando que a xenofobia é consolidada por reprodução social, sendo favorecida pela ausência de Alfabetização-Científica Tecnológica (ACT), é possível que essa temática possa ser abordada a partir de uma perspectiva crítica do ensino de Biologia Evolutiva. Neste contexto, no presente trabalho aplicamos uma Análise Textual Discursiva (ATD) sobre comentários de internautas, buscando investigar como eles estão fundamentados. Para tanto, foram analisados comentários emitidos em matérias relacionadas à imigração venezuelana para o Brasil, sendo estes classificados em três categorias emergentes: nacionalismo ufanista (12 comentários), inferioridade racial (8 comentários) e imigração como fator prejudicial (10 comentários). Para cada categoria, foram apresentados conceitos da Biologia Evolutiva que podem ser utilizados como contraponto aos pensamentos xenofóbicos. Considerando que a xenofobia pode surgir a partir de influências culturais, informações imprecisas ou carência de informação, enfatizamos que o ensino contextualizado pode contribuir para a superação dessa visão de mundo.

Economic and Social Turmoil in Venezuela Caused by Autocracy and Misgovernance

Venezuela was once a thriving economy but it experienced one of the worst political crisis and economic catastrophe in modern times. The failure of leadership and erroneous policy measures were instrumental in this disaster. After Hugo Chavez, his successor Nicolás Maduro from socialist PSUV party took over in 2013. His extension through the general election in May 2018 remained shrouded under controversy. There was massive corruption, social repression, deceleration of productivity, economic indecision, higher dependence on oil, rampant human rights violation, and shutdown of businesses noticed during his regime. Venezuela is an oil rich country with the leading verified oil reserves in the world. Its economy is highly dependent on oil exports but oil production has plummeted tremendously. The nation failed to diversify in other lines of production even as oil prices started to fall since 2014 and the economy suffered beyond measure. As per IMF estimate, Venezuela's economy has shrunk by more than one-third between 2013 and 2017 approximately. Its currency value reduced to rubble, inflation skyrocketed, GDP growth rate went into tailspin and debt defaulted. There is unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Venezuela in recent times. Rise in violence and crime, hunger, malnutrition and poverty led millions of people to flee the country. As per the United Nations’ record, about 4.8 million Venezuelans left the nation since the crisis erupted in 2014. US imposed sanction on Venezuela in 2015 which further got intensified in 2017. There is now international pressure on Nicolás Maduro to step down and to allow his opponent Juan Guaidó to run the country. In the times of the Corona virus outbreak, this crisis has aggravated for the economically impaired nation.

Dreaming on Latin America: Reflections on Russian Diplomacy in the Region

The article contains an outline of evolution of so-called Russian return into Latin America. The author tries to analyze how Russian foreign policy towards the Latin American and Caribbean region over the last three decades pointing some its key features and trying to define existing obstacles for its implementation, and to make some conclusions about possible prospects for Russias position in the region facing new challenges. Based on a literature and media review and a survey of documents and available statistical data, as also on the analysis of official statements, the aim of this article is to contribute towards a more profound understanding of Russias policy in Latin America. The extension of the article doesnt permit to make a thorough research of all the details of Moscows return to the continent; however, the author will refer to Venezuelan case at the contemporary stage as one of the important issues for Russian policy. The crisis in Venezuela proves to be a test for Russia: is it able to maintain an influential actor in Latin America or not. To sum up, this case is important in the context of this article as it shows if Russian diplomacy in Latin America is really new or it is a re-edition of Soviet policy toward the region.

Venezuela: Political Confrontation and the World Community

The paper examines a complex web of domestic and external issues which have both provoked a systemic crisis in Venezuela and, at the same time, determined its specificity in comparison with the wave of protests sweeping across Latin America in 2019.The authors conclude that the escalation of the conflict in Venezuela was caused not only by the standoff between the legislative and the executive branches of the government, but also by the split of the whole society into proponents and opponents of ‘socialism of the 21st century’. The contradictions have led to the formation of the parallel branches of power: two presidents, two parliaments and two supreme courts (one of them in exile) which de facto coexist in the country and each claims exclusive rights and legitimacy.The authors also stress that the situation in Venezuela has obvious regional consequences. The miscalculations of the incumbent president were used in election campaigns in other Latin American countries and became one of the reasons for the defeat of left candidates, the subsequent ‘right drift’ leading to the isolation of the republic. The new political landscape has also affected the architecture of integration associations, which failed to develop a unified position toward the Bolivarian regime.Furthermore, in a current heightened state of international tensions Venezuela has turned into a theatre of international rivalry and conflict involving all the key subjects of world politics. The United States, China, Russia and the European Union compete for the energy resources of the country and pursue their own strategic interests. The inability or unwillingness of external forces to reach compromise and to bring the parties to the negotiating table can pose a threat to peace and international security.As a result, Venezuela has become one of the most turbulent countries in the region. At the same time, the repeated outbursts of protest waves are significantly different from popular uprisings in other Latin American states. In the worst-case scenario, a constantly worsening situation may result in a social explosion which threatens to make the Bolivarian Republic another hot spot of the planet.

Looking for a better future: modeling migrant mobility

Massive migrations have become increasingly prevalent over the last decades. A recent example is the Venezuelan migration crisis across South America, which particularly affects neighboring countries like Colombia. Creating an effective response to the crisis is a challenge for governments and international agencies, given the lack of information about migrants’ location, flows and behaviors within and across host countries. For this purpose it is crucial to map and understand geographic patterns of migration, including spatial mobility and dynamics over time. The aim of this paper is to uncover mobility and economic patterns of migrants that left Venezuela and migrated into Colombia due to the effects of the ongoing social, political and economic crisis. We analyze and compare the behavior of two types of migrants: Venezuelan refugees and Colombian nationals who used to live in Venezuela and return to their home country. We adapt the gravity model for human mobility in order to explain migrants’ dispersion across Colombia, and analyze patterns of economic integration. This study is a first attempt at analyzing and comparing two kinds of migrant populations in one destination country, providing unique insight into the processes of mobility and integration after migration.

Uncovering the 5 Major Causes of the Food Crisis in Venezuela

Venezuela has been experiencing a food crisis for almost a decade. Rampant undernourishment of the population, coupled with empty shelves in the market, is gaining international attention as a humanitarian emergency. However, the causes of the crisis remain divided into two major arguments posited by the government and the opposition in a “blame game”. Both factions have made serious contributions to the outbreak of the food crisis. Through analysis of various data sources, this study was able to identify five major causes of the food crisis: (1) dependence on oil, (2) poor political infrastructure, (3) political power over welfare, (4) hoarding and reselling of goods in the black market, and (5) U.S. sanctions in the Venezuelan economy.

The Political Crisis in Venezuela and the Role of the Lima Group: Stocktaking and Challenges of its Diplomatic Action

The Political Crisis in Venezuela and the Role of the Lima Group: Stocktaking and Challenges of its Diplomatic Action

Ivermectin: repurposing a multipurpose drug for Venezuela's humanitarian crisis

Ivermectin (IVM) is a robust antiparasitic drug with an excellent tolerance and safety profile. Historically it has been the drug of choice for onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis global elimination programs. IVM is an oral insecticide and is a standard treatment against intestinal helminths and ectoparasites. The current humanitarian crisis in Venezuela is a regional public health threat that requires immediate action. The public health system in Venezuela has crumbled because of a 70% shortage of medicines in public hospitals, low vaccination campaigns, and the mass exodus of medical personnel. Herein we discuss the repurposing of IVM to attenuate the burden imposed by the most prevalent neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in Venezuela, including soil-transmitted helminths, ectoparasites and, possibly, vector-borne diseases, such as malaria. In addition, novel experimental evidence has shown that IVM is active and efficacious in vitro against Chagas disease, Leishmaniases, arboviruses, and SARS-CoV-2. In crisis-hit Venezuela, all these infectious diseases are public health emergencies that have long been ignored and require immediate attention. The versatility of IVM could serve as a powerful tool to tackle the multiple overlapping endemic and emergent diseases that currently affect Venezuela. The repurposing of this multipurpose drug would be a timely therapeutic approach to help mitigate the tremendous burden of NTDs nationwide.

The Persistent Crisis in Venezuela

Latin American PolicyVolume 11, Issue 1 p. 165-174 Perspective The Persistent Crisis in Venezuela José Briceño-Ruiz, Corresponding Author bricenoruiz@hotmail.com Search for more papers by this author José Briceño-Ruiz, Corresponding Author bricenoruiz@hotmail.com Search for more papers by this author First published: 20 May 2020 https://doi.org/10.1111/lamp.12183Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Volume11, Issue1May 2020Pages 165-174 RelatedInformation

Latin American Nations at a Crossroads: Status‐quo or Policy Change?

This first issue of Latin American Policy for 2020 takes the pulse of major events in the region. Readers will find six well-written research articles dealing with policy challenges in key Latin American countries. Élodie Brun and Kevin Parthenay offer a sociological study on how states and institutional actors within the United Nations deal with the Venezuelan crisis and Nicaraguan issues under their respective agendas, highlighting the “multiple voices” that coexist in the multilateral organization. Felipe Brasil, Ana Claudia Niedhardt Capella, and EJ Fagan elaborate an innovative approach to explain public policy in Brazil by applying the punctuated equilibrium theory to agenda setting in the country. Victoria Finn and Sebastián Umpierrez de Reguero’s contribution highlights the language, timing, and implementation of Chile’s current migratory policies, considering whether they seek simply to satisfy international standards, with no true inclusivity. Our first section also includes two studies on Colombia. Catalina Montoya Londoño explores the divergent media diplomacy messages that the United States and the European Union use when reporting on the fragile peace process in the country, while Milan Skolnik studies the repercussions of corruption on political participation. Finally, this section includes research by John P. Tuman and Hafthor Erlingsson explaining the rationale behind Chinese foreign direct investment in Mexico in recent years. Since Latin America is currently a hot spot for many diverse phenomena and challenges, we have invited respected specialists to cover significant issues on the front burner today. Our Policy and Perspectives sections include different essays assessing current key aspects of human rights in Bolivia, the triumph of the Peronists in the last Argentine presidential election, social upheaval in Chile, the political impasse in Venezuela, and Mexico’s relationship with the United States after the first year of the López Obrador administration. The aim of all these documents and essays is to inform our readers and give them the necessary tools to decodify the specific situations taking place in these countries, which find themselves trapped between tried and true policy options that stick to the status quo, or new ones that could prompt changes. Isidro Morales is a researcher and professor in the School of Government and Public Transformation at the Tecnológico de Monterrey, and an external fellow of the Mexico–United States Center at Rice University’s Baker Institute.

Looking for a safe-haven in a crisis-driven Venezuela

PurposeThis paper aims to find, which of the assets: gold, oil or bitcoin can be considered a safe-haven for investors in a crisis-driven Venezuela. The authors look also at the governmental change of approach towards the use and mining of cryptocurrencies being one of the assets and potential applications of bitcoin as (quasi) money.Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected the daily data (a period from 01 May 2014 to 31 July 2018) on the development of the following magnitudes: Caracas Stock Exchange main index: Índice Bursátil de Capitalisación (IBC) index; gold price in US dollars, the oil price in US dollars and Bitcoin price in bolivar fuerte (VEF) (LocalBitcoins). The authors estimated a threshold VAR model between IBC and each of the possible safe-haven assets, where the trigger variable was the IBC; then the authors modelled the residuals from the TVAR model using MGARCH model with dynamic conditional correlation.FindingsThe results show that that gold is a better safe-haven than oil for Venezuelan investors, while bitcoin can be considered a weak safe haven. Still, bitcoin can perform (to a certain extent) money functions in a crisis-driven country.Research limitations/implicationsFurther research after the change of local currency from VEF into bolivar soberano might be looked at on the later stage.Practical implicationsThe authors provide evidence on which of analysed asset is the best safe-haven for the investors acting in the time of the crisis. The evidence goes in line with other authors’ findings, thus, the results might bring implications for investors of more universal character. Additionally, the result might be helpful for governments and/or monetary authorities while projecting institutional frameworks and conducting monetary policy.Social implicationsThe unprecedented economic crisis in Venezuela was one of the factors that fuelled the mining and use of cryptocurrencies in the daily life of its citizens. Nowadays, the country is a leader in terms of the use of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in Latin America. The results show a potential application of bitcoin as a store of value or even means of payments in Venezuelan (or in other countries affected by the crisis).Originality/valueThe paper builds on the original data set collected by the authors and brings evidence from the models the authors constructed to verify, which asset is the best option for investors in hard times of the crisis. The authors add to the existing literature on financial assets, cryptocurrencies and behaviour of investors under different economic conditions.

The crisis in Venezuela: Drivers, transitions, and pathways

In this introduction, we present the main contributions of this special collection, which aim to open the analysis to the broader political and economic processes that underpin Venezuela’s recent crisis. We highlight the transition from a limited democracy to an authoritarian regime and some of the potential pathways to democratization. We further explain how the political transition that occurred in the last decade was influenced by structural conditions of the Venezuelan economy, elaborating on the collapse of the Venezuelan rentier economy and some of the emerging processes that feed the strengthening of authoritarianism. Lastly, we analyse how these transformations have been affected by a changing international order with emerging actors and dynamics in a global order upheaval. The articles in this special collection locate in Venezuela’s crisis on broader theoretical discussions rooted in comparative and historical perspectives. Resumen: Crisis en Venezuela: Actores, transiciones y vias En esta introduccion, presentamos las principales contribuciones de esta coleccion especial, cuyo objetivo es abrir un analisis a los amplios procesos politicos y economicos que sustentan la reciente crisis de Venezuela. Destacamos la transicion de una democracia limitada a un regimen autoritario y algunas de las posibles vias hacia la democratizacion. Explicamos ademas como la transicion politica que ocurrio en la ultima decada estuvo influida por las condiciones estructurales de la economia venezolana, explicando el colapso de la economia rentista venezolana y algunos de los procesos emergentes que alimentan el fortalecimiento del autoritarismo. Por ultimo, analizamos como estas transformaciones se han visto afectadas por un orden internacional cambiante con actores y dinamicas emergentes en una agitacion del orden global. Los articulos de esta coleccion especial situan la crisis de Venezuela en debates teoricos mas amplios enraizados en perspectivas comparativas e historicas.

Полифония «голосов» как средство реализации манипуляции в поляризованном политическом дискурсе

This article deals with the problem of manipulation in a polarized political discourse. A hypothesis is made here that the polyphony of voices, which was frst described by M.M. Bakhtin in his concept of the polyphonic novel, can be used as a means of manipulation within two main manipulative strategies: positive self-presentation and negative other-presentation. In this paper, the voice is a key discursive category, which is widely used by the media in order to construct an alternative reality that is benefcial for certain political forces and often has nothing in common with the real state of things. The material includes articles describing the relations of two political opponents – Russia and the USA – within the context of Venezuela crisis (100 texts published from May to December 2019). Using the methodology of discourse analysis, some elements of intertextual analysis as well as corpus-based technologies (Sketch Engine corpus manager) the author found that the polyphony of voices of different orders is a manipulation tool in a polarized political media discourse. The voice in a text is represented by a cited politician whose opinion is perceived as authoritative by the victim of manipulation. Moreover, the paper distinguishes three groups of voices according to the actors’ political importance. Thus, frst-order voices include Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, Nicolas Maduro and Juan Guaido; second-order voices are represented by other powerful political fgures, as well as government and party members, while third-order voices are ordinary people, locals and eyewitnesses.

Hunger in the land of plenty: The complex humanitarian crisis in Venezuela

Oil‐rich Venezuela is being hit by the largest crisis in living memory. Now, more than 4.8 million Venezuelans have fled the country in search of food and safety. News about migration and humanitarian aid dominate. Yet, many Venezuelans stay and seek alternative strategies to cope with scarcity and insecurity. Ad hoc solutions mainly depend on alternative economies in the borderlands that do not always fit within frameworks of human rights and rule of law, but do provide relief and produce opportunities along with new inequalities that (un)willingly sustain the crisis. Amid collapsing state infrastructures, these transborder economies tie into the global trade of basic supplies, narcotics, drugs, natural resources and human trafficking that operate in the interface of the legal and the illegal. The complex humanitarian crisis in Venezuela is as much about poverty and scarcity as it is about wealth and abundance benefiting only a very few. An ‘anthropology of abundance’ allows us to grasp these underlying socio‐economic dynamics that turn crisis management into crisis maintenance.

Recalibrating the Classic Models of Mediation: Former Leaders and Hybrid Personality-Network Driven Initiatives in the Venezuela Crisis

This article examines the shift away from the classic models of mediation to a hybrid personality-network approach with specific reference to the Venezuela crisis. Instead of third-party mediators possessing formal organizational standing and resources, the focus of this recalibrated model is placed on voluntary initiatives driven by ex- leaders. Of particular interest is the set of activities via Jimmy Carter and the former Prime Minister of Spain, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. As witnessed by the Venezuela crisis, space is available for engagement combining empowered agency and network partnerships. While Carter and Rodriguez Zapatero were in the forefront of building and implementing this team effort, however, they faced as individuals most of the risks attached to implementing the recalibrated model.

The Nicolas Maduro Regime (O.A.S.)

On September 11, 2019, twelve states parties invoked the Inter-American Treaty on Reciprocal Assistance (TIAR), because they considered the crisis in Venezuela to have a destabilizing impact on the peace and security of the hemisphere. Venezuela was one of the twelve, voting in favor; this was because, on April 9, 2019, the Organization of American States (OAS) formally recognized Juan Guaido's representative, Gustavo Tarre, in lieu of Nicolas Maduro's Ambassador. At the OAS General Assembly in June, Tarre's appointment was approved in a much contested and heated session. The OAS has thirty-five member states and approximately one-third of its membership supported the invocation of the TIAR. The TIAR is the OAS's mutual defense pact; it was last invoked following the events of September 11, 2001. Article 5 of the NATO Charter, calling for collective action in the case of an armed attack on one member, is derived from Article 3 of the TIAR. Following invocation of the TIAR, the Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs (the OAS equivalent to the UN Security Council, but without veto power) held its 30th meeting in New York City during the UN General Assembly. The result of that meeting was the adoption of the Resolution under consideration here.