WOLA is a leading research and advocacy organization committed to advancing human rights in the Americas. We create strategic partnerships with courageous people making social change—advocacy organizations, academics, religious and business leaders, artists, and government officials. Together, we advocate for more just societies in the Americas.
What should be the basis of a new process of understanding in Venezuela? Is It possible to build a common language for shared values? Join WOLA and citizen movement Dale Letra for the 5th in the Venezuela Conversa event series on Wednesday, March 24 at 4:00 p.m. EDT.
On Tuesday, March 16 at 9:00 am EDT, the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) invites you to attend an upcoming webinar on a civil society campaign for a peaceful, democratic solution in Venezuela: As Venezuela’s protracted political crisis drags on, more and...
In a letter to President Joe Biden, human rights groups in Brazil and the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) urge the U.S. administration to emphasize the importance of migrant rights and access to asylum in Brazil. As they note, since 2019 the Brazilian...
What is transitional justice? Is this an appropriate mechanism to obtain justice and reparation for victims of human rights abuses?
Agreement Will Require UN Oversight and Humanitarian Supervision Washington, DC—On February 11, Venezuela’s opposition and the government of Nicolás Maduro agreed to cooperate to purchase and distribute COVID-19 vaccines for 6 million people. Later this week,...
In fall of 2020, the Trump administration doubled down on its “maximum pressure” campaign towards Venezuela, ending exceptions in U.S. sanctions that allow the state oil company to trade crude oil in exchange for diesel fuel.
What type of democracy do we want in Venezuela? Have we reached a consensus about the institutional model that would allow us to coexist in peace and stability? What relationship is there between this possible democracy and the rentier model?
On February 3, 2021, WOLA Senior Fellow David Smilde participated in a Q&A published by the Inter-American Dialogue’s Latin America Advisor along with Abe Lowenthal, Vanessa Neumann, Marc Becker, Jennifer McCoy, Gustavo Roosen, and Diego Arria. Below is David’s response.
On January 30, UN Special Rapporteur on the Negative Impact of Unilateral Coercive Measures on the Enjoyment of Human Rights Alena Douhan arrived in Caracas to document the impact of sanctions on political, economic, social, and cultural rights in Venezuela. She will...
On January 25, 2021, a group of U.S. Senators led by incoming Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) introduced a bill to designate Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which would grant temporary legal status to Venezuelans fleeing a devastating political and humanitarian crisis in their home country.
Director for Venezuela @GRamsey_LatAm
WOLA Senior Fellow and the Charles A. and Leo M. Favrot Professor of Human Relations at Tulane University
@dsmilde