On Tuesday, October 22 I had the pleasure of moderating a panel at the U.S. Institute of Peace that was co-sponsored by WOLA, the Wilson Center, and the Inter-American Dialogue. The speakers were five members of a group of Venezuelan experts assembled by the Institute for Integrated Transitions (IFIT): Pedro Nikken, Michael Penfold, Margarita López Maya, Hiram Gaviria, and Orlando Ochoa. It was a fascinating conversation about the prospects for an inclusive, democratic solution to Venezuela’s crisis. While the crisis appears to have entered an uneasy stalemate, stalemates can be broken by creative thinking and adjustments in strategy.
We were deeply pleased to be able to work with IFIT, which has been active in supporting a transition in Venezuela. In recent years IFIT has brought together leading academics, opinionmakers and policy analysts to bring together reflections around the lessons and prospects of past negotiations experiences and the role that international actors may play in supporting a solution to the crisis. The IFIT’s Venezuela Expert Group is doing incredible work, and has provided analysis and recommendations to key stakeholders in both Venezuela and the international community. Watch the video of our conversation on YouTube or below: