In this Context interview, Margarita Lopez Maya, Professor Titular at the Central University of Venezuela, spoke about the events leading up to Venezuela's current state and the country as a whole.
Demonstrators in Venezuela blame President Nicolás Maduro for "mismanaging" the economy of the oil-rich country and have said they will continue protesting until he resigns. The government has labelled protesters "fascist agitators.” But problems such as lack of security, high crime rates, and frustration with the country's poor economic situation did not begin when Maduro took office. In this edition of CONTEXT, Margarita López Maya looks at the big picture in Venezuela. How did it get to this point and what will it take to solve problems that have persisted for many years?
About the Guest
Margarita López Maya is a former fellow with the Wilson Center’s Latin American Program and also holds the position of Professor Titular at the Center for Development Studies (CENDES) at the Central University of Venezuela. She has been a researcher and lecturer on contemporary political history for more than twenty five years.
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
