16. Notes from the Colombia-Venezuela Border
The Venezuela Briefing
What will the normalization of Colombia-Venezuela diplomatic relations mean for Venezuelans along the border? This episode features interviews with human rights defenders, humanitarian workers and journalists in the Venezuelan western border states of Tachira and Zulia, recording during an August visit by WOLA's Geoff Ramsey. They paint a complicated picture of life along the border, and share how conditions in the interior of the country differ from the capital city in Caracas.
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15. LGBTI Rights in Venezuela
The Venezuela Briefing
In this episode Geoff Ramsey interviews Venezuelan LGBTI activist and researcher Quiteria Franco, General Coordinator of Unión Afirmativa. They discuss the status of LGBTI rights in Venezuela, which is far behind much of the rest the Americas on issues like marriage equality, adoption rights for same-sex couples, and protections for transgender people. Despite these obstacles, Franco explains how committed activists in the LGBTI community are working for change. Follow Quiteria Franco on Twitter at and see the latest from Unión Afirmativa at .
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14. The Impact of Venezuela’s Crisis on Women and Girls
The Venezuela Briefing
In this episode of The Venezuela Briefing, Geoff Ramsey and Kristen Martinez-Gugerli interview Cristina Ciordia of the Center for Justice and Peace (CEPAZ) about the differentiated impact of Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis on women and girls. Ramsey, Martinez-Gugerli and Ciordia discuss the findings of a recent study by Con Ellas on the situation for these groups, and Con Ellas’s recommendations for how to incorporate a gender and diversity lens into the humanitarian response in Venezuela. Follow the work of CEPAZ on Twitter at @_cepaz, and look out on for an upcoming report by Con Ellas....
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13. Venezuela’s Oil Sector and a Potential Shift in U.S. Policy
The Venezuela Briefing
In this latest episode of The Venezuela Briefing, Geoff Ramsey and Kristen Martinez-Gugerli had the opportunity to interview Francisco Monaldi, a leading scholar on the politics and economics of energy policy in Venezuela. Ramsey, Martinez-Gugerli and Monaldi discuss the state of Venezuela’s oil sector, the recent visit of U.S. officials to Caracas, and the potential return to negotiations in Venezuela. Follow Francisco Monaldi on Twitter: @fmonaldi Read the latest report by the Atlantic Council’s Venezuela Working Group, which Monaldi contributed to:
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12. Evaluating the Barinas Election
The Venezuela Briefing
In this latest, Spanish language* episode of The Venezuela Briefing, Geoff Ramsey and Kristen Martínez-Gugerli interview Eugenio Martínez, expert in Venezuelan politics and electoral matters. Martínez discusses the implications of the regional elections on November 21, and the opposition’s historic victory in Barinas on January 9, for the political situation in Venezuela.
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11. A New Effort to Mobilize Venezuelans in the United States
The Venezuela Briefing
In this episode, Geoff Ramsey and Kristen Martinez-Gugerli interview Adelys Ferro, Venezuelan-American community leader and director of the Venezuelan American Caucus, a new initiative to mobilize the Venezuelan diaspora in the U.S. around humanitarian needs and democratic efforts in Venezuela. Ramsey, Martinez-Gugerli, and Ferro discuss the goals of the Caucus and the Biden administration’s policy towards Venezuela so far.
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10. The Response to Venezuelan Migrants and Refugees in Colombia and Brazil
The Venezuela Briefing
In this episode, WOLA’s Kristen Martinez-Gugerli interviews Lucía Ramírez of Dejusticia and Livia Lenci of Missão Paz. As a follow-up to WOLA’s #StandFor6Million campaign, Kristen, Lucia, and Livia discuss the challenges facing Venezuelan migrants and refugees across the region, and civil society efforts to support fleeing Venezuelans in Colombia and Brazil.
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9. Humanitarian update and the U.S. role in Venezuela
The Venezuela Briefing
In the latest episode of The Venezuela Briefing, hosts Geoff Ramsey and Kristen Martinez-Gugerli interview Daniel Cooper Bermúdez, founder of Hearts on Venezuela. Kristen, Geoff, and Daniel discuss the latest in Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis, what’s on the table in political negotiations taking place in Mexico, and recent efforts to repress the work of NGOs in the country.
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8. COVID-19 vaccination and electoral conditions in Venezuela
The Venezuela Briefing
In the 8th episode of The Venezuela Briefing, hosts Geoff Ramsey and Kristen Martinez-Gugerli interview Venezuelan attorney and human rights defender Beatriz Borges about the latest in Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis and civil society efforts around upcoming regional elections. Beatriz Borges, Director of CEPAZ, provides details on Venezuela’s COVID-19 vaccination plan, as well as recent efforts by Foro Civico to demand minimum electoral conditions for upcoming regional elections in Venezuela.
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7. Venezuela’s Changing Political Landscape
The Venezuela Briefing
In the latest episode of The Venezuela Briefing podcast, hosts Geoff Ramsey and Kristen Martinez-Gugerli interview Venezuelan academic and analyst Michael Penfold about changing dynamics in Venezuela’s political crisis. This episode explores recent concessions by the Maduro government, opposition dynamics, the Biden administration’s policy towards Venezuela, and prospects for a negotiated solution in the short and long term.
info_outlineIn the second episode of The Venezuela Briefing, hosts Kristen Martinez-Gugerli and Geoff Ramsey interview María Inés Pacceca of la Comisión Argentina para los Refugiados y Migrantes (CAREF) and Rachel Schmidtke of Refugees International to discuss the Venezuelan displacement crisis and the regional response to date.
María Inés Pacceca leads the research team at CAREF, and recently contributed to a report published by CAREF and Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS) entitled Mazes of Documents, which assesses South American countries’ responses to Venezuelan migrants. Rachel Schmidtke is the Advocate for Latin America at Refugees International. Tune in for an engaging discussion between experts on the current situation for Venezuelan migrants, the varied responses by different countries throughout the region, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the rights of migrants and refugees. Subscribe to The Venezuela Briefing wherever you get your podcasts to receive new episodes directly to your feed as soon as they come out.