Press Mentions

Es difícil imaginar que Trump no insistirá más en el muro. Esta promesa de campaña es muy importante para su base política, y el presidente está obsesionado con satisfacer su base y mantenerla feliz.

[Chavez] admired Fidel Castro, it was almost like a father-son relationship […] the Cuban engagement in Venezuela began then and very, very strongly.

Una acción militar de EEUU contra Venezuela sería contraria a los movimientos del Gobierno de Trump para retirar tropas de Siria o Afganistán.

[Chávez] admiró a Fidel Castro, fue casi como una relación padre-hijo (...) El compromiso de Cuba con Venezuela comenzó de una manera muy fuerte.

Anyone could run afoul of the [US] sanctions by having any sort of transaction with PDVSA. This is why I think the sanctions will be so far-reaching.

Venezuelan oil production will drop further as a result of the sanctions. They will have to sell oil at more of a discount, and there will be impact on cash flow. Venezuela will have to find new suppliers for light oil for blending. How difficult it will be to receive oil and cash from other places beyond the U.S. also remains unclear.

[In Venezuela] the opposition’s courting of military officers carries potential dangers. If it leads to a schism in the armed forces, that could be disastrous for the country.

[US-imposed oil sanctions on Venezuela are part of a larger strategy to both pressure and entice the country’s military to help oust socialist President Nicolas Maduro]. That is the theory. That it is the gamble. That’s the hope. Whether that happens or not, it’s very hard to tell.

El gobierno de Trump decidió que éste es el momento en que Maduro está tan cerca de caer que con un empuje más, se cae. Es una apuesta—todavía existen los mismos riesgos que antes, que empeora la situación humanitaria.

The missing element for all these years in trying to restore some semblance of democratic rule has been an ineffective opposition […] the reason why those in the region and the international community, including the United States, should focus on this moment is that that dynamic appears to have changed. The opposition now has a leader, it now seems to have a clear strategy and the regime is considerably weakened because of strong condemnation by Venezuela’s neighbors.

The [Chavez and Maduro-led] Venezuela Revolution has been going on for two decades now […] and it’s been getting worse and worse in all aspects. More repressive politically, disastrous economically and more suffering of the Venezuelan people.

Hay señales prometedoras para una transición democrática en Venezuela. 

La defensa de Maduro por parte de Rusia y China es un obstáculo formidable para el cambio en Venezuela. Tampoco está claro si EE.UU. y América Latina podrán sostener una estrategia y agenda común. Los latinoamericanos tienen más probabilidades de apoyar una resolución pacífica y negociada a buscar el conflicto directo.

La comunidad internacional está ejerciendo una presión e influencia considerables [en Venezuela]. Pero solo si existe una oposición razonablemente sólida se podrá establecer una estrategia para salir de la crisis.

The best outcome [in Venezuela] would be a prolonged negotiation between a more united opposition and a government on the defensive. With luck it could lead to the organization of new elections.