The State of Venezuela
Venezuela was once South America's wealthiest country, and Latin America's most stable democracy. Today, 96% of Venezuelans are living in poverty. The country has been hijacked by a criminal dictatorship, and is used as an international hub for drug trafficking, money laundering, illegal gold mining, and political interference from foreign actors. While the country remains stuck in a political impasse, the situation remains underreported by major media outlets. This leaves fringe organizations free to capitalize on a lack of information to manipulate perceptions of the Venezuelan crisis through clever disinformation. This podcast seeks to right this wrong by revealing the truth to the world as the only active English-language podcast on Venezuela. Join host Rafael as he discusses with journalists, academics, and Venezuelan activists who share their research and personal stories to reveal the hidden depths of one of the greatest ongoing humanitarian crises in the world.
Ep. 18 | The National Damnation Agreement: Negotiations and Elections with Maduro (with Zach Foster)
In this episode, we discuss the Juan Guaidó-led Venezuelan opposition's "National Salvation Agreement"...
EscucharEp. 17 | Cubazuela: How Castro Conquered an Entire Nation (with John Polga-Hecimovich)
NOTE: This episode was recorded prior to the July 2021 protests in Cuba. These nationwide protests,...
EscucharEp. 16 | How China Sank $60 Billion into Venezuelan Quicksand (and Why) (with Parsifal D'Sola ??)
Over the past two decades, China has become Venezuela's most important economic partner. At one point,...
EscucharEp. 15 | War Zone at the Colombia-Venezuela Border (with Cody Weddle)
Over the past month, Venezuela’s military has launched an offensive against irregular Colombian armed...
EscucharEp. 14 | Revisiting Venezuelan History and Reevaluating American Foreign Policy (with José Niño)
We’re back! In this first episode of 2021, we’re joined by José Niño, a Venezuelan-born freelance...
EscucharEp. 13 | Surviving Venezuela in 2020 (with Jorge Jraissati)
To live in Venezuela is to survive. This is the case for the overwhelming majority of Venezuelans that...
EscucharEp. 12 | United Nations and the Responsibility to Protect (with Elisabeth Pramendorfer)
“The world has embraced the Responsibility to Protect—not because it is easy, but because it is...
EscucharEp. 11 | Yakera, Peer-to-Peer Aid for Venezuelans (with the Yakera Team)
In this episode, we speak with the team at Yakera, a newly launched platform designed to re-imagine...
EscucharEp. 10 | The Use Case for Cryptocurrency (with Alejandro Machado)
In this episode, we discuss the emerging using of cryptocurrency in Venezuela and the potential use...
EscucharEp. 9 | Turkey and the Coming Electoral Farce (with Imdat Oner)
In this episode, we recap and discuss one of the most convoluted and eventful weeks of the year in Venezuela. In...
EscucharEp. 8 | Fighting Back from Across the Pond (with Vanessa Neumann, Ph.D.)
In this episode, we discuss the response of the international community to the Maduro dictatorship with...
EscucharEp. 7 | Nicaragua and Venezuela, Parallels and Patronage (with Ryan Berg, Ph.D.)
Nicaragua is a country that is going through many of the same elements of a political crises as Venezuela....
EscucharEp. 6 | The Iran-Hezbollah-Venezuela Nexus (with Joseph Humire)
In this episode, we turn our attention back to the subject of foreign interference in Venezuela, and...
EscucharEp. 5 | The Challenge of Sharing Our Story at Home, Abroad, and On Campus (with Maria Fernanda Bello)
In this episode, we turn our attention to the Venezuelan diaspora, and the unique challenge of sharing...
EscucharEp. 4 | Russia, Cuba, and China in Venezuela (with Alex, Conflicts News Worldwide)
In this episode, we turn our attention to the realm of international security. Despite the obvious signs...
EscucharEp. 3 | Tracing the Origins of Venezuela's Economic Collapse (with Daniel Di Martino)
In the 1970s, Venezuela had the highest growth rate and lowest inequality in Latin America. Today, Venezuela...
EscucharEp. 2 | Populism, Polarization, and John Bolton (with Germania Rodriguez)
Will history absolve Hugo Chávez? In this episode, I'm joined by Germania Rodriguez, a Venezuelan journalist...
EscucharEp.1 | Introduction, Misconceptions, Misinformation, and Accusations of Terrorism (with Joshua Collins)
Welcome to the State of Venezuela podcast! Our first episode features host Rafael providing a brief...
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