Experts from the U.S. Institute of Peace provide the latest analysis and perspective on the world’s critical hot spots, U.S. and global security and issues involved in violent conflict, based on the Institute’s work on the ground and with key individuals, governments and organizations. They give interviews and background briefings to journalists and write for news outlets around the world.
The Venezuelan government’s recent decision to ratify the disqualification of the leading opposition leader from running for president in this year’s election was disappointing but hardly a surprise. President Nicolás Maduro knows he would likely lose to María Corina Machado, a longtime strident critic of ...
As Ecuadorians wage war against almost two dozen gangs that are brazenly turning their once peaceful country into one of the region’s most violent, experts warn that the South American nation’s drug-financed criminal organizations pose one of the gravest security threats Latin America in years. The cure for the violence, some security and political analysts say, may have to come at the expense of democratic rule and human rights. In the last month, Ecuador has seen an escalation in...
One after another, societies caught under autocratic or corrupt governments keep seeking road maps back to clean, stable democracy. Now it is Venezuela’s turn. On Sunday, its people have a possible opportunity to decide who they want to challenge President Nicolás Maduro in elections next year. The weekend ballot is only a primary, but it could be transformative. That is because it is citizen-run. A group of civil society groups has set up voting stations while educating and mobilizing voters to...
Developments in Venezuela over the past few weeks have provided reason for both deep pessimism and guarded hope that the country’s presidential election next year could help resolve its political crisis and advance a democratic transition. On the one hand, the regime-controlled legislature...
Despite divided government in Washington, there is ample room for bipartisan action on U.S. foreign policy. Countering China and buttressing Ukraine against Russia top the list, but the foremost opportunity for Republicans and Democrats to work together may be in Venezuela, where presidential elections next year...