Amid a global democratic recession, USIP’s Joseph Sany says President Biden’s Summit for Democracy is an important “statement of solidarity,” but that “if [democracies] want to regain or strengthen their legitimacy,” they must deliver for their people, adding: “If you lose the citizens’ trust, you lose everything.”

U.S. Institute of Peace experts discuss the latest foreign policy issues from around the world in On Peace, a brief weekly collaboration with SiriusXM's POTUS Channel 124.

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La Invasión Rusa de Ucrania Sacude el Statu Quo Geopolítico de Venezuela

La Invasión Rusa de Ucrania Sacude el Statu Quo Geopolítico de Venezuela

Friday, March 18, 2022

By: Ana Caridad;  Keith Mines

Mientras Estados Unidos evalúa las consecuencias globales de la invasión rusa de Ucrania, los funcionarios estadounidenses se reunieron en silencio con el Presidente venezolano Nicolas Maduro en lo que marcó un cambio drástico en la establecida política exterior estadounidense. A pesar de las lecturas cautelosas de ambas partes, la posterior liberación de dos prisioneros estadounidenses por parte de Venezuela indica que la reunión puede haber abierto la puerta a una futura cooperación para abordar una de las peores crisis políticas, económicas y humanitarias del mundo. Ana Caridad y Keith Mines de USIP analizan lo que sabemos sobre el viaje, los posibles caminos diplomáticos a seguir, dónde encaja el movimiento de oposición de Venezuela y cómo los profundos lazos de Venezuela con Rusia podrían afectar el reciente relacionamiento entre Estados Unidos y Venezuela.

Type: Analysis and Commentary

Democracy & GovernanceGlobal Policy

Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Shakes Up Venezuela’s Geopolitical Status Quo

Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Shakes Up Venezuela’s Geopolitical Status Quo

Friday, March 18, 2022

By: Ana Caridad;  Keith Mines

As the United States gauges the global fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, U.S. officials quietly met with Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in what marked a dramatic shift in longstanding U.S. policy. Despite cautious readouts from both sides, Venezuela’s subsequent release of two American prisoners indicates the meeting may have opened the door for future cooperation in addressing one of the world’s worst political, economic and humanitarian crises. USIP’s Ana Caridad and Keith Mines look at what we know about the trip, the possible diplomatic paths forward, where Venezuela’s opposition movement fits in, and how Venezuela’s deep ties to Russia might affect U.S.-Venezuelan engagement.

Type: Analysis and Commentary

Democracy & GovernanceGlobal Policy

A New Test for Iraq’s Democracy and Stability

A New Test for Iraq’s Democracy and Stability

Monday, March 7, 2022

By: Knox Thames;  Sarhang Hamasaeed

The sudden crisis around Russia threatens democratic norms and energy markets worldwide, only heightening the urgency of stabilizing Iraq, the world’s fifth-largest oil producer. Yet five months after Iraq’s elections, held in response to massive protests against ineffective governance, political factions remain dangerously deadlocked in efforts to form a new government. Shaping a more stable, peaceful Iraq—and responding to the 2019-2020 grassroots demands for democratic, accountable governance—will require a fuller inclusion of Iraq’s ethnic and religious minorities. Yet the prospects remain unclear. Iraq’s minority communities are watching carefully, as their future depends on it. 

Type: Analysis and Commentary

Democracy & Governance

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Why All the Coups?

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Ahead of the Biden administration’s Summit for Democracy, the U.S. Institute of Peace is convening a multi-part conversation about the dynamics driving four of the seven coups and coup attempts since the onset of the pandemic.

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