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The Venezuela Working Group

The Venezuela Working Group (VWG) is a high-level group that informs policymakers in the United States, Europe, and Latin America on how to advance a long-term vision and action-oriented policies to foster democratic stability in Venezuela. The Venezuela Working Group seeks to promote the restoration of democratic institutions in Venezuela.

VWG members draw from their diverse backgrounds, global networks, and deep expertise to tackle the most challenging issues around Venezuela policy, both at the domestic and international levels. Priority issues for the VWG’s 2021 work include: supporting Venezuela’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts; assessing risks and opportunities around upcoming regional elections; and exploring non-traditional mechanisms for effectively mitigating Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis.

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Content

Past events

Dec 9, 2019

US-Colombia task force launches findings of report in Bogota

By Camila Hernandez

Task Force recommendations focus on three mayor areas: Economic development and innovation; institutions, rule of law, and counter-narcotics; and the crisis in Venezuela.

Colombia Politics & Diplomacy
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#AlertaVenezuela

Dec 3, 2019

#AlertaVenezuela: December 3, 2019

By Atlantic Council's DFRLab

Internet users in Venezuela faced partial and total loss of connectivity on December 1, 2019. The disruption was not caused by censorship, as has happened previously, but by the planned maintenance of an undersea cable. Users from privately owned service providers faced connectivity issues from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (local time), which did not affect the state-provider CANTV, according to NetBlocks, a nonprofit organization that monitors internet accessibility around the world.

Disinformation Venezuela

In the News

Nov 28, 2019

Bryza in Kyiv Post: Matthew Bryza: Rosneft undermining Venezuela and Iran sanctions

By Atlantic Council

Defense Policy Economic Sanctions

EnergySource

Nov 27, 2019

Is Rosneft undermining “maximum pressure” on Venezuela and Iran as Trump looks away?

By Matthew Bryza

US President Donald Trump is conducting policies of “maximum pressure” on two countries, Venezuela and Iran. In Venezuela, Russia’s state-owned oil company, Rosneft, actively undercuts this US policy by helping them circumvent Washington’s tough economic sanctions. Why doesn't Washington apply broad sanctions against the giant Russian company?

Economic Sanctions Energy Markets & Governance
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#AlertaVenezuela

Nov 26, 2019

#AlertaVenezuela: November 26, 2019

By Atlantic Council's DFRLab

Colombia has become the latest Latin American country to engage in anti-government protests, as citizens took to the streets across the region calling for change: from marches decrying austerity policies in Ecuador and Chile to protests in Bolivia initially based on claims of fraud in the October 20 election and more recently over the perception that President Evo Morales’s resignation was forced (i.e., a “coup”).

Disinformation Venezuela
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#AlertaVenezuela

Nov 19, 2019

#AlertaVenezuela: November 19, 2019

By Atlantic Council's DFRLab

Inspired by recent events in Bolivia, supporters of both Juan Guaidó and Nicolás Maduro took to the streets in parallel, competing marches on Saturday, November 16. Guaidó called for the November 16 march as the first of a permanent series of protests to reach a definitive solution for the crisis. He said the aim was to “achieve what happened in Bolivia and that the Armed Forces and the police side with all Venezuelans.” In response, Maduro called on his supporters to head to the streets. Following Evo Morales removal in Bolivia, Maduro’s supporters added an additional cause into their protest and also marched in solidarity with the ousted Bolivian leader, who they claimed was the victim of a coup.

Disinformation Venezuela

Past events

Nov 14, 2019

What’s Next on Sanctions? An Update on Legislative & Executive Branch Activity

On November 7th, 2019 the Atlantic Council’s Global Business & Economics Program co-hosted a high-level roundtable conversation with Morrison & Foerster to discuss recent and future sanctions activity by the US legislative and executive branches.

Economic Sanctions Economy & Business
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#AlertaVenezuela

Nov 12, 2019

#AlertaVenezuela: November 12, 2019

By Atlantic Council's DFRLab

The Maduro regime reacted to the resignation of one of its long-time allies, Bolivia’s Evo Morales, by showing support and denouncing what it referred to as “a coup.” After more than two weeks of protests in the country following claims of fraud in the October 20 election, Morales resigned on November 10. Because the resignation occurred after the heads of the Bolivian armed forces and national police called on Morales to step down, Morales himself as well as Nicolás Maduro and other left-wing world leaders described the event as “a coup.”

Disinformation Venezuela
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#AlertaVenezuela

Nov 5, 2019

#AlertaVenezuela: November 5, 2019

By Atlantic Council's DFRLab

Nicolás Maduro has been accused of being an instigator behind social unrest in Latin American countries, including in Chile and Ecuador. Twitter accounts operating from Venezuela have a history of attempting to influence domestic events in Catalonia and in the United States. The DFRLab analyzed 1.1 million tweets about protests in Chile, posted between October 16 and October 25, 2019, to measure the possibility of involvement of the Maduro regime’s digital militias in the country.

Disinformation Venezuela
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#AlertaVenezuela

Oct 29, 2019

#AlertaVenezuela: October 29, 2019

By Atlantic Council's DFRLab

On October 24, 2019, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued an order giving Juan Guaidó’s team three months to "restructure or refinance payments" by suspending the terms of some financial sanctions, which – if implemented – would have foreclosed on Venezuelan-owned Citgo’s oil refineries in Texas and which were originally meant to pressure Nicolás Maduro from office. The move was intended to shield Guaidó, who is recognized as interim President of Venezuela by more than 50 countries as of June 2019, from losing control of Citgo.

Disinformation Venezuela
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Experts

Millennium fellow

Roberto Patino

Founder and CEO, Mi Convive / Alimenta La Solidaridad

Millennium Leadership Program

Civil Society Entrepreneurship
Daniel Suarez Perez

Staff

Daniel Suárez Pérez

Research Associate, Latin America

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Colombia Conflict

Fellow

Iria Puyosa

Senior Research Fellow

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Americas Civil Society

Millennium fellow

Félix Alberto Quintero

Counsel, World Bank

Millennium Leadership Program

Latin America Politics & Diplomacy

Fellow

Erika Rodríguez

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center

European Union International Organizations

Fellow

Samantha Sultoon

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Economic Statecraft Initiative GeoEconomics Center

Cuba East Asia
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