35 West

Moises speaks with Ambassador William Brownfield about the violence, crime, and insecurity that have plagued Venezuela in recent years. They hear from Venezuelans who have experienced crime and insecurity firsthand, and discuss how colectivos, drug traffickers, and armed groups play a key role within the Maduro regime. Ambassador Brownfield is currently a senior adviser to the Americas Program at...

In this episode, Moises talks to Alexandra Winkler, senior associate of CSIS's Americas Program, about the daily struggles faced by Venezuelan women amid the ongoing humanitarian and economic crisis. They also discuss why it is critical for Venezuelan women to play a role in the political process. Alexandra is former deputy mayor of El Hatillo, one of the five municipalities of the capital city of...

In this episode, Moises talks to Ben Cahill, senior fellow in the Energy Security and Climate Change program at CSIS. They hear from Venezuelans who have experienced frequent blackouts that widely disrupt their day-to-day lives, as well as discuss what it will take to rebuild the country's electricity infrastructure. Voices of Venezuela is a ten-episode miniseries produced by The Future of Venezue...

In this episode, Moises speaks with Mark Schneider (CSIS) about Venezuela's crumbling water system, which is having tremendous health impacts on the population. They hear from Venezuelans who have experienced water shortages and discuss what would be needed to restore the water system in a Day After scenario. Mr. Schneider is a senior adviser with the Americas Program and the Human Rights Initiati...

In this episode, Moises is joined by Gerver Torres to discuss key aspects of Venezuela's economic crisis, including hyperinflation, dollarization, and the Maduro regime's recent push for privatization. They listen to first-hand accounts from Venezuelans on the ground and discuss what the international community can do to rebuild Venezuela's economy in a Day After scenario. Mr. Torres is a senior a...

In this episode, Moises speaks with Katherine Bliss, senior fellow with the Global Health Policy Center at CSIS, to discuss Venezuela's decaying health system, which is now facing the added factor of Covid-19. They listen to testimonies from Venezuelan migrants and discuss what can be done to rebuild the country's failing health system and address malnutrition.  Voices of Venezuela is a ten-episod...

By the end of 2020, an estimated 6 million Venezuelans will have been forced to flee, making it the largest migrant crisis in the world.  In the second episode of Voices of Venezuela, Moises speaks with Erol Yayboke, Deputy Director of CSIS’s Project on Prosperity and Development, to dissect the push factors for Venezuelan migration, testimonies from Venezuelans on the journey outside Venezuela, a...

In this first episode of the Voices of Venezuela miniseries, we will discuss the political, economic, and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. We will introduce a few voices of Venezuelan citizens who are affected by the crisis on a day-to-day basis, and share with listeners what to expect in the coming weeks from this podcast. Voices of Venezuela is a ten-episode miniseries produced by The Future of...

Illegal mining of the vast mineral resources in Venezuela, specifically gold, has devastated the southern part of the country. In this episode of 35 West, CSIS Future of Venezuela Initiative Director Moises Rendon speaks to Cristina Burelli, Advisor & International Liaison at SOS Orinoco, about the impact of illegal mining on the environment, human rights, and security in the region.

Youth violence in Latin America and the Caribbean is a big problem, but how well do we understand it? Richard Miles talks to Dr. Patricia Campie, an expert who was commissioned by USAID to find out which violence prevention interventions in the region worked, and which didn’t. She found that parenting and after school programs worked well, but other interventions had very mixed results. You can re...

In a wide-ranging conversation, Gerónimo Gutiérrez, former Ambassador of Mexico to the U.S., sits down with CSIS Senior Associate Richard Miles to talk about the fundamentals of the U.S.-Mexico relationship. Have the two countries grown closer or further apart over the last two generations? What has been the effect of increased trade, investment, security cooperation, cultural ties, and migration?...

Former Bolivian President Evo Morales resigned following the OAS Electoral Observation Mission denouncement of the October presidential elections as fraudulent, and massive street-wide protests. As a result and according to the Bolivian Constitution, an interim government led by Senator Jeanine Áñez took over with the objective to host free and fair elections in the spring of 2020. Electoral and p...

According to the UN, the number of Venezuelan refugees in Colombia will reach 6.5 million in 2020. While Colombia has shown patience in trying to mitigate the issues of its global neighbor, it is also facing an important and delicate time internally. CSIS's Moises Rendon invites former U.S. Ambassador to Colombia Kevin Whitaker to discuss Colombia's priorities for peace integration efforts, its re...

For one week last June, dozens of reporters in the USA Today network coordinated stories on migrants attempting to cross the U.S. southern border in the article "One deadly week reveals where the immigration crisis begins - and where it ends." Daniel Gonzalez, a long-time immigration reporter for The Arizona Republic, tells what they found, and recounts some of his interviews in Guatemala and Mexi...

Argentines go to the polls on October 27th, and the results may spell the end of Mauricio Macri’s presidency. What went wrong? Michael Matera, Argentine expert and Director of the Americas Program at CSIS, explains how inflation never went away and growth never returned. He also makes predictions on the polices of a likely Alberto Fernández - Cristina Fernández de Kirchner government, and whether...

The Trump Administration has dramatically reduced the annual number of refugees that the U.S. will accept. Erol Yayboke of CSIS’s Project for Prosperity and Development tells us what being a “refugee” means in international law, and details the ebb and flow of post-World War II U.S. refugee policy. He also explains the effects the policy will have on Mexico and Central America, the largest sources...

National elections take place in Canada on October 2, and Justin Trudeau could be out of a job. Will the election turn on foreign policy? Canada expert Christopher Sands of Johns Hopkins University is back to explain why this might be the case, how Canada is tied to the U.S., like it or not, and how Canada views itself in the world.

Brazil is a world leader in crime, particularly violent crime. Part of the dynamic is the prison system, which serves as an incubator for even more violence. David Van Patten, Chief Operating Officer of Prison Fellowship International, explains the PFI model and why the overwhelmed Brazilian government has entrusted Prison Fellowship Brazil with the rehabilitation of about 4,000 prisoners convicte...

The “future of work” looks quite different for developing countries. Robotics and artificial intelligence mean less to countries that still don’t have decent Internet access. Senior Fellow Romina Bandura, co-author of a CSIS study on the subject, explains how the Fourth Industrial Revolution is impacting countries like Brazil and Argentina, and some of the policies that governments need to conside...

Brazil has vast oil reserves, but can the Bolsonaro government get the energy to market? Returning guest Lisa Viscidi of the Inter-American Dialogue says reforms are already in place that will enable oil production “to take off.” The real obstacles are the financial stability of Petrobras, the shaky state oil conglomerate, and the monopoly that the state has on most aspects of energy production, d...

Latin America has had a love-hate relationship with foreign investment. China is the latest suitor to test the region’s readiness to join the global economy. Stephen Kaplan, professor of international affairs and political science at George Washington University, dissects China’s role in the region, as well as the prospects for Venezuela to eventually rebuild its economy.

The number of Central Americans fleeing their countries for the U.S. has skyrocketed in the last few months. On the latest episode of 35 West, Rick Jones of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has some answers. With close to 30 years of experience in the region, Rick also details how CRS has helped build alternative futures for young people mired in poverty and violence.

Justin Trudeau is in trouble for meddling in a criminal investigation and dumping his attorney general. Mr. Canada, a.k.a. Chris Sands of Johns Hopkins University, is back to explain the details and how they could affect Canadian politics sooner rather than later.

As global forced migration increases rapidly, Mexico has transitioned from just an exporter of people north to a transit and a recipient country all in one. While significant challenges remain, Mexico has an opportunity for regional leadership on migration. Erol Yayboke, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow at the CSIS Project on Prosperity and Development, and CSIS Americas’ Moises Rendon discuss th...

Ambassador Jay Anania, born two blocks from the State Department, was drawn to the U.S. Foreign Service partly by the examples of his NSA dad and CIA mom. His 30-year career started in Tijuana and ended in Paramaribo, with stops along the way in Amman, Havana, Abu Dhabi, Berlin, Hong Kong, and Baghdad. He and host Richard Miles discuss changes on the U.S. southern border as well as the effectivene...