By María Isabel Puerta Riera This is an updated version of the Spanish article published by Agenda Pública in 2021. Succession Under Autocracy Some analysts and experts in Venezuelan politics refer to Chavismo as a political movement that demands permanence in power. It repudiates the alternation of power. Moreover, this is not some sort of... Continue Reading →
By María Isabel Puerta Riera This is an updated version of the Spanish article published by Agenda Pública. Venezuela in Crisis Venezuela's crisis has ceased to be a domestic problem, giving way to a regional concern with global implications. The country's deterioration has triggered one of the most severe humanitarian crises of the last decade,... Continue Reading →
By María Isabel Puerta Riera A massive fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, & articles, even those found in the Constitution. Donald J. Trump, December 3, 2022 The Age of Reality TV in the White House The arrival of Donald J. Trump to the White House was... Continue Reading →
By María Isabel Puerta Riera Democracy Dies on the Net The news that Twitter reinstated former President Trump's account over the weekend sent shockwaves across the country and around the world. The suspension was motivated by the risk of the former president's insistence on rejecting the results of the 2020 Presidential Election would bring more violence. There... Continue Reading →
By María Isabel Puerta Riera The 2022 Election As we entered the final weeks of the 2022 midterm elections, the landscape was promising for Republicans. The expectation of a red wave grew with the help of pundits and pollsters building on the long-running theme of the Democrats in disarray. The sense of dread increased with the anticipation of... Continue Reading →
By María Isabel Puerta Riera Misinformation Widens the Political Divide The 2016 presidential election introduced new elements into political campaigns through information technology. The Cambridge Analytica scandal was part of a broader scheme to influence the electorate, particularly among those more vulnerable to misinformation. Of course, the role foreign entities played is still largely under debate. Nonetheless, it... Continue Reading →
By María Isabel Puerta Riera Originally published in Spanish by Diálogo Político on 05/10/2022 Democracy with Chinese Characteristics? Some question the notion of a 'crisis of democracy' in large part over debates about the threshold used to characterize democracy. Nonetheless, most of us can agree on some minimum baseline that includes the election of representatives combined with... Continue Reading →
By María Isabel Puerta Riera What is Fascism Over the past decade we have become more accustomed to hearing the label fascist when describing political adversaries, especially in struggling democracies. Although the displacement of liberal democracies has been on the rise, according to the Varieties of Democracy project, the use of this particular term remains subject to... Continue Reading →
By María Isabel Puerta Riera A Fragile Democracy As we approach the midterm elections, I find myself reflecting on what almost brought the American experiment to its knees just a few years ago. First off I strongly believe historical context matters. We are simply shortsighted unless we consider the long-term causes of democracy's fragility. The... Continue Reading →
By María Isabel Puerta Riera Biden In a Crossfire The Biden administration has been under fire since reports in early March suggested a change in the direction of the foreign policy toward Venezuela, including exploring the possibility of sanctions relief if the Nicolás Maduro regime agreed to certain conditions. The breakthrough came amid the global response to... Continue Reading →
