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Northwestern University / Foreign Policy magazine
Daniel Lansberg-Rodriguez is an adjunct lecturer at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and a regular contributor to Foreign Policy magazine.
PROFILE
Daniel Lansberg-Rodríguez
Guest
FROM Daniel Lansberg-Rodríguez
To the Point
Venezuela in a major crisis: Are sanctions going to help? After months of deadly protest over living conditions and human rights abuses, President Nicolas Maduro is accused of running a phony election. Official results from Sunday's voting replaced the previous general assembly with a new one subject to his total control. President Trump has increased individual sanctions against Maduro and other powerful figures — and there's talk of interfering with the vital oil economy. Would that fend off a potential dictatorship — or give Maduro the scapegoat he needs -- possibly leading to civil war?
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
How close is Venezuela to collapsing? Things are going from bad to worse in Venezuela: A sham election over the weekend, sanctions by the U.S. yesterday, and now leaders of the opposition are under arrest.
To the Point
Is there a way out for Venezuela? Venezuela sits atop the world's largest oil reserves but you wouldn't know it if you visited the country today. The country today seems on the verge of civil war. President Nicolas Maduro's repressive government has turned Venezuela into a kleptocracy, with people facing violence, organized crime and food shortages. This has led to mass demonstrations. A thousand people have been injured and eighty have died in the protests on the country's streets over the last two months. The descent into potential chaos has become an increasingly complex challenge for the international community. We take an in-depth look at the Venezuelan crisis.
To the Point
Are Venezuela's troubles the legacy of populism? Twenty years ago, the late Hugo Chavez promised to save democracy in Venezuela. Today, Venezuela is moving toward a dictatorship, with the opposition divided against authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro. Late last year there were massive street protests, and this weekend the Supreme Court stripped the legislature of its power. When the rest of the world took notice, that ruling was mostly reversed -- but economic depression continues, and the government refuses food or medical aid. We hear what life is like in the nation with the world’s largest oil reserves -- and hear a debate about how it got that way.
To the Point
Chronic Food Shortages Prompt Riots in Venezuela Venezuela’s worsening economic crisis has spilled over into chaos in recent weeks. Hungry protestors have been rioting, ransacking and looting stores and restaurants, leaving scores of businesses in shambles and at least five people dead. The government has declared a state of emergency, and basic necessities are being rationed. How did a relatively recently prosperous country which sits on the world’s largest oil reserves come to this -- the world’s worst rate of inflation and nearly 90% of its population unable to afford to eat?
Recommended
To the Point
What happens when America retreats from the world? Is President Trump taking his "America First" agenda to extremes, withdrawing the country from the international stage on trade and climate change, distancing America from its traditional allies across the Atlantic and even threatening to physically isolate the country through the building of a wall along its southern border? León Krauze guest hosts.
To the Point
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.
To the Point
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.
To the Point
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.