Chairman Duncan on the hearing: “Today, the crisis in Venezuela has regressed on every level. Although once the richest country in the region, Venezuela has suffered severe corruption, economic mismanagement, and the deterioration of democracy first under former President Hugo Chavez and now under President Nicolas Maduro’s oppressive tenure. Thousands of people have fled the country in search of food, medicine, and basic goods. Political prisoners are at a record high, and the Maduro regime continues to forcefully silence dissent. There are no separation of powers or independent institutions in the country, and drug trafficking and organized crime are rampant. This hearing continues the Subcommittee’s oversight begun last Congress with two previous hearings on Venezuela, and I look forward to getting a clearer picture of the situation in the country and the regional response from our witnesses as well as suggestions for U.S. policy moving forward.”

Witnesses

Mr. Steve Hanke
Co-Director
Institute for Applied Economics, Global Health, and the Study of Business Enterprise
The Johns Hopkins University
[full text of statement]
[truth in testimony form]

Mr. Russell M. Dallen, Jr.
President and Editor-in-Chief
Latin American Herald Tribune
[full text of statement]
[truth in testimony form]

Hector Schamis, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor
Walsh School of Foreign Service
Georgetown University
[full text of statement]
[truth in testimony form]

Michael McCarthy, Ph.D.
Research Fellow
Center for Latin American and Latino Studies
American University
[full text of statement]
[truth in testimony form]

____________________________

Hearing transcript (PDF)