What In The World? Venezuela's 2024 Election Crisis and Maduro's Gambit to Stay in Power, featuring Gabriela Saade

The Burn Bag returns after a brief hiatus, and we're bringing back "What in the World?" A series where A'ndre talks about ongoing current events with other youthful foreign policy professionals, experts, and geeks.

This week, A'ndre chats with his old UChicago classmate Gabriela Saade about the ongoing political crisis unfolding after Venezuela's recent elections. While incumbent President Nicolas Maduro has claimed victory, the opposition and multiple international organizations have argued that the election was rigged; protests have broken out, with multiple arrests taking place. Gabriela, who grew up in Venezuela, used to do research for National Assembly opposition politicians in the mid-2010s,and co-founded a non-profit In the country that aimed to provide humanitarian assistance to disaffected areas. During the conversation, Gabriela provides a rundown of the Venezuelan political landscape over the last decade under Maduro, outlining the key controversies surrounding the election, explaining the opposition's claims and purported evidence. A'ndre and Gabriela also discuss the crackdown on political expression in Venezuela and the ongoing economic crisis, with Gabriela sharing some of her on-the-ground experience from years past.