Author: Benjamin N. Gedan | Journal of Democracy

Benjamin N. Gedan is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Latin America Program at the Stimson Center and a fellow in the Latin America Studies Initiative at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

What Nicaragua Teaches Us About Saving Venezuela’s Democracy

Luis Rivas
Benjamin N. Gedan

Nicaragua is a corrupt, dictatorial outpost. But it didn’t have to be the case. And its path offers valuable lessons for how to achieve a successful democratic transition in Venezuela today.

October 2025, Volume 36, Issue 4

The Threat to Latin American Term Limits

Benjamin N. Gedan
Elias French

Latin America remains haunted by the specter of “strongman” rule. Term limits have been a way of guarding against this threat, but aspiring autocrats have now found a new avenue to bypass this barrier to power: courts of law.