The newly aggressive U.S. policy toward Nicolás Maduro and his autocratic regime, including the recent sinking of alleged Venezuelan drug boats, did not come out of nowhere. Maduro is not just head of state. He also leads a far-reaching political-criminal network, writes Juan Miguel Matheus in a new Journal of Democracy online exclusive. The man who stole Venezuela’s 2024 election and presides over a crumbling economy funds his corrupt, repressive government with criminal proceeds. Nevertheless, Venezuelans have not given up their fight for democracy.
The following Journal of Democracy essays detail the evolution of Venezuela’s regime under Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro and survey the damage that the narco-trade has wrought on Latin American societies.
How Venezuela Became a Gangster State
Nicolás Maduro is a mafia boss, not a president, and the Venezuelan government is now a criminal enterprise with the power of a state. It poses a threat to democracies everywhere.
Juan Miguel MatheusHow Drug Wars Destroy Democracy
Colombia’s drug war has ravaged the country — leaving tens of thousands dead, disappeared, or displaced and entire communities broken. Democracy is among the casualties.
Juan Masullo and Abbey SteeleVenezuela’s Lost Year
A year ago Nicolás Maduro stole Venezuela’s election and entrenched his power by jailing and killing those who opposed him. But the world’s democracies don’t need to sit on the sidelines. Here is how they can raise the costs for Maduro.
Eric FarnsworthHow Organized Crime Threatens Latin America
Drug cartels possess the power of militaries, the profits of corporations, and the coercive capacity of a state. They will not be eliminated any time soon. But the region’s democracies can seek to raise their costs, limit their influence, and curb the violence.
Javier Corrales and Will FreemanBolivia’s Silent Destruction
Bolivia’s Amazon forests are becoming scorched earth, with millions of acres lost each year to raging fires. Worse, this disaster is being caused by a government more interested in corrupt profits than protecting its people and wildlife.
Jhanisse Vaca DazaAuthoritarian Survival: Why Maduro Hasn’t Fallen
His regime has hung onto power despite setbacks that would have toppled most democratic governments. Besides pure repression, Maduro has developed new autocratic tools that have kept Venezuela’s authoritarian state afloat.
Javier CorralesThe Bukele Model: Will It Spread?
The Salvadoran president’s “iron fist” policies have become one of the most popular political brands in Latin America. But the very reasons that explain his success in El Salvador point to why his repressive approach will not succeed elsewhere.
Manuel Meléndez-Sánchez and Alberto VergaraLatin America Erupts: The Danger of Democratic Delinquency
Recent high-profile scandals have laid bare persistent shortcomings of Latin American democracy that, if unaddressed, could prove fatal.
Laurence Whitehead
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