America's Bet on Post-Maduro Venezuela (w/ Richard Sanders)
Episode notes
Nine months after the US seizure of Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela has largely slipped from the headlines. Oil production in the country is steadily rising, however, and talks over a political transition are inching forward under the government of Delcy Rodríguez. The stakes could hardly be higher: Venezuela holds the world's largest proven oil reserves. But is this oil-driven recovery actually reaching ordinary Venezuelans? Can the country's politics hold together if a true democratic transition remains on a distant horizon? And can Washington use its leverage to build a lasting partnership, or will it miscalculate, pressing for terms that Venezuelans find unacceptable?
In this episode, Paul Saunders speaks with Richard Sanders, Senior Fellow for the Western Hemisphere at the Center for the National Interest. Sanders is a former member of the Senior Foreign Service. He served as Foreign Policy Advisor to the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, General Mark A. Milley from 2016-18. Prior to that, he served as Chargé d'Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, Canada, from 2013-14 and as Deputy Chief of Mission from 2014-16. Earlier assignments include service in Venezuela, Colombia, Chile, Uruguay, and Spain.