Venezuela 2020: Rebuilding a Nation

Table of Contents FROM YOUR DIRECTOR-GENERAL ...... 2 FROM YOUR CHAIR ...... 3 FROM YOUR CRISIS DIRECTOR ...... 4 COMMITTEE DESCRIPTION ...... 5 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VENEZUELA ...... 6 THE WARS FOR INDEPENDENCE ...... 6 BOLIVAR GETS INTO THE GAME ...... 6 THE RISE AND FALL OF THE CAUDILOS...... 7 THE PATH TO CHÁVES AND MADURO ...... 7 THE LAST FEW MONTHS (WHERE WE DIVERGE FROM REALITY) ...... 8 CURRENT SITUATION ...... 9 COLLAPSING HEALTHCARE SYSTEM ...... 9 FOOD SHORTAGES...... 9 REFUGEE CRISIS ...... 9 POSITIONS ...... 10 ENDNOTES ...... 12

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FROM YOUR DIRECTOR-GENERAL

Dear Delegates, It is my privilege to welcome you to the Princeton Model United Nations Conference. My name is Justin Curl, and I am honored to be your Director General of Crisis Committees this year. I am a sophomore in the Computer Science Department with certificates in Statistics & Machine Learning and Engineering Management Systems. On campus, I am a member of the Model UN Team, the Princeton Debate Panel, and a volunteer for the Mercer County suicide hotline. This is my second-year staffing PMUNC, I was a crisis director for the Joint Crisis Committee last year. I had a wonderful experience last year and am excited to be back again staffing PMUNC this year. I am from Los Angeles, California. I am not excited for the cold that awaits us all come November, but luckily, we have the heat of lively competition and new friendships to warm our hearts at PMUNC. I first joined the lovely activity of Model UN in college, and I have had an amazing experience competing on the college circuit. I hope you do not let the thrill of competition to distract you from the chance to learn something from your fellow delegates and building strong friendships. Crisis committees are a unique opportunity to form relationships with the 12-15 other students in committee. These committees will push you to creatively combine your long-term strategy with short-term events, spinning each update to your advantage. Success in crisis will require delegates to think critically and quickly to persuasively respond to constant crises coming out of the back room. Constantly balancing the goals of individual delegates with the success of the entire committee, delegates in crisis represent Model UN and politics at its best. This year we have an excellent slate of topics lined up, including a committee analyzing Orwell’s Animal Farm in the context of the USSR, another addressing Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis, and another responding to 9/11 among others. Both myself and my chairs have been working all summer to lay the foundations for the best PMUNC experience possible. Please read through the background guide, start thinking about your arc, and get ready to have an amazing weekend of fun at PMUNC.

All the best, Justin Curl

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FROM YOUR CHAIR

Dearest Delegates, Well done! The conference hasn’t even started, but you’ve already begun your rise to power. As you read the following 13 pages, you will get a crash-course in the history of Venezuela and the craft of rebuilding fractured states. But before we get there, I’d like to give you a bit of context. My name is Bozhidar Stankovikj -- although I go by Bobo -- and I’m a senior at Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School for Public and International Affairs. I study how governments can make better decisions, and what happens when they don’t. My Princeton experience is heavily intertwined with Model UN: PMUNC 2016 was my first exposure to crisis committees, and I loved it so much that I became the Chief of Staff for our 2017 Conference. That wasn’t enough, of course! I came back in 2018 as President of our International Relations Council -- the organization that runs the conference -- and chaired a committee on Yugoslavia. PMUNC 2019 will be my fourth and final time at a conference that has taught me an incredible amount. Of course, I’d like to go out with a bang. So, Olivia and I have crafted a committee that (we hope) will be challenging and will make you think not only about the ways to create crises, but how to meaningfully resolve them. To do well, we expect you to have read the guide and to come into the discussion with ideas on how to fix the problems we’ve laid out. While thinking on your feet is necessary and important, constructive solutions will get you much further in our eyes. It wouldn’t be MUN (or Venezuela) without a little bit of chaos, though, so feel free to try your luck through crisis, too. You will notice that this committee starts on January 2, 2020. We’ve provided you more than a century of Venezuelan history for context, but we have changed the few months preceding our start date to create an environment more conducive to problem-solving in Venezuela. It is crucial that you understand how we progressed from present day reality to the status quo the background guide has laid out for the beginning of 2020. We hope this committee will be a learning experience regardless of your prior experience with Model UN (or lack thereof!). So, if you have questions after reading the guide, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] and I’d be happy to chat.

Cheers, Bobo

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FROM YOUR CRISIS DIRECTOR

Dear Delegates, Welcome to PMUNC 2019! My name is Olivia Ott, and I am honored to be serving as Crisis Director for the Venezuelan Crisis. I am currently a senior studying public policy at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, and plan to graduate with a degree in public policy and a minor in Spanish in June 2020. Fun fact: Bobo and I actually first became friends after struggling together through a mandatory departmental class that required us to do “real” research. Who knew friendships could form over mediocre statistical analyses of U.S. Supreme Court data? Anyways, I was first introduced to MUN in high school, and have continued to compete as a delegate and Chair conferences on the college circuit with Princeton’s MUN team. This will be my fourth (and final!) year staffing PMUNC, and I have loved every minute that I have spent at this conference. I also can’t think of any better way to end my MUN career than by CD-ing a crisis committee with a topic as complex, challenging, and interesting as Venezuela. As Bobo mentioned, you will need to read the background guide to do well at this conference, and it is critical that you understand where and how history begins to diverge from reality prior to our committee’s starting point of January 2nd, 2020. While it wouldn’t be a crisis committee without semi-successful power grabs and convoluted schemes full of treachery, I encourage you to balance your creativity against creating constructive solutions, and will be looking for well thought-out and detailed crisis arcs. I hope that this committee will be fun for delegates with all levels of crisis and MUN experience! Please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] if you have any questions about the background guide, this committee, or Model UN in general. I look forward to meeting all of you and foiling your crisis arcs throughout the weekend!

Sincerely, Olivia Ott

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VENEZUELA 2020: REBUILDING A NATION

Committee Description

This committee will seek to address the ongoing political and socioeconomic crisis in Venezuela. Since the death of Hugo Chávez and the ascension of Nicholas Maduro to the presidency in 2013, Venezuela has experienced a period of intense turmoil and conflict, characterized by hyperinflation, massive emigration, political corruption, chronic shortages of food and medicine, and climbing crime and death rates. In the middle of one of the worst economic and humanitarian crises in history, the country has also been plagued by significant political instability as a result of numerous disputes over the legitimacy of its presidency and alleged coup d'etats. Delegates will take on the role of some of Venezuela's most important government officials and social actors during this committee while attempting to restore stability in a nation on the verge of total political and economic collapse.

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other faction, supporting a clean aristocratic family. He’d witnessed WHAT YOU NEED break with Spain, was led by Simón the power of liberalism during his TO KNOW ABOUT Bolívar, an up-and-coming young time in Europe, and despite the aristocrat who bought into the defeat of the First Republic of VENEZUELA “radical” ideals of the American Venezuela, he kept to his convictions. Revolution. Bolívar traveled across much of On July 5, 1811, after much South America, attempting to recruit We could debate where (or, debate, supporters of unconditional troops in the fight for independence.2 technically, when) a background independence won out. The newly- Unfortunately, he made brutal guide on Venezuela should begin. formed Congress passed voted in decisions on the way. In 1813, Some would say we ought to start favor of the Declaration of Bolívar delivered the infamous with the indigenous communities in Independence. To give you a sneak Decree of War to the Death, which Pre-Columbian Venezuela. Others peek, this is what it sounds like: called for the active execution against might argue we need to start with “We, therefore, in the name and any Spaniard (including civilians) Christopher Columbus’ destructive by the will and authority which who did not actively support the legacy. For the sake of saving you we hold from the virtuous cause for independence. After years from a 50-page background guide, People of Venezuela, DO of fighting and several successful we’ve attempted to condense the declare solemnly to the world, battles, Bolívar’s troops managed to most relevant timelines and chose to that its united Provinces are, and defeat the final remnants of the begin this story on July 5th, 1811. ought to be, from this day, by act royalist army at the Battle of and right, Free, Sovereign, and Carabobo. Shortly after, Gran 1 THE WARS FOR Independent States...” Colombia, encompassing Colombia, Of course, it wasn’t exactly smooth Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama, INDEPENDENCE sailing from there on out. The declared its independence. After decades of Spanish leadership of the new Republic had Of course, history -- much like colonial exploitation, Venezuela in to face royalists who still wanted to Model UN -- tends not to follow a the early 19th century was stick with Spain. While the provinces convenient narrative arc. El confronted with an opportunity. were battling each other, the Junta Libertador, in the midst of a struggle Napoleon Bonaparte had invaded had to handle governing in the midst to preserve the new union, wanted to Spain and placed his brother, Joseph, of a Spanish blockade and a lack of create a heavily centralized system of on the throne. The municipal funds. As if the stress wasn’t enough, government in Gran Colombia. To government in Caracas, seeing the a massive earthquake hit in March of put it more bluntly, Bolívar believed proverbial ladder that chaos created, 1812 and devastated many of the that the way to preserve the stability removed the Spanish governor and newly-independent areas. A few of the newly-liberated country was to sparked a movement across several months later, royalist captain proclaim himself president for life. Venezuelan provinces, each Domingo Monteverde led a The move was highly controversial, supporting independence to a successful advance, and the first and it sparked uprisings all across different extent. iteration of a free Venezuelan Venezuela and El Salvador. Bolívar The de-facto governing Republic was defeated. was accused of becoming the institution of the Captaincy-General dictatorship that he sought to of Venezuela was called the Caracas BOLIVAR GETS INTO THE remove. In 1830, as he saw his dream Junta. It called for a provincial of a united Gran Colombia falling Congress, where supporters of GAME apart, El Libertador stepped down. independence could decide on the Simón José Antonio de la “Hear my final plea as I end my specific proposals. A faction of Santísima Trinidad Bolívar Palacios political career; in the name of royalists wanted to remain tied to Ponte y Blanco, casually known as El Colombia I ask you, beg you, to Spain, but didn’t want to tolerate the Libertador, was, in 1811, a young and remain united, lest you become newly-imposed French rule. The Spanish-educated heir of an

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the assassins of the country and interest rates. Unfortunately, history overthrew the conservative your own executioners.”4 is like a pendulum, and no sooner government. Within a year, Gran Colombia were the Monagas brothers in power History, once again acting dissolved into Venezuela, New than they were once again engulfed like a pendulum, did not leave Grenada, and Ecuador. Ironically, in a civil war. The period between Acción Democrática in power for the new nations adopted centralized 1870 and 1899 was tumultuous, with long. Once the party enacted a series governments, and continued to be frequent conflict and forced transfers of liberal reforms -- unionization, led by strongmen and dictators for of power. It culminated with the taxes, and health care -- a new decades to come. Bolívar, powerless seizure of power by General paramilitary group led a coup and to change the obvious historical Cipriano Castro who wasn’t overthrew them. Military strongmen trend, despaired the situation of the particularly good at governing, and continued to lead Venezuela for nations he fought for: “all who relied on General Juan Vicente almost a decade afterwards, before served the revolution have plowed Gómez to fight back against popular being … you guessed it! Overthrown. the sea.”5 In other words, much like uprisings. A popular uprising led to the navy plowing a body of water, the efforts When Castro got sick, and air force removing the previous of revolutionaries were in vain. Gómez took over, and started an military leadership, and Rómulo almost three-decade-long Betancourt (the same guy from THE RISE AND FALL OF dictatorship where he reinstated before) was elected President. This order by crushing any signs of time, however, Acción THE CAUDILOS opposition. However, as bad as he Democrática was significantly more For almost an entire century was for the ideal of democracy, moderate, cooperating with the after breaking from Gran Colombia, Gómez was focused on developing Christian Democratic Party and Venezuela was led by a series of the oil extraction infrastructure, and focusing on the agricultural and military dictators known as caudillos. by the late 1920s, Venezuela was a manufacturing sectors. First off was José Antonio Páez,6 leader in oil exports. Despite the who led the armed forces in actively repressive social policies, the THE PATH TO CHÁVES Venezuela while Bolívar was off Gómez government invested in a liberating the rest of the region. His series of infrastructure AND MADURO proposed constitution, adopted as improvements, including roads, From the late 60s onwards, the basis for the independent railroads, and ports, as well as paying Venezuelan history was marked by Venezuela, gave the right to vote to off the national debt. contrasting trends of political property-owners, continued the The two Presidents after stability and economic instability. institution of slavery, and introduced Gómez exhibited a liberalizing tug of The 1968 elections were the first the death penalty for a range of war. In other words, because of the peaceful transition of power by a crimes. The system was relatively economic improvements, they could sitting government, and the stable while the economy was afford to take a chance on loosening following decades saw significantly growing, but in the mid-1840s, but social policies as well -- and in the late fewer military coup-d’etats than the the moment that demand for 30s, workers were even allowed to previous half-century. However, that Venezuelan goods (primarily coffee unionize. However, whenever semblance of continuity would be and cacao) dropped, the country saw political opposition would become a disrupted by the frequent market an increase in tension. little too threatening, the rulers cycles driven by oil demand. After General José Tadeo would reverse the changes and take Venezuela joined the Organization Monagas then took over, alongside away freedoms. Frustrated by the for Petroleum Exporting Countries his brother, José Gregorio situation, Rómulo Betancourt, the (OPEC) as a founding member, the Monagas. The two literally leader of a social-democratic party country experienced significant alternated the presidency, and passed called Acción Democrática, led a economic growth and drastic income a series of liberal reforms: no more mix of civilians and armed forces and inequality. However, the fluctuation death penalty or slavery and a cut in of oil prices and the later global

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recession brought a rise in inflation Chávez passed away in early 2013. Maduro’s authority to be and unemployment. His death created an opportunity for illegitimate.8 The National Assembly The story for the next two Vice-President Nicolás Maduro to recognized Juan Guaidó, the leader decades is a of a series of attempts to ascend to the leadership role. of the opposition, as the rightful deal with economic troubles caused Maduro took over when inflation President of Venezuela -- an action by the close relationship between oil reached a record-high of 50% and followed by several countries, prices and prosperity for Venezuela. basic necessities -- including milk, including the US.9 By the late 80s, several presidents had flour and toilet paper -- were tried to implement austerity increasingly hard to come by. In the measures and repay the foreign debt, next four years, crime began THE LAST FEW MONTHS which took a toll on the nation’s poor skyrocketing, the government faced (WHERE WE DIVERGE and led to significant pushback from electricity shortages and the Maduro FROM REALITY) the population. In the midst of regime became increasingly massive protests, Lieutenant Colonel oppressive. The opposition parties, Two months after Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez tried to lead a coup who had won the most recent (alleged) failed coup d’état, Nicolas against the sitting President. Though National Assembly elections, tried to Maduro and his Constituent he was unsuccessful, the incumbent force a recall vote against the National Assembly agreed to begin government was unable to deal with President. Instead, Maduro focused talks to resolve the country’s political the economic difficulties and, by the on escalating tensions with crisis with Juan Guaidó and late 90s, more than half of neighboring countries (most notably supporters from the National Venezuelans were living below the Colombia) in an attempt to divert the Assembly. In July 2019, poverty line. public’s attention. representatives from both political With unprecedented inflation As of 2016, the situation in entities met in Barbados and agreed and decreasing oil prices, voters Venezuela was exceedingly fraught. to establish a platform for ongoing broke against the typical political The opposition’s efforts to recall negotiations, mediated by Norway, parties and instead chose none other Maduro were deemed invalid and to ultimately create “a permanent than Hugo Chávez, who had were suspended by state courts, and peace dialogue {designed} to find a recently been released from prison. the regime postponed elections constitutional and democratic Chávez promised a typical socialist where the opposition was predicted resolution to the political 10 platform: reduce income inequality, to win. Wanting to avert internal controversies”. These political eliminate government corruption, collapse, the literal Pope Francis I discussions continued to occur twice and give more power to regular pleaded for Maduro and the per month through November 2019, citizens. He spent the income from opposition to begin crisis and the two groups were able to oil exports on social services and negotiations. By 2017, the reach some consensus on the reconstruction following an negotiations had gone nowhere, and provision of government and foreign unprecedented rainstorm in Caracas, inflation was nearing quadruple- aid to Venezuelan citizens in the gaining the support of working class digits. Venezuela’s Supreme Court, context of certain critical Venezuelans. After winning re- composed of supporters of the humanitarian issues; however, little election in 2006, Chávez began a regime, invalidated the entire progress was made on actually series of nationalizing efforts, National Assembly. Massive protests resolving Venezuela’s overarching focusing on the oil industry, became a daily occurrence. The political crisis, and both Maduro and electricity, and manufacturing. opposition boycotted elections. The Guaidó continued to maintain their Although he pushed for a US and the EU imposed harsh claims to Venezuela’s presidency. referendum that would allow him to sanctions. However, on December 27th, run for President indefinitely, By 2018, Maduro won a second 2019, President (?) Nicolas Maduro Chávez did not get the chance to run term in an election widely perceived unexpectedly collapsed while giving a again after 2012. After years of visits as fraudulent.7 The Organization of public speech to his supporters at the to Cuba for cancer treatment, Hugo American States (OAS) deemed Palace of Miraflores in Caracas, and

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was rushed to medical care at an talks is to discuss how best to FOOD SHORTAGES undisclosed location. After two days peacefully move forward and rebuild While it is difficult to know the of silence, his government Venezuela in the wake of Maduro’s full extent of the health and food announced that Maduro had died death in order to avoid instigating crises because prior Venezuelan from a massive heart attack resulting additional years of intense political authorities repressed the publication from previously undiscovered turmoil. The United Nations has also of such information, it is estimated coronary artery disease, and declared specifically asked that the following that 80% of Venezuelan households three days of national mourning for critical aspects of Venezuela’s are food insecure and do not have a the Socialist leader. Following the current situation be addressed by reliable source of food; the UN’s mourning period, Juan Guaidó these representatives during this Food and Agriculture Organization publicly asserted his claim to the iteration or subsequent occurrences (FAO) also believes that presidency of Venezuela, and of peace negotiations: approximately 12% of Venezuela's announced that the National population (3.7 million people) were Assembly would once again COLLAPSING undernourished between 2015 and constitute the main legislative body 2017, up from 5% between 2008 and for the nation. He and his supporters HEALTHCARE SYSTEM 2013.12 These food shortages have moved into the Palace of Miraflores Since the collapse of its oil- primarily resulted from (which appeared to have been dependent economy in 2014, hyperinflation sparked by the abandoned by Maduro’s government) Venezuela has struggled with collapse of oil prices in 2014 and on December 31st, but have not yet hyperinflation and significant years of unsustainable government been publicly recognized by the resource shortages. These financial spending; the Venezeulan Venezuelan military nor Maduro’s issues have led to the complete government under Maduro also remaining supporters, many of collapse of Venezuela’s public slashed imports in order to avoid whom still occupy powerful healthcare system and a widespread defaulting on foreign debt and government positions. shortage of medical supplies and introduced food production healthcare providers across the regulations, which further nation. The Pharmaceutical exacerbated these nutrition issues.13 CURRENT Federation of Venezuela estimates Because these food shortages remain that the nation is suffering from an SITUATION rampant and continue to impact a 85% shortage of medicine, and more large percentage of its citizens, it is than 13,000 doctors have left vital that Venezuela take steps to Venezuela in the past four years Anticipating the outbreak of address this humanitarian crisis and alone. These healthcare challenges additional conflict and eager to avoid consider the possibility of accepting have led to a 205% increase in new accruing civilian casualties, the food aid from other nations and malaria cases, a 300% increase in the United Nations publicly asked the international organizations. number of AIDS-related deaths, and high-ranking members of Maduro’s government to meet with Juan widespread outbreaks of several Guaidó and his supporters during the previously-eradicated diseases, REFUGEE CRISIS 11 next cycle of upcoming negotiations, including measles and diphtheria. Because of political insecurity, scheduled to begin on January 2nd, Immediate action needs to be taken widespread violence, and lack of 2020. Somewhat shockingly, both of to address the collapse of food, medicine, and essential services, these groups agreed to present Venezuela’s healthcare system and over 4 million Venezuelans have left themselves at these negotiations, and resolve one of the most pressing the country during the last 5 years. Guaidó has publicly promised safe humanitarian crises in Latin America. The vast majority of these individuals passage and freedom from are living in countries within Latin prosecution to the former members America and the Caribbean, and of Maduro’s administration. The there has been an 8,000% increase in primary purpose of these upcoming the number of Venezuelans seeking

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refugee status in the Americas.14 You will be assigned a character National Assembly for the fifth While some of these individuals have to represent for the duration of this circuit of Caracas in September 2010. entered other countries through legal cycle of peace negotiations. The He previously presided over the Committee itself will be chaired Dag Administration and Services Nylander, the Norwegian Parliamentary Commission, and was ambassador responsible for named second Vicepresident of the originally initiating negotiations Assembly in January 2019. He has between representatives from worked as a close aide to Juan Guaido and Maduro in July. While Guaido since his ascension to the each delegate will be given a presidency, and is a trusted advisor. document specifying their character’s specific portfolio powers during the CARLOS PAPARONI first committee session, you will be responsible for conducting (COMMISSIONER OF additional independent research into FINANCE) your character: Born on September 10th, 1988, Carlos Paparoni is a deputy of the JUAN GUAIDO National Assembly for the fourth (CLAIMANT TO THE circuit of the Merida state. During the 2019 Venezuelan presidential VENEZUELAN crisis, Juan Guaido gave Paparoni the PRESIDENCY) position of Commissioner of Born July 28th, 1983, Juan Finance in his new government, entry points, hundreds of thousands Gerardo Guaido Marquez is a which allows Paparoni significant of Venezuelans remain without any member of the social-democratic access to financial resources and documentation or permission to Popular Will party and has served as economic advisors. remain in other countries, which the President of the National makes them particularly vulnerable Assembly of Venezuela since January to exploitation, trafficking, CARLOS VECCHIO 5th, 2019. On January 23, 2019, discrimination, and violence. As host (CHARGE D’AFFAIRES TO Guaido and the National Assembly countries continue to become declared that he was the acting THE UNITED STATES) increasingly oversaturated with President of Venezuela, effectively Carlos Alfredo Vecchio DeMari Venezuelan refugees and travel challenging Nicholas Maduro’s is a Venezuelan lawyer and politician conditions become more dangerous, leadership. Since then, his presidency that helped found the social- it is evident that additional steps need has been officially recognized by democratic Popular Will political to be taken to address the refugee almost 60 governments worldwide, party with Leopoldo Lopez and Juan crisis, including the collection of data including the United States, Canada, Guaido. In January 2019, he was to better understand migration and the EU. named by Guaido and accepted by patterns, supporting American states U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to improve reception conditions, and as Charge d’Affaires of the coordinating the provision of STALIN GONZALEZ Government of Venezuela to the information and international aid. (SECOND VICE PRESIDENT United States, which functions

OF THE NATIONAL similar to an ambassadorial position. POSITIONS ASSEMBLY) In that capacity, he has encouraged Ivan Stalin Gonzalez Montano the removal of Maduro from the is a Venezuelan lawyer and politician presidency abroad, and regularly that was elected Deputy of the travels to meet with politicians from the U.S. and other nations.

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DAVID SMOLANSKY believed to still possess extensive ties TAREK WILLIAM SAAB (MEMBER OF THE AD-HOC to Venezuela’s military. (PROSECUTOR GENERAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF LEOPOLDO LOPEZ OF VENEZUELA) THE PETRÓLEOS DE (NATIONAL Born September 10th, 1962, VENEZUELA, S.A.) COORDINATOR OF Tarek William Saab is a well-known Former Mayor of the El Hatillo VOLUNTAD POPULAR) Venezuelan politician and leader of the Fifth Republic Movement (MVR) municipality in Caracas, David Leopoldo Eduardo Lopez party initially founded by Hugo Smolansky is a Venezuelan politician Mendoza is one of Venezuela’s most Chávez. In December 2014, he was that was named as a member of the prominent political activists and is elected as the “People’s Defender” Ad-Hoc Board of Directors of the considered to be one of Juan or Ombudsman by the National Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. Guaido’s closest mentors. He co- Assembly for the 2014-2021 term, and (PDVSA) company by Juan Guaido founded the political party Primero was later appointed as the in January 2019. Threatened with Justicia in 2000, and is the National Prosecurity General of Venezuela by prison by Maduro’s administration, Coordinator of Voluntad Popular, a the National Constituent Assembly Smolansky has been in exile in the Socialist International affiliated under Maduro’s leadership in August United States since September 13th, political party that he founded in 2017. He is widely considered to be 2017, but hopes to eventually return 2009. Following protests in 2014, one of Maduro’s most loyal to Venezuela. He was recognized by Lopez was imprisoned by Maduro supporters, and has previously been the Junior Chamber International as for committing a variety of crimes sanctioned by numerous countries the World’s Outstanding Young against the state, but was ultimately for his alleged role in undermining Politician in 2015, and is a well- released by Guaido’s supporters democracy and human rights. known figure on the international during the 2019 failed uprising. stage. JORGE ARREAZA VALADIMIR PADRINO (MINISTER OF FOREIGN MANUEL CRISTOPHER (MINISTER OF DEFENSE) AFFAIRS) FIGUERA (FORMER Vladimir Padrino Lopez was DIRECTOR OF SEBIN) appointed by Nicolas Maduro to Jorge Arreaza was appointed to Manuel Figuera is the former serve as Venezuela’s Minister of serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs director of the Bolívarian National Defense on October 24th, 2014, and under Maduro’s administration in Intelligence Service (SEBIN) and has been called “the second most August of 2017. He had previously served as the Vice President of former major general of the powerful man in Venezuelan Venezuelan army. During the 2019 politics”. He also holds the position Venezuela from 2013-2016 and the Venezuelan uprising, Figuera was of Strategic Operational Commander Minister of Science and Technology identified as a main conspirator who of the Bolívarian National Armed from 2011-2013. He is also known as attempted to persuade Maduro to Forces, and is believed to be a close associate of and has resign his claim of Venezuela’s responsible for preserving (most) of previously acted as a spokesman for presidency, and is believed to have the Venezuelan military’s loyalty to the Chávez family, and married collaborated with Guaido; he Maduro throughout the previous Chávez’s eldest daughter, Rosa publicly denounced Maduro’s presidential crises. Virginia, in 2007. He has been government, and urged Venezuela to formally sanctioned Canada and the return to a state of democracy. He United States for his alleged role in undermining democratic institutions fled to the United States following the failed coup attempt and has and exploiting the U.S. financial remained there in exile, but is system to support Maduro’s regime.

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DIOSDADO CABELLO 2018. He is a member of Maduro’s under Maduro’s regime, including as (PRESIDENT OF THE cabinet, and has worked extensively the Minister of Housing and Habitat with Cuba to better develop and as a Brigadier General, prior to NATIONAL CONSTITUENT Venezuela’s health infrastructure becoming the head of Venezuela’s ASSEMBLY) since the beginning of his term. state-owned oil company. He is a Diosdado Cabello Rondon Alvarado is an expert at remaining staunch supporter of Maduro, and currently serves as the President of out of the spotlight, and has managed was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury the National Constituent Assembly, to avoid the international sanctions Department in February 2019 after and also retains his status as a that many of his counterparts have allegations of corruption and member of the National Assembly of experienced during the last two years. suppression of democratic practices Venezuela. He is also an active surfaced. member of the Venezuelan armed MIGUEL HENRIQUE forces, with the rank of captain, and OTERO (PRESIDENT AND ENDNOTES played a key role in Hugo Chávez’s CEO OF EL NACIONAL regime. He is often described as one 1Venezuelan Declaration of Independence of the most powerful men in NEWSPAPER) and Constitution Venezuela, and is believed to possess Miguel Henrique Otero is a 2Arana, M. (2013). Bolívar. New York: significant influence over the military, Venezuelan journalist, and is the Simon & Schuste lawmakers, and certain key 3I have a personal connection to this battle current President and CEO of El due to its similarity with my name. businessmen. He has been Nacional newspaper. El Nacional is 4Fornoff, Frederick. El Libertador: Writings sanctioned by numerous nations, one of Venezuela’s most widely read of Simon Bolívar. Oxford University Press, including the United States and the and circulated daily national 2003, p. 143 5 EU, for his alleged financial newspapers, and has been described Arana, p. 450 extortion and links to drug 1 as one of the nation’s last 1 trafficking activities. independent newspapers since 1 censorship in Venezuela increased 1 ARISTOBULO ISTURIZ under Nicholas Maduro’s presidency. (MINISTER OF Otero has frequently been involved in Venezuela’s political scene, and EDUCATION) was forced to leave the nation in Born December 20th, 1946, 2015 after receiving a number of Aristobulo Isturiz is a politician and threats and legal challenges from academic who has served as Venezuela’s government. He has Venezuela’s Minister of Education resided in Madrid, Spain, since since September 2018 and has been fleeing the country, and continues to Vice President of the National run El Nacional from there. Constituent Assembly of Venezuela since August 4th, 2017; he also MANUEL QUEVEDO previously served as the Vice (VENEZUELAN OIL President of Venezuela from January 2016 to January 2017. MINISTER AND PRESIDENT OF PDVSA) A former member of the CARLOS ALVARADO Venezuelan National Guard, Manuel (MINISTER OF HEALTH) Quevedo was appointed oil minister Carlos Humberto Alvarado and president of PDVSA by Maduro Gonzalez has served as Venezuela’s in 2017. Quevedo previously served Minister of Health since June 25, in numerous government positions

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