Tulane Sociology Professor Featured in Washington Post Op-Ed about Trump-Era Policy Impacts in Venezuela

David Smilde, a Tulane professor currently engaged in research on the ever-worsening crisis in Venezuela, was recently featured in the op-ed section of The Washington Post. The article, written by Smilde, is titled “Trump’s bluster failed Venezuela. Biden must use diplomatic and economic levers to address the crisis”, and reflects upon the failures of Trump-era foreign policy vis-a-vis Venezuela.

In the piece, Smilde argues that Trump’s "maximum pressure strategy," characterized by harsh oil sanctions and military threats, worked to effectively strengthen the Maduro coalition’s grip on the struggling nation. He then recommends new foreign policy strategies to the newly-inaugurated Biden administration, emphasizing the importance of diplomatic action and an expansion of democratic actors.

Smilde is Tulane’s Charles A. and Leo M. Favrot Professor of Human Relations, as well as a Senior Associate Fellow at the Center for Inter-American Policy (CIPR). In recent years, his research has centered largely on international advocacy around the political/economic crisis in Venezuela. He has published several op-eds in other major U.S. news journals such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. He is currently a fellow at the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at Notre Dame University, working on a new book project called Venezuela’s Transition to Illiberalism.

Check out his article here.

For more information about Smilde’s work, check out his faculty profile here.