Center for Democracy and Development in the Americas

THE VENEZUELA INITIATIVE WORKS WITH CDDA FELLOWS AND OTHER NGOs IN: (I) RESEARCH, EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES DEDICATED TO CREATE INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS OF THE INSTITUTIONAL AND HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN VENEZUELA; (II) RESEARCH ON DOMESTIC PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES AND TOPICS RELATED TO THE BILATERAL RELATION BETWEEN VENEZUELA AND THE U.S.A.; (III) COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH, SEMINARS AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES WITH EMERGING DEMOCRATIC LEADERS; AND, (IV) PROMOTE COOPERATION TO LEADERS AND INSTITUTIONS ENGAGED IN SUSTAINABLE DEMOCRATIC CHANGES THROUGH FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS IN VENEZUELA, BASED IN THE ORGANIZATION'S COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH EFFORTS. DURING 2020 THE PROGRAM FOCUSED IN: (1) WORKING WITH NGOs AND FELLOWS TO DEVELOP STRATEGIES AND PLATFORMS TO DEFEND FREE PRESS,INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM AND COMBATING DESINFORMATION IN SOCIAL MEDIA; (2) DEVELOPING AND ORGANIZING A SERIES OF INTERNATIONAL EVENTS, ACTIVITIES AND MEETINGS TO RAISE AWARENESS OF VENEZUELA'S DEMOCRATIC DEFICIT AND THE ESCALATING VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE INVOLVEMENT OF MULTILATERAL INSTITUTIONS; (3) FUNDING RESEARCH ON VENEZUELA'S POLITICAL ECONOMY, INSECURITY, BASIC INDUSTRIES, AND PUBLIC POLICY OPTIONS TO RESOLVE PRESSING ISSUES RELATED TO VENEZUELA, THE BILATERAL RELATION WITH THE UNITED STATES AND THE OAS SYSTEM; 4) DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT GRASSROOTS MOVEMENTS WORKING ON PRESSING SOCIAL ISSUES IN LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES AND VULNERABLE SOCIAL GROUPS; AND 5) ORGANIZING THE VENEZUELAN DIASPORA TO ADVOCATE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, HUMANITARIAN RELIEF AND ENSURING DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL CHANGE IN VENEZUELA. DURING 2022 WE FOCUSED ON ADVOCACY FOR HUMANITARIAN RELIEF TO VENEZUELAN MIGRANTS, AND CHAIRED THE VENEZUELA WORKING GROUP OF THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL, FROM WHERE WE CONTINUED OUR COLLABORATION AND ROUNDTABLES TO DISCUSS POLICY OPTIONS AND PROMOTE MULTILATERAL EFFORTS TO ENFORCE AND PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS IN VENEZUELA.

Americas 100 (branded as iq latino) is: 1) a leadership forum and collaborative research initiative engaged in the empowering, educating and integrating a network of hispanic leaders and influencers to promote innovation and best practices in social entrepreneurship and public policy; 2) a platform to develop engagements and partnerships among latino leaders in the united states, spain and latin america to address the most pressing issues in the hemisphere known as "latinos in foreing policy". During the 2023 the initiative worked with fellows to produce content and continued developing the iq latino community; promoted events to recruit and prepare fellows; and produced digital campaigns to advance the latino agenda, social entrepreneurship and policy innovation. During 2023 we continued with our jose nucete sardi scholarship program with the sorensen institute at the university of Virginia. in 2023 we sponsored and participated in latinos in foreign policy events with the congressional hispanic caucus institute, and other events.