Read John Polga-Hecimovich's "Transnational Organized Crime and the Venezuelan State" in the new issue of Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, now available to read via @projectmuse.bsky.social muse.jhu.edu/article/965801

New piece out for GIS: Organized crime is evolving—and spreading—across Latin America, infiltrating not just streets, but states. 🇸🇻 Mano dura may win votes. ⚖️ But real security needs justice, reform & regional coordination. Read here 👉 www.gisreportsonline.com/r/organized-...

New article out now in the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, "Transnational Organized Crime and the Venezuelan State". 📰 muse.jhu.edu/article/965801 📄 DOI: doi.org/10.1353/gia.... In it, I examine the relationship between, well, transnational crime and the Venezuelan state under Maduro.

🇻🇪 En #MiradaSemanal examinamos el contexto de la elección regional y la consolidación autoritaria en #Venezuela. 🎙️ Para esta edición entrevistamos a @jpolga.bsky.social y Raúl Sanchez Urribarri en compañía de Manuel Alcántara, @maripuerta.com y la conducción de Xavier Rodríguez Franco.

Join us tomorrow for a Roundtable to discuss our book: “Authoritarian Consolidation in Times of Crisis: Venezuela under Nicolás Maduro” edited by @jpolga.bsky.social & Raúl Sánchez #LASA2025

I wrote about Trump Administration rhetoric & policy in Latin America, and how Latin American states are being pushed to pick between the U.S. and China. www.gisreportsonline.com/r/latam-betw...

Today I got my copy of Authoritarian Consolidation in Times of Crisis, edited by @jpolga.bsky.social and Raúl Sánchez Urribarrí. A nice present in troubled times. Thanks to the editors for their amazing work and to @benedictebull.bsky.social and Manuel Sutherland for awesome team effort.

I'm delighted that Authoritarian Consolidation in Times of Crisis: Venezuela under Nicolás Maduro, the book I co-edited with Raúl Sánchez Urribarrí, has officially been published! It is available at in paperback, hardcover and eBook almost everywhere. See: www.routledge.com/Authoritaria...

In light of today's news, I'm reposting something that Charles Larratt-Smith and I wrote about TdA late last year: americasquarterly.org/article/how-...

Day 1 of my "Comparative Politics of Latin America" course:

The ongoing political and economic crisis in #Bolivia seems to have flown under the international radar. I wrote about what all of this likely means for the country's 2025 elections and beyond: www.gisreportsonline.com/r/bolivia-po...

What a delightful present from colleague and friend Mike Kellermann! (Also, #IYKYK)

Researchers and experts in Latin America and Inter-American affairs. Investigadores y expertos en América Latina y en asuntos interamericanos. [Español - English - Português - Français] go.bsky.app/LnqWyHT

The Los Angeles Times interviewed me about U.S.-Mexican and Chinese-Mexican relations in light of Trump's tariff proposals. (I thought I was just giving background, but they used the whole interview). www.latimes.com/world-nation...

Grateful to be quoted alongside some really smart people in this @tomphillips.bsky.social article about Nicolás Maduro assuming his third six-year term tomorrow. I sincerely hope that my pessimism is misplaced: www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

Happy to share my commentary on next month's presidential election in #Ecuador in @The_Dialogue's Latin America Advisor (originally written on Dec 20): tinyurl.com/3vaje8az

I guess that's *one* important thing that happened on January 6

Charles Larratt-Smith and I wrote about the exaggerated threat of the Tren de Aragua in the U.S.: www.americasquarterly.org/article/how-...

It appears that the EU and Mercosur/Mercosul have finally reached a trade deal. I wrote about the deal last month and what it would mean:

Pedro Castillo to Yoon Suk Yeol

Juan Linz was right!

Oh, you don't say? www.wsj.com/world/americ...

Mañana en el Taller de Liderazgo Político en la UBA junto a Magdalena López y Miguel de Luca! 🕐22/11 - 17 hs (hora BBAA) 📍UBA, Sala de Consejo Directivo (1° piso), y también en YouTube

Latin American militaries in the news a lot right now for all the wrong reasons in Mexico, Bolivia, and now Brazil. All three also just happen to be places where populist politicians have effectively politicized the armed forces...

I wrote about the potential EU-Mercosur trade deal here and what it would mean for Europe, Latin America, and the rest of the world: www.gisreportsonline.com/r/implicatio...