CENTER FOR DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE AMERICAS INC

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.