Venezuela faces an uncertain future due to ongoing political and economic turmoil. Tensions remain high despite attempts to broker a solution. A delegation of the interim president Juan Guaidó will be on a one-day visit to Finland to present their view on the country’s situation and future prospects. The opposition, led by Guaidó, has called for new presidential elections, the release of political prisoners and a reform of the country’s highest judicial power. Meanwhile, President Nicolás Maduro has accused the opposition of attempting regime change. The European Union has imposed sanctions on Venezuela and its member states have pledged their support for Guaidó. The event will discuss the Venezuelan impasse, its humanitarian situation and the EU’s possible role in helping resolve the situation.
Please note that this event is open to the public and does not require registration. The discussions will be held in English.
Welcome!
For more information, please contact:
Kukka-Maria Kovsky, Project Manager, FIIA, kukka-maria.kovsky@fiia.fi, +358 9 432 7718
Speakers
Deputy to the National Assembly
Francisco Sucre is Deputy to the National Assembly for Voluntad Popular and is President of the Foreign Policy Commission. He has a Master’s degree in Political Management from the George Washington University and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy at Georgetown University in Washington DC. Mr. Sucre is Member of the Board of Directors of the Center for Democracy and Development for the Americas in Washington DC and has held several high-ranking positions in various international organizations.
President and Editor-in-Chief, El Nacional
Miguel Henrique Otero is President Editor of El Nacional, a daily newspaper in Venezuela and is a columnist for several media in Spain and Latin America. He has received several journalism awards such as Luca de Tena from the Spanish ABC newspaper and the Freedom of Expression of the El Mundo newspaper. He is currently Director of the Inter-American Press Association and the World Association of Newspapers. He was an independent deputy in the National Congress of Venezuela for three periods.
Medical Doctor
Agueda A. Veintie graduated as a medical doctor from the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) and is currently employed at the Suursuo Hospital in Helsinki. She is a Venezuelan humanitarian crisis activist (Apua Venezuelaan) and a representative of Venezuelans in Finland at the international NGO Venezuela Somos Todos!
Puheenjohtaja
Research Director
Mikael Wigell works a Research Director at FIIA. He is an internationally recognized pioneer in geoeconomics research and an expert in hybrid threats analytics.
Wigell has held visiting fellowships at the University of Cambridge and Oxford University. He currently serves as Chairman of The Geoeconomics Society, Member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network, and External Geopolitical Advisor to Burson.
Wigell’s research has been published in leading policy and scientific journals including Comparative Strategy, International Affairs, The Washington Quarterly, and World Development. He has been Chairman of the Finnish International Studies Association. His current editorial roles include Co-Editor-in-Chief of Law & Geoeconomics (a scientific journal published by De Gruyter Brill) and Co-Editor of Springer Studies in Law & Geoeconomics (a book series).
He has led international research projects at the intersection of economics, geopolitics, hybrid threats, and resilience, funded by organizations such as the European Commission, NATO and the Nordic Council of Ministers. He also written reports and provided advice to organizations such as the Development Bank of Japan and the European Parliament. He is a former member of the Development Policy Committee of the Government of Finland.
Dr. Wigell holds a PhD from the London School of Economics and the Title of Docent at Tampere University.