The U.S. Military, the Opposition & Venezuela

About the Event

6:30 – 7:00 PM Registration and Networking
7:00 – 8:00 PM Program

As Venezuela’s political and economic crisis deepens, the interaction between U.S. military strategy, Washington’s broader policy toolkit, and Venezuela’s opposition movement has taken on renewed significance. We will explore how U.S. defense posture, security cooperation, and deterrence efforts intersect with diplomatic pressure and internal political dynamics inside Venezuela. Dr. Monaldi will examine the risks of escalation, the limits of military influence, and the regional consequences for energy markets, migration flows, and democratic stability across the Americas. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of the forces shaping Venezuela’s future and the global implications of its crisis.

Francisco J. Monaldi, Ph.D., is the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow in Latin American Energy Policy and director of the Latin America Energy Program at the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

He is also a fellow at the Claudio X. González Center for the United States and Mexico and a lecturer in energy economics at Rice University’s Department of Economics. He is a member of the International Faculty at IESA School of Management in Venezuela and Panama, where he was a professor and the founding director of the Center for Energy and the Environment.

He is a member of the International Advisory Council of Global Americans, the Venezuela Solutions Group of the Atlantic Council, and the Education Advisory Board of the Association of International Energy Negotiators.

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Host or Publisher The World Affairs Council of Greater Houston