Ambassador Larry Gambiner joins us to discuss a new deal in which President Maduro of Venezuela agreed to democratic reforms, including free and fair elections, in exchange for a reduction in US sanctions. But when opposition party candidate Maria Corina Machado won 93% of the primary vote, she was immediately barred from running for public office for 15 years. So now what will the US do?  And will the people of Venezuela rebel?  Unfortunately, if you’re hungry enough, it’s hard to overturn the government.

Barbados Agreement - Venezuela and the US

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Out with Wagner, in with the Africa Corps. What will happen as mercenaries continue to offer attractive alternatives to vulnerable democracies like Niger, the Central African Republic, Burkina Faso and Mali? Ambassador Hank Cohen, whose new book "Africa, You Have a Friend in Washington", offers a vision of hope via economic self-determination.  For added context, we append our earlier episode on the Wagner Group's activities in the Central African Republic.

Russian Mercenaries' Regime Survival Kit

Tom Yazdgerdi, President of the American Foreign Service Association reaches back to illustrate how far the Foreign Service has come in the last 100 years and charts how it will meet the complex challenges of the next decades.

100 Years old and Still Kicking It: The US Foreign Service

Ambassador Vicki Huddleston, author of “Our Woman in Havana”, unpacks the dire circumstances in Cuba driving hundreds of thousands to flee the island and parses the impacts of South Florida exile politics on US diplomacy: the hammer is the only tool left in the box.

Shakespearean Tragedy: Cuba

What does it mean when open-source data show that huge populations have moved?  Natural disaster?  An attack?  Relocation of children, forced passportization?  Non-classified satellite imagery, cell phone photos, video, GPS and other puiblicly available information is critical to modern diplomacy and democracy. Susan Wolfinbarger, geographer, data scientist and the vision behind the Conflict Observatory at State’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, walks us through her dream: big data saves lives.  Welcome to 21st Century diplomacy's newest tool.

Data Saves Lives

Meghan Stewart, head of the Negotiations Support Unit in State’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, knows the peace process – its structures, its history, the perspectives of combatants.  Her team uses its specialized knowledge to help diplomats get peace agreements over the line, saving thousands and thousands of lives each time.  Who knew you could devote your legal career exclusively to ending global conflict? 

Barbados Agreement - Venezuela and the US

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