Dissidents and Dictators

Casey and Elisha open Season 2 with Leopoldo Lopez, the prominent Venezuelan politician and activist who has made a name for himself by building peaceful movements opposing the Maduro regime. For his efforts, he spent nearly seven years in prison, four in solitary confinement, and now lives in exile. The three discuss Lopez's upbringing in Venezuela, the family history that compelled him to enter politics, and what he loves most about the country he didn't want to leave. Lopez provides an assessment of Venezuela’s current political landscape following the stolen election in July and how he’s advocating for reform at the World Liberty Congress. Extreme sports are also discussed.

Casey and Elisha are joined by Cato Institute policy analyst and HRF fellow Nick Anthony to talk about money, the world of central bank digital currencies, and how they pose significant risks to privacy, financial freedom, and markets. They also discuss which countries are the worst offenders so far and how you can track their devious ways.

Casey and Elisha discuss HRF's newest report, investigating the UAE's breathtaking political interference campaign in the U.S. From illicit lobbying efforts to massive donations to leading think tanks and universities, to even secretly hiring America's leading military officers, the UAE's political influence campaign is arguably bigger - and far more successful - than anything any other dictatorship has ever authored.

Learn more:

Read HRF's report - "Infiltrating America: How the United Arab Emirates Launched an Unprecedented Political Interference Campaign in the United States"

https://hrf.org/reports/infiltrating-america-how-the-united-arab-emirates-launched-an-unprecedented-political-interference-campaign-in-the-united-states/

Each year, the Human Rights Foundation brings together activists and dissidents at the Oslo Freedom Forum to call out injustice and expose threats to liberal democracy.

This year, we are sharing our message of hope and resistance directly with you, in a special four-part series by the Human Rights Foundation, produced by FP Studios.

Part four: “Art as Protest" with Nadia Hernández & Carlos Vives

Casey and Elisha speak with renowned Nicaraguan journalist Carlos Chamorro, who's continued his groundbreaking work even from exile. They talk about the tactics the Ortega regime has used to silence dissent in Nicaragua, how important investigative journalism is to holding authoritarians to account, and hear all about a Miss Universe scandal no one talked about.

Each year, the Human Rights Foundation brings together activists and dissidents at the Oslo Freedom Forum to call out injustice and expose threats to liberal democracy.

This year, we are sharing our message of hope and resistance directly with you, in a special four-part series by the Human Rights Foundation, produced by FP Studios.

Part Three: “AI for Activists" with Arthur Holland Michel

Over the weekend, the Iranian Supreme Court overturned the death sentence of Toomaj Salehi, the Iranian hip-hop artist who was charged with "corruption on earth" for his defense of the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement. His friend and social media manager, Negin Niknaam, joins Casey and Elisha to talk about Salehi. he also brings a special message from him, obtained in secret, exclusively for Human Rights Foundation and podcast listeners. HRF's legal and programs officer, Claudia Bennett, also joins to talk about what's next in the judicial process.

Each year, the Human Rights Foundation brings together activists and dissidents at the Oslo Freedom Forum to call out injustice and expose threats to liberal democracy.

This year, we are sharing our message of hope and resistance directly with you, in a special four-part series by the Human Rights Foundation, produced by FP Studios.

Part Two: “Shining the Light” with Sebastien Lai

Casey and Elisha are joined live from the Oslo Freedom Forum by real-life "Hotel Rwanda" hero Paul Rusesabagina and two of his children, daughters Carine and Anaise Kanimba, to talk about the banana beer recipe you probably haven't tried but should, family, adoptions, Rwanda, kidnappings, and an extraordinary international campaign that led to freedom. Paul also walks us through the last hours of his time in solitary confinement and what he was thinking all the while.

Each year, the Human Rights Foundation brings together activists and dissidents at the Oslo Freedom Forum to call out injustice and expose threats to liberal democracy.

This year, we are sharing our message of hope and resistance directly with you, in a special four-part series produced by FP Studios and the Human Rights Foundation.

Part One: “The Price of Freedom” with Anastasia Shevchenko