Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
Miguel DiazThe Center for Strategic and International Studies is a bipartisan Washington, D.C.,-based think tank devoted to analyzing international issues. Miguel Diaz is the center’s South America Project Director. The following is excerpted from June 24, 2004, testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, and Narcotics Affairs.In my view, Venezuela’s democracy never in great shape to begin with finds itself now in intensive care. That is because over the past five-plus years that Hugo Chávez has been in power, the government has weakened the foundations of Venezuela’s democracy by…