Episode 48: A Conversation with Leopoldo López & Félix Maradiaga on Venezuela’s Transition

Leopoldo López is a Venezuelan political leader and human rights advocate who spent over six years as a political prisoner of the Maduro regime, before escaping Venezuela in 2020. He currently serves as co-founder of the World Liberty Congress, uniting pro-democracy movements against authoritarianism worldwide. Félix Maradiaga is a Nicaraguan academic, human rights defender, and former presidential candidate who was arbitrarily imprisoned for 611 days before being exiled by the Ortega regime. He is President of the Foundation for the Freedom of Nicaragua, and is also the current president of the World Liberty Congress. Host Ylli Bajraktari & SCSP's Joe Wang sat down with López and Maradiaga for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of democracy across Latin America and beyond. The conversation covered four major themes: Venezuela's Uncertain Transition: López breaks down what's changed since Maduro's capture — and what hasn't. He walks through the Trump administration's three-phase stabilization, economic recovery, and political transition plan, the upcoming August 1st negotiations, and why the recent earthquake exposed the true scale of state collapse. The Authoritarian Network: Both guests unpack how Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba, Russia, China, and Iran actively support one another — and why toppling one node in that network has ripple effects across the others. Nicaragua and the Road Ahead: Maradiaga assesses Ortega's weakening grip on power, including his recent refusal to hold elections, and what a "fourth wave of democratization" could look like across the Western Hemisphere. AI as a Tool for Freedom: Both leaders discuss how the World Liberty Congress is equipping pro-democracy activists worldwide with sovereign AI tools, the risks of authoritarian regimes weaponizing AI, and why expanding uncensored global internet access may be the single most powerful tool for freedom movements going forward. Watch more episodes of Memos to the President on our YouTube channel. 00:00 – Introduction 00:51 – Venezuela's Uncertain Transition 05:09 – The Earthquake and State Collapse 09:22 – What the U.S. Should Do Next 11:02 – Félix Maradiaga Introduces the World Liberty Congress 17:03 – The Situation in Iran 21:05 – Nicaragua's Weakening Regime 23:20 – The Authoritarian Network Across the Region 30:35 – AI as a Tool for Freedom 37:23 – Global Internet Access as the Path Forward Check out their conversation on the SCSP YouTube channel!Memos to the President Podcast is a product of the Special Competitive Studies Project.