Juan Nagel, Author at Global Americans

Book Reviews

Of Beans and Power: A review of Mariano Turzi’s The Political Economy of Agricultural Booms

By Juan Nagel / juannagel / April 5, 2018

Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay account for 76% of world exports of soybean meal and 68% of exports of soybean oil. But as with other natural resources, the source of these riches—the technological advances contained in the seeds—remains out of reach.

Democracy & Elections

No shades of gray: The two sides in Venezuelan politics

By Juan Nagel / juannagel / October 28, 2016

Venezuela isn’t a cheesy soft-porn novel. The international community has to realize there are no shades of gray in Venezuela anymore. For all its flaws, one side is democratic; the other is just plain autocratic.

Venezuela

No, Trump is no Chávez

By Juan Nagel / juannagel / July 25, 2016

Yes, I get the comparison in terms of their rhetorical styles. But the caricature of Chávez as just an uncouth blowhard is downright insulting to Venezuelans who now live with his toxic legacy.

In the Media

Apocalypse is such a relative term

By Juan Nagel / juannagel / June 23, 2016

So this is what the Pendejo Sin Frontera defense of the revolution has come to: sure, things in Venezuela are bad, but it’s not cataclysmic. That’s what passes for regime propaganda abroad these days.

In the Media

Argentina’s deal with the devil

By Juan Nagel / juannagel / June 20, 2016

For a moment, it looked like Venezuela’s beleaguered opposition had a powerful new ally in Buenos Aires. But it didn’t take long for principles to give way to big politics.

Venezuela

What’s wrong with a little dialogue?

By Juan Nagel / juannagel / June 15, 2016

The international community is trying to encourage the Venezuelan government and the opposition to sit down to a dialogue. But democratic dialogue requires commitment to principles, and the government has never shown—nor is showing now—any willingness to commit to those values.

Venezuela

Venezuela’s disappointing opposition

By Juan Nagel / juannagel / April 14, 2016

The new majority in the National Assembly has failed in offering economic alternatives and in confronting Venezuela’s political crisis. Despite being a lousy opposition, though, they are still important.

In the Media

In Venezuela, the lights are going out

By Juan Nagel / juannagel / April 7, 2016

Venezuela is, once again, in the throes of a full-blown electricity crisis. Citizens complain of unannounced blackouts are shutting down factories, forcing shopping malls to close early, and otherwise wreaking havoc on an already-sputtering economy.

In the Media

Venezuela Is About to Go Bust

By Juan Nagel / juannagel / February 8, 2016

Venezuela will have to default. The only question is when.

In the Media

An Ominous Opening for Venezuela’s New Parliament

By Juan Nagel / juannagel / January 7, 2016

For the first time in the 17 years since the late Hugo Chávez swept into power, the opposition has firm control of one of the branches of government. This proved too much for the chavista legislators to handle, and their walkout foreshadows the tensions ahead.