John Polga-Hecimovich 🧉
@jpolga.bsky.social
Political scientist at the U.S. Naval Academy, Minnesotan, Latin Americanist
Reposted by John Polga-Hecimovich 🧉
🇺🇸🇻🇪As the US-Venezuela relations crisis continues, Wyoming Star explores potential military confrontation with @jpolga.bsky.social, IBI Consultants' Douglas Farah, and FIU's Brian Fonseca.
Learn more: wyomingstarnews.org/2025/11/03/e...
#USA #Venezuela #politics #analytics #military #crime
Learn more: wyomingstarnews.org/2025/11/03/e...
#USA #Venezuela #politics #analytics #military #crime
November 4, 2025 at 12:02 AM
🇺🇸🇻🇪As the US-Venezuela relations crisis continues, Wyoming Star explores potential military confrontation with @jpolga.bsky.social, IBI Consultants' Douglas Farah, and FIU's Brian Fonseca.
Learn more: wyomingstarnews.org/2025/11/03/e...
#USA #Venezuela #politics #analytics #military #crime
Learn more: wyomingstarnews.org/2025/11/03/e...
#USA #Venezuela #politics #analytics #military #crime
Reposted by John Polga-Hecimovich 🧉
Read John Polga-Hecimovich's "Transnational Organized Crime and the Venezuelan State" in the new issue of
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, now available to read via @projectmuse.bsky.social
muse.jhu.edu/article/965801
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, now available to read via @projectmuse.bsky.social
muse.jhu.edu/article/965801
July 28, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Read John Polga-Hecimovich's "Transnational Organized Crime and the Venezuelan State" in the new issue of
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, now available to read via @projectmuse.bsky.social
muse.jhu.edu/article/965801
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, now available to read via @projectmuse.bsky.social
muse.jhu.edu/article/965801
New piece out for GIS:
Organized crime is evolving—and spreading—across Latin America, infiltrating not just streets, but states.
🇸🇻 Mano dura may win votes.
⚖️ But real security needs justice, reform & regional coordination.
Read here 👉 www.gisreportsonline.com/r/organized-...
Organized crime is evolving—and spreading—across Latin America, infiltrating not just streets, but states.
🇸🇻 Mano dura may win votes.
⚖️ But real security needs justice, reform & regional coordination.
Read here 👉 www.gisreportsonline.com/r/organized-...
Organized crime and security in Latin America – GIS Reports
Transnational crime in Latin America is growing across the region, posing a challenge to democracies.
www.gisreportsonline.com
July 27, 2025 at 2:59 PM
New piece out for GIS:
Organized crime is evolving—and spreading—across Latin America, infiltrating not just streets, but states.
🇸🇻 Mano dura may win votes.
⚖️ But real security needs justice, reform & regional coordination.
Read here 👉 www.gisreportsonline.com/r/organized-...
Organized crime is evolving—and spreading—across Latin America, infiltrating not just streets, but states.
🇸🇻 Mano dura may win votes.
⚖️ But real security needs justice, reform & regional coordination.
Read here 👉 www.gisreportsonline.com/r/organized-...
New article out now in the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, "Transnational Organized Crime and the Venezuelan State".
📰 muse.jhu.edu/article/965801
📄 DOI: doi.org/10.1353/gia....
In it, I examine the relationship between, well, transnational crime and the Venezuelan state under Maduro.
📰 muse.jhu.edu/article/965801
📄 DOI: doi.org/10.1353/gia....
In it, I examine the relationship between, well, transnational crime and the Venezuelan state under Maduro.
Project MUSE - Transnational Organized Crime and the Venezuelan State
muse.jhu.edu
July 27, 2025 at 2:45 PM
New article out now in the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, "Transnational Organized Crime and the Venezuelan State".
📰 muse.jhu.edu/article/965801
📄 DOI: doi.org/10.1353/gia....
In it, I examine the relationship between, well, transnational crime and the Venezuelan state under Maduro.
📰 muse.jhu.edu/article/965801
📄 DOI: doi.org/10.1353/gia....
In it, I examine the relationship between, well, transnational crime and the Venezuelan state under Maduro.
Reposted by John Polga-Hecimovich 🧉
🇻🇪 En #MiradaSemanal examinamos el contexto de la elección regional y la consolidación autoritaria en #Venezuela.
🎙️ Para esta edición entrevistamos a @jpolga.bsky.social y Raúl Sanchez Urribarri en compañía de Manuel Alcántara, @maripuerta.com y la conducción de Xavier Rodríguez Franco.
🎙️ Para esta edición entrevistamos a @jpolga.bsky.social y Raúl Sanchez Urribarri en compañía de Manuel Alcántara, @maripuerta.com y la conducción de Xavier Rodríguez Franco.
May 29, 2025 at 8:47 PM
🇻🇪 En #MiradaSemanal examinamos el contexto de la elección regional y la consolidación autoritaria en #Venezuela.
🎙️ Para esta edición entrevistamos a @jpolga.bsky.social y Raúl Sanchez Urribarri en compañía de Manuel Alcántara, @maripuerta.com y la conducción de Xavier Rodríguez Franco.
🎙️ Para esta edición entrevistamos a @jpolga.bsky.social y Raúl Sanchez Urribarri en compañía de Manuel Alcántara, @maripuerta.com y la conducción de Xavier Rodríguez Franco.
Reposted by John Polga-Hecimovich 🧉
Join us tomorrow for a Roundtable to discuss our book: “Authoritarian Consolidation in Times of Crisis: Venezuela under Nicolás Maduro” edited by @jpolga.bsky.social & Raúl Sánchez #LASA2025
May 24, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Join us tomorrow for a Roundtable to discuss our book: “Authoritarian Consolidation in Times of Crisis: Venezuela under Nicolás Maduro” edited by @jpolga.bsky.social & Raúl Sánchez #LASA2025
I wrote about Trump Administration rhetoric & policy in Latin America, and how Latin American states are being pushed to pick between the U.S. and China.
www.gisreportsonline.com/r/latam-betw...
www.gisreportsonline.com/r/latam-betw...
Latin America between China and the U.S. – GIS Reports
Central and South America with the Caribbean face growing geopolitical pressure as Washington and Beijing compete for dominance south of the U.S. border.
www.gisreportsonline.com
May 21, 2025 at 6:39 PM
I wrote about Trump Administration rhetoric & policy in Latin America, and how Latin American states are being pushed to pick between the U.S. and China.
www.gisreportsonline.com/r/latam-betw...
www.gisreportsonline.com/r/latam-betw...
Reposted by John Polga-Hecimovich 🧉
Today I got my copy of Authoritarian Consolidation in Times of Crisis, edited by @jpolga.bsky.social and Raúl Sánchez Urribarrí.
A nice present in troubled times.
Thanks to the editors for their amazing work and to @benedictebull.bsky.social and Manuel Sutherland for awesome team effort.
A nice present in troubled times.
Thanks to the editors for their amazing work and to @benedictebull.bsky.social and Manuel Sutherland for awesome team effort.
April 10, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Today I got my copy of Authoritarian Consolidation in Times of Crisis, edited by @jpolga.bsky.social and Raúl Sánchez Urribarrí.
A nice present in troubled times.
Thanks to the editors for their amazing work and to @benedictebull.bsky.social and Manuel Sutherland for awesome team effort.
A nice present in troubled times.
Thanks to the editors for their amazing work and to @benedictebull.bsky.social and Manuel Sutherland for awesome team effort.
I'm delighted that Authoritarian Consolidation in Times of Crisis: Venezuela under Nicolás Maduro, the book I co-edited with Raúl Sánchez Urribarrí, has officially been published!
It is available at in paperback, hardcover and eBook almost everywhere. See: www.routledge.com/Authoritaria...
It is available at in paperback, hardcover and eBook almost everywhere. See: www.routledge.com/Authoritaria...
Authoritarian Consolidation in Times of Crisis: Venezuela under Nicolás Maduro
Bringing together experts from across the social sciences, this volume examines the consolidation of authoritarianism in Venezuela under the government of Nicolás Maduro. Taking a comparative perspect...
www.routledge.com
March 31, 2025 at 6:47 PM
I'm delighted that Authoritarian Consolidation in Times of Crisis: Venezuela under Nicolás Maduro, the book I co-edited with Raúl Sánchez Urribarrí, has officially been published!
It is available at in paperback, hardcover and eBook almost everywhere. See: www.routledge.com/Authoritaria...
It is available at in paperback, hardcover and eBook almost everywhere. See: www.routledge.com/Authoritaria...
In light of today's news, I'm reposting something that Charles Larratt-Smith and I wrote about TdA late last year:
americasquarterly.org/article/how-...
americasquarterly.org/article/how-...
How Much of a Threat is Tren de Aragua in the U.S.?
The Venezuelan prison gang was a frequent theme in Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric on immigration. But its reach in the U.S. is exaggerated.
americasquarterly.org
March 15, 2025 at 11:45 PM
In light of today's news, I'm reposting something that Charles Larratt-Smith and I wrote about TdA late last year:
americasquarterly.org/article/how-...
americasquarterly.org/article/how-...
Day 1 of my "Comparative Politics of Latin America" course:
January 26, 2025 at 11:26 PM
Day 1 of my "Comparative Politics of Latin America" course:
The ongoing political and economic crisis in #Bolivia seems to have flown under the international radar.
I wrote about what all of this likely means for the country's 2025 elections and beyond:
www.gisreportsonline.com/r/bolivia-po...
I wrote about what all of this likely means for the country's 2025 elections and beyond:
www.gisreportsonline.com/r/bolivia-po...
Bolivia’s political chaos puts economy at risk – GIS Reports
Bolivia faces a confluence of political infighting, external pressures and the risk of economic collapse as the 2025 presidential election nears.
www.gisreportsonline.com
January 24, 2025 at 9:21 PM
The ongoing political and economic crisis in #Bolivia seems to have flown under the international radar.
I wrote about what all of this likely means for the country's 2025 elections and beyond:
www.gisreportsonline.com/r/bolivia-po...
I wrote about what all of this likely means for the country's 2025 elections and beyond:
www.gisreportsonline.com/r/bolivia-po...
Reposted by John Polga-Hecimovich 🧉
Researchers and experts in Latin America and Inter-American affairs.
Investigadores y expertos en América Latina y en asuntos interamericanos.
[Español - English - Português - Français]
go.bsky.app/LnqWyHT
Investigadores y expertos en América Latina y en asuntos interamericanos.
[Español - English - Português - Français]
go.bsky.app/LnqWyHT
January 21, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Researchers and experts in Latin America and Inter-American affairs.
Investigadores y expertos en América Latina y en asuntos interamericanos.
[Español - English - Português - Français]
go.bsky.app/LnqWyHT
Investigadores y expertos en América Latina y en asuntos interamericanos.
[Español - English - Português - Français]
go.bsky.app/LnqWyHT
The Los Angeles Times interviewed me about U.S.-Mexican and Chinese-Mexican relations in light of Trump's tariff proposals. (I thought I was just giving background, but they used the whole interview).
www.latimes.com/world-nation...
www.latimes.com/world-nation...
Trump's tariffs brought China and Mexico closer. Will his second term change that?
China has strengthened trade with Latin America at the expense of the U.S. But Donald Trump, who threatens to raise tariffs on Mexico, could upend those ties.
www.latimes.com
January 15, 2025 at 8:15 PM
The Los Angeles Times interviewed me about U.S.-Mexican and Chinese-Mexican relations in light of Trump's tariff proposals. (I thought I was just giving background, but they used the whole interview).
www.latimes.com/world-nation...
www.latimes.com/world-nation...
Grateful to be quoted alongside some really smart people in this @tomphillips.bsky.social article about Nicolás Maduro assuming his third six-year term tomorrow.
I sincerely hope that my pessimism is misplaced:
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...
I sincerely hope that my pessimism is misplaced:
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...
Venezuela tumbles deeper into dictatorship with Nicolás Maduro set to extend 12-year rule
Global democratic leaders pledge a boycott as exiled opposition leader vows to return to challenge ceremony
www.theguardian.com
January 9, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Grateful to be quoted alongside some really smart people in this @tomphillips.bsky.social article about Nicolás Maduro assuming his third six-year term tomorrow.
I sincerely hope that my pessimism is misplaced:
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...
I sincerely hope that my pessimism is misplaced:
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...
Happy to share my commentary on next month's presidential election in #Ecuador in @The_Dialogue's Latin America Advisor (originally written on Dec 20): tinyurl.com/3vaje8az
January 7, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Happy to share my commentary on next month's presidential election in #Ecuador in @The_Dialogue's Latin America Advisor (originally written on Dec 20): tinyurl.com/3vaje8az
I guess that's *one* important thing that happened on January 6
January 7, 2025 at 1:03 AM
I guess that's *one* important thing that happened on January 6
Charles Larratt-Smith and I wrote about the exaggerated threat of the Tren de Aragua in the U.S.: www.americasquarterly.org/article/how-...
How Much of a Threat is Tren de Aragua in the U.S.?
The Venezuelan prison gang was a frequent theme in Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric on immigration. But its reach in the U.S. is exaggerated.
www.americasquarterly.org
December 9, 2024 at 2:09 PM
Charles Larratt-Smith and I wrote about the exaggerated threat of the Tren de Aragua in the U.S.: www.americasquarterly.org/article/how-...
It appears that the EU and Mercosur/Mercosul have finally reached a trade deal. I wrote about the deal last month and what it would mean:
I wrote about the potential EU-Mercosur trade deal here and what it would mean for Europe, Latin America, and the rest of the world:
www.gisreportsonline.com/r/implicatio...
www.gisreportsonline.com/r/implicatio...
Implications of an EU-Mercosur trade deal – GIS Reports
For over two decades, Europe and the South American bloc have been negotiating a free trade agreement. Despite obstacles, they may soon agree on ratification.
www.gisreportsonline.com
December 6, 2024 at 4:04 PM
It appears that the EU and Mercosur/Mercosul have finally reached a trade deal. I wrote about the deal last month and what it would mean:
Pedro Castillo to Yoon Suk Yeol
December 4, 2024 at 3:55 PM
Pedro Castillo to Yoon Suk Yeol
Juan Linz was right!
December 4, 2024 at 3:54 PM
Juan Linz was right!
Mañana en el Taller de Liderazgo Político en la UBA junto a Magdalena López y Miguel de Luca!
🕐22/11 - 17 hs (hora BBAA)
📍UBA, Sala de Consejo Directivo (1° piso),
y también en YouTube
🕐22/11 - 17 hs (hora BBAA)
📍UBA, Sala de Consejo Directivo (1° piso),
y también en YouTube
November 21, 2024 at 5:29 PM
Mañana en el Taller de Liderazgo Político en la UBA junto a Magdalena López y Miguel de Luca!
🕐22/11 - 17 hs (hora BBAA)
📍UBA, Sala de Consejo Directivo (1° piso),
y también en YouTube
🕐22/11 - 17 hs (hora BBAA)
📍UBA, Sala de Consejo Directivo (1° piso),
y también en YouTube
Latin American militaries in the news a lot right now for all the wrong reasons in Mexico, Bolivia, and now Brazil.
All three also just happen to be places where populist politicians have effectively politicized the armed forces...
All three also just happen to be places where populist politicians have effectively politicized the armed forces...
Brazil's Lula was targeted in assassination plot by members of an elite army unit. Their aim in 2022, investigators say, was to keep Bolsonaro in power.
More from @anaionova.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2024/11/19/w...
More from @anaionova.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2024/11/19/w...
Brazilian Police Arrest Soldiers in Alleged Plot to Kill President Lula
Members of an elite army unit planned to kill Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2022 as part of an effort to keep Jair Bolsonaro in power after he lost the presidential election.
www.nytimes.com
November 19, 2024 at 7:53 PM
Latin American militaries in the news a lot right now for all the wrong reasons in Mexico, Bolivia, and now Brazil.
All three also just happen to be places where populist politicians have effectively politicized the armed forces...
All three also just happen to be places where populist politicians have effectively politicized the armed forces...