#5 Breaking Down Venezuela’s Fall w/ Patricia Rucker - State Senator, West Virginia

Patricia Rucker is a first generation American citizen, born in Caracas, Venezuela, coming to the US, Montgomery County Maryland, in the 80s when her father  was assigned by Agence France Presse to the Washington DC desk, eventually becoming its Latin American Editor. 

She is the co-founder and former president of We the People of West Virginia-Jefferson County. And became a West Virginia State Senator serving in the 16th District.

In this episode she breaks down Venezuela pre and post Hugo Chavez. We discuss how Venezuela went from being the 4th wealthiest country, to drowning in poverty. 

Our goal is to offer unbiased fact based information that acts as a starting point for you to get involved and have a larger positive impact on your community.

When it comes to civic and community leadership most of us don't know where to start and we definitely don't feel we have all the facts. That’s why each episode of The Civic Leader goes beyond the headlines to bring you facts and data points that will help you understand the role of business, government and its citizens to solve society's greatest challenges.  

3:15 Venezuela’s Transformation Through Patricia’s Eyes 

5:15 Why Talk About Venezuela  

8:15 What Life Is Like in Venezuela 

12:15 Why Talking About Venezuela Matters 

14:00 Hugo Chavez’ Campaign Promises 

22:15 How Government Mismanagement Brought the Collapse of Venezuela 

25:30 Venezuela’s Nationalization 

30:00 Freedom of Speech in Venezuela 

32:15 Suppressing the Opposition 

37:30 The Oil Curse 

45:00 Healthcare Problems in Venezuela 

51:15 The Refugee Crisis 

57:15 The International Response to Venezuela’s Downfall 

1:08:30 How to Get Involved and What We Can Do   

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