After the Venezuelan military removed President Hugo Chavez Frias from power and then reinstalled him after an outpouring of support from the Venezuelan people and after condemnations from the international community, he felt vulnerable and shocked by the coup. President Chavez took an unusual step to defuse a social and political conflict and invited Jimmy Carter and later the Organization of American States and the United Nations Development Program to facilitate a dialogue between the Venezuelan government and its opposition - dialogue that lasted two years (2002-2004).
In their new book, International Mediation in Venezuela, Jennifer McCoy and Francisco Diez analyze the effort of the Carter Center and the broader international community to prevent violent conflict, to reconcile a deeply divided society, and to preserve democratic processes.
McCoy, director of the Carter Center's Americas Program and professor of political science at Georgia State University, will discuss and sign copies of the book. Former President Jimmy Carter will briefly join McCoy for a short discussion of his role in facilitating a dialogue between the Venezuelan government and its opposition.