Columbia International Affairs Online: Working Papers

CIAO DATE: 10/2014

Building Networks of Diplomatic Cooperation

Daniel F. Runde, Amasia Zargarian

August 2014

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Abstract

The United States’ relationship with Venezuela over the past decade has been rife with political tension and conflict. Under the presidency of Hugo Chávez, the Venezuelan government has distanced itself from the United States, especially at an official level. Although a number of avenues for potential cooperation are for the moment sealed shut, scientific exchanges between American and Venezuelan actors present an opportunity to pursue engagement in an area that would be in the interests of both sides. This report builds on previous efforts by the Lounsbery Foundation and its partners, including the CSIS Americas Program, to pursue avenues for science diplomacy between the United States and countries with which it has a complicated relationship. This initiative is also part of the CSIS Project on Prosperity and Development’s ongoing work on finding alternatives in the U.S. government’s approach to countries with which the bilateral relationship should reflect cooperation beyond traditional assistance.