Laura Guerra-Lopez

Laura Guerra-Lopez is a community college transfer student interested in exploring the intersection between democratic institutions and economic abilities in Venezuela. Her research details the political and economic history of the Latin American nation to presents findings on the future state of the country. Laura employs a historical recount that follows past leaders, like Carlos Andrés Pérez and Marco Pérez Jiménez, to the Chavez years and current Maduro dictatorship to provide context for the economic disaster that has transformed Venezuela. Growing up as a Venezuelan-American, Laura has lived in the Venezuelan diaspora first-hand. She applies her personal knowledge to her research as she seeks to dispel curiosity and general disinformation surrounding the problems that plague Venezuela, such as the hyperinflation that triggered the "dolarization" of currency and the humanitarian crisis that sparked a mass exodus of Venezuelans. She also points to the future, questioning whether democracy can happen or if Venezuela is doomed to continue the cycle of extremist regimes that have always led the oil-rich country.

Areas of research and geographical interest: