Andrés Guilarte is a political activist for the freedom of Venezuela. Andrés had to leave his life in Venezuela after an oppressive regime crippled the economy, caused widespread starvation, blanketed the nation in blackouts, and silenced and jailed those who dared to speak out and criticize the government. Now, TFAS is sending him on a campus tour across the United States to share his eyewitness perspective of how a country with so much wealth and promise completely collapsed.
Only a few years ago, Andrés was a university student, studying international relations at the Central University of Venezuela. On top of exams and typical college student concerns, Andrés’ studies were interrupted by tear gas as government officials targeted students on campus. He spent his college years advocating for his fellow students and fighting back against the rise of tyranny and erosion of freedoms. He was a member of Estudiantes por la Libertad (Students For Liberty Latin America), serving as a coordinator from 2015-16 and a senior leader from 2016-17. In early 2019, he left Venezuela to intern with the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C. Today, he continues to push back against the rise of government control by sharing his story as a TFAS speaker.
LEARN MORE: TFAS.org/Venezuela