By Kate Anastasia Le | Staff writer
Policy experts, researchers, journalists and students gathered Wednesday at Florida International University’s SIPA II building for a panel discussion on the economic and strategic implications of the oil relationship between Cuba and Venezuela.
The event, “Petroleum & Power: Inside the Cuba-Venezuela Relationship over Oil”, was hosted by the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy in partnership with the International Republican Institute, Miranda Center for Democracy, FIU’s Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs, FIU’s Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center, the Cuban Research Institute and The Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom.
Speakers explored how oil has shaped the relationship between Cuba and Venezuela for years, influencing both economic policy and broader political strategy. The discussion also focused on how that partnership affects regional stability, especially as Venezuela continues to face political and economic uncertainty.
Rather than treating the issue strictly as an energy matter, panelists emphasized the major security and geopolitical consequences for Latin America. They pointed to the ways government coordination, resource dependence and shifting political conditions affect decision-making far beyond the two countries themselves.
The event drew a mixed audience of longtime policy observers and FIU students, reflecting a growing interest in how energy alliances continue to influence politics across the hemisphere.
Eduardo Gamarra, associate director of basic research at the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy and a political science professor at FIU, noted that the goal of the discussion was to give attendees a clearer look at the forces driving the region.
“Through discussions like today’s, we aim to provide analysis based on factual data,” Gamarra said. “Energy and policy always go hand in hand, and studying them gives us a more comprehensive view of the region’s future.”
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