2002 - 2010

WHY USAID/OTI WAS IN VENEZUELA

USAID/OTI launched a Venezuela program in August 2002 in response to the political crisis that led to an attempted coup of President Hugo Chavez. The USAID/OTI Venezuela program was part of a larger U.S. Government effort to promote democratic stability in Venezuela.

USAID/OTI'S ROLE IN VENEZUELA

To promote democratic governance in Venezuela, USAID/OTI sought to:

• Enhance access to objective information and peaceful debate on key issues;
• Provide support to democratic institutions; and
• Promote citizen participation and democratic leadership.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

• Support for nonpartisan election campaigns: USAID/OTI worked with local counterparts to generate civic participation from all sectors and political parties and also supported forums on good governance principles. USAID/OTI supported voter registration campaigns to stimulate debate on key issues as well as forums on the tenets of democratic governance principles and the value of citizen responsiveness.
• Enhanced access to objective information and peaceful debate: USAID/OTI supported the promotion of political debate among independent civic groups to raise the level of discourse on some of the most important issues for Venezuelans. USAID/OTI also worked with local partners to strengthen new media tools that can improve access to information and allow open and productive debate on the internet.
• Provided support to democratic institutions: USAID/OTI worked through civil society and offered technical assistance to all political parties to support democratic systems. Program partners used materials and technical expertise to provide objective and tested support to improve the effectiveness and responsiveness of local governments, political parties and systems to help local governments and citizen groups exchange ideas.
• Promoted citizen participation and democratic leadership: Recognizing that access to objective information and strong democratic institutions require citizen involvement and strong leaders, USAID/OTI supported citizen participation in local and national policymaking, often with involvement and guidance from community and locally elected leaders.