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America Colmenares is a native of Caracas, Venezuela. She moved to the United States in 1989 to study English and graduated from Augustana College in 1997 with a B.A. in Communications, Political Sciences, and Spanish and Literature. In 2001, America graduated from the University of Kansas with a Masters in Latin American Studies with an emphasis in business and politics. After graduate school, America worked at the University of Miami as a Spanish Lecturer. She came to Augustana College in the fall of 2006. At Augustana, America teaches beginner and intermediate Spanish, Latin American History and Civilization, Business in Latin America, and Latinos in the United States. She is also a First Year Advisor working closely with multicultural and international students. Her passion is to educate people about Latin America in all of its aspects.

What was once the richest country in South America in 2001, Venezuela has found itself in an economic crisis with an increasingly authoritarian government. In the midst of this, food and medicine shortages leave its people in a desperate state. Many of which have fled to neighboring countries to escape the hardship. America Colmenares provides an overview on how Venezuela, once a wealthy oil country, has now found itself in crisis.

For more information on the Foreign Relations Council visit their website at icfrc.org.

Due to technical difficulties experienced while recording, the first portion of this program is unavailable. The program is joined in-progress.