The Pie: An Economics Podcast Venezuela After Maduro: What Comes Next?
11 snips
Jan 20, 2026 
Paul Poast, a political scientist on foreign policy and security; Ryan Kellogg, an energy economist focused on oil and resources; Christopher Blattman, a development scholar expert on conflict and organized crime. They unpack Maduro's removal, the intelligence and planning behind the operation, oil investment prospects, sanctions and migration trade-offs, regional power shifts, and realistic paths forward for Venezuela.
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Hyperinflation In A Bag
- Christopher Blattman bought a bag woven from 100 bolivar notes from a Venezuelan refugee for $10.
- The bag symbolizes Venezuela's hyperinflation and the mass migration he witnessed across the region.
Venezuela's Collapse Spread Crime Regionwide
- Venezuela's collapse exported organized crime and violence across Latin America via displaced actors and networks.
- Christopher Blattman warns this has destabilized previously peaceful countries like Chile and transformed regional security.
Problems Are Political, Not Geological
- Venezuela's oil problems are political and institutional, not geological; the heavy oil is manageable.
- Ryan Kellogg notes the oil sits near water and is chemically similar to Canadian oil that firms already extract.