Daniel Di Martino on Socialism, Immigration, and How Hugo Chávez Destroyed Venezuela

I sat down with Daniel Di Martino, economist and founder of the Dissident Project, to talk about how socialism destroyed Venezuela—his home country—and what Americans need to understand before making the same mistake. He explains what life was really like under Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, from brutal inflation and collapsing public utilities to the psychological toll of losing hope in your country. After arriving in the U.S. in 2016, Daniel studied economics with a focus on immigration and now speaks to high school students about the dangers of socialist policies and the value of economic freedom.