Adam Weinberg

Many of Atlas Network’s partner organizations operate at great personal risk in environments hostile to individual liberty. The evil authoritarian socialist Maduro regime, which continues to refuse to respect the will of the Venezuelan people, made this fact disturbingly clear on Tuesday night when it carried out the kidnapping of Jesús Armas. A longtime figure in Venezuela’s freedom movement and leader of Atlas Network partner organization Ciudadanía Sin Límites, Jesús took part in a workshop held by Atlas Network Academy in Miami just earlier this year and has attended many Atlas Network events in the past. He is one of many freedom champions in Venezuela working to end decades of brutal and destructive socialism and bring a future of human liberty, dignity, and prosperity. Unfortunately, he is also now one of over 2,000 known arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances since the country’s election earlier this year. Jesús may be facing torture or worse at the hands of the Maduro regime. Share this message to raise awareness of Jesús’s situation and that of many dissidents in Venezuela who are suffering for their bravery in standing up to a brutal dictatorship.

Atlas Network is a nonpartisan organization and does not participate in elections or support or oppose candidates or political parties. But we will always stand in unwavering support for liberal democracy and the rule of law. We condemn the Maduro dictatorship for ignoring the democratic will of the Venezuelan people in the July 28th election. Despite massive voter turnout, and exit polls and precinct reports reflecting a resounding victory of opposition candidate Edmundo González, Venezuela’s electoral council declared Nicolás Maduro the winner last night—without evidence—in a cowardly display of submission to dictatorship. In addition to ignoring the will of the people, Maduro’s dictatorship has yet again resorted to street violence and repression to remain in power, confirming Maduro’s promise that “there would be blood” should he not win the presidential election. We further condemn the use of force against peaceful citizens and the attempt to crush the popular will through violence. These acts represent a violation of individual rights and the principles of a society governed by the rule of law. Atlas Network reaffirms its commitment to supporting the Venezuelan people in their struggle for freedom, peace, and justice. We follow the lead of the many courageous, local freedom advocates in Venezuela with whom we have partnered since our founding in the 1980s, and who are working daily to expose the misery of 25 years of “Bolivarian socialism" that has left a once-prosperous society in utter ruin—from runaway hyperinflation and over 90 percent of families living in poverty to an exodus of over eight million of Venezuela’s citizens seeking refuge abroad. We will continue to work with our friends and partners in the great country of Venezuela to support their daily efforts to promote ideas of liberty as the best alternative towards a peaceful, prosperous society. Atlas Network es una organización no partidista, la cual no participa en elecciones ni apoya u opone candidatos o partidos políticos. Pero siempre defenderemos con firmeza la democracia liberal y el imperio de la ley. Condenamos a la dictadura de Maduro por ignorar la voluntad democrática del pueblo venezolano en las elecciones del 28 de julio. A pesar de una masiva participación de ciudadanos que acudieron a las urnas, y de que las encuestas de salida y los informes de los recintos reflejaban una contundente victoria del candidato opositor Edmundo González, el árbitro electoral de Venezuela declaró anoche, sin evidencia, a Nicolás Maduro como ganador, en una cobarde demostración de sumisión a la dictadura. Además de ignorar la voluntad del pueblo, la dictadura de Maduro ha recurrido una vez más a la violencia callejera y a la represión para mantenerse en el poder, confirmando la promesa de Maduro de que “habría un baño de sangre” si no ganaba las elecciones presidenciales. Condenamos además el uso de la fuerza contra ciudadanos pacíficos y el intento de aplastar la voluntad popular mediante la violencia. Estos actos representan una violación de los derechos individuales y de los principios de una sociedad gobernada por el imperio de la ley. Atlas Network reafirma su compromiso de apoyar al pueblo venezolano en su lucha por la libertad, la paz y la justicia. Seguimos el ejemplo de los numerosos y valientes defensores locales de la libertad en Venezuela con quienes hemos colaborado desde nuestra fundación en la década de 1980, los cuales trabajan diariamente para exponer la miseria de 25 años de “socialismo bolivariano,” que ha dejado a una sociedad otrora próspera en total ruina, desde una hiperinflación descontrolada y más del 90 por ciento de las familias viviendo en pobreza hasta un éxodo de más de ocho millones de ciudadanos venezolanos que buscan refugio en el extranjero. Continuaremos trabajando con nuestros amigos y socios en este gran país para apoyar sus esfuerzos cotidianos en promover las ideas de libertad como la mejor alternativa hacia una sociedad pacífica y próspera.

Over the last 24 hours, certain high-ranking political figures in Mexico have made completely unsubstantiated claims about Atlas Network that simply aren’t true. In the 43 years since its founding, Atlas Network has never received a penny of funding from the U.S. government, nor do we represent the federal government or any public agency. Our initiatives are not supported by international companies with specific interests in foreign countries, and none of our programs are funded by the corporations or industries listed in the claims made on Wednesday. The vast majority of Atlas Network funding comes from pro-freedom individuals and foundations which are proud to advance individual liberty, free enterprise, and civil rights, and we are equally proud to champion those nonpartisan causes with the help of our independent think tank partners around the world. Atlas Network has always been transparent about our mission to strengthen the freedom movement and increase prosperity for all people, so we encourage any interested party to visit our website and learn the truth for themselves at AtlasNetwork.org.

Welcome to the 2023 Asia #LibertyForum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We are here to celebrate freedom and envision a prosperous future with our partner organization, Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs, led by Tricia Yeoh, the CEO. Stay tuned to discover what lies ahead!

Let's celebrate our 2023 Africa Liberty Award finalists! Congratulations to The Eastern Caucus, Students for Liberty, and Free Market Foundation for their excellent work. Who will be the winner? Join us in Cape Town or keep an eye on our social channels to be the first to know!

Atlas Network Academy courses are tailored to fit your needs! Find out why Anthea Haryoko of @cips_id recommends them, and make your plans to join us for Fundraising 360 or Marketing & Communications 360 in Kuala Lumpur on September 5–6. Apply now: bit.ly/43WmFBW

Levan Pavlenishvili is the winner of our 2023 Europe Think Tank Shark Tank! Congratulations Levan and Georgian Economic Literacy Initiative, and happy Independence Day Georgia 🇬🇪

Early this year, #Georgia's government introduced a bill to severely curtail #freedom of expression. Read more here about how popular #protests successfully halted the bill and how our partners @FranklinClubGeo and @GeoDemIn have continued their work. bit.ly/3oyZwps