Acknowledgements
This book grew out of my doctoral dissertation in political science at Queen Mary, University of London. A doctoral award from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada helped to make this research possible. My sincere thanks to my committee, Jeffery R. Webber and Ray Kiely, for their extensive and thorough feedback on multiple drafts of my dissertation, as well as to Adam Hanieh from the University of Exeter and Benjamin Selwyn from the University of Sussex for their insightful comments. Special thanks to my supervisor, Jeff Webber, for his patience, encouragement, detailed engagement with my work, and for the thoughtful advice he has provided since I was a student. At Queen Mary, I also wish to thank James Dunkerley, David Williams, Sophie Harman and Peter Brett for their constructive feedback and recommendations on parts of this project.
While in London, Sara Ewing and her daughter Maya were like family to me, and were a constant source of support and fun. Colleagues in the School of Politics and International Relations PhD program at Queen Mary have been a source of solidarity, collaboration and friendship while completing this research and since, including Tania Gómez Zapata, Angus McNelly, Alen Toplišek, Jenna Marshall and Baris Tufekci. Lucero Ibarra Rojas has been a good friend since we met at a summer school in Germany in 2011, and her family was kind enough to host me while I was first taking Spanish classes in Mexico. Since I began taking Spanish classes with her in 2014, Monica Sanmiguel has been a good friend, and assisted with various components of this research in Spanish.
Parts of this book were written up as a Visiting Researcher at the Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC), York University, and at the University of Regina. CERLAC provided a home for me for a number of years, and I wish to thank Camila Bonifaz for all of her help during that time. I benefited from conversations with Nicola Short, Anna Zalik, and Liisa North at York University, and appreciated their words of encouragement. In Regina, Caroline Cordeiro Viana e Silva, Guilherme Knopka Theiss, Paulina Larreategui, Juan José Mena, and Alejandra Mena are great friends and meeting them made moving to Regina an easy transition. I have benefited from many conversations with colleagues and friends at the University of Regina including Cassandra Ozog, Arjun Tremblay, Claire Polster, Rozzet Jurdi-Hage and Amber Fletcher. Serving on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Association for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CALACS) I have gotten to know the Canadian community of Latin American and Caribbeanists, and have had the great pleasure of working with colleagues across Canada and abroad.
In Caracas, I wish to thank all of those who agreed to be interviewed for this study. Angerlin Rangel provided invaluable research assistance helping to make connections with interviewees and navigate the city. Atenea Jiménez helped foster crucial connections with social movements and activists. Ana Marilena Urbina Parra was a great roommate and friend, and was very kind to me when I first moved to Caracas, introducing me to people and showing me around the city. Likewise, Tony Enrique was a generous host during a second fieldwork trip. Instructors and hosts at the CELA Spanish school on Margarita Island provided my first introduction to Venezuelan life and culture.
Lastly, my family and childhood friends have been an ongoing source of love and encouragement. Amanda Patenaude, Laura Underhill, Anjali Sharma and Christy Barreira have been in my life since public school and we have shared too much to account for here.
Cameron Peters provided unwavering support throughout my education, as did Barb, Gord and Amanda Peters. My parents Donna and Bill Ciupa have been by my side throughout the process. My dad was not able to see this project completed, but shared a keen interest in politics and the fieldwork stages of this research. My brother Mike is one of my closest friends. Staying with Mike, my sister-in-law Neena and nephew Ollee is always fun and is a home away from home.
I am eternally grateful to everyone, mentioned or not, who has supported me and contributed in any way to this work.