Global Stage Podcast
About the Episode:
In this special Global Stage episode from the 2026 Global Democracy Conference, Kellogg Doctoral Student Affiliate Patrick McQuestion speaks with human rights activist Jhanisse Vaca Daza and Kevin Sheives of the International Forum for Democratic Studies about how democracies can push back against authoritarianism. Drawing on cases from Bolivia, Venezuela, Ukraine, Iran, and beyond, the conversation explores elections under authoritarian pressure, nonviolent resistance, parallel vote counts, civic mobilization, foreign influence, and the importance of building strong local leadership before moments of democratic transition arrive.
Show Notes:
Recorded during the Kellogg Institute’s 2026 Global Democracy Conference, this episode brings together two perspectives on the struggle against authoritarianism: frontline civic activism and international analysis of authoritarian influence. Jhanisse Vaca Daza, co-founder of Rios de Pie and a human rights activist with the Human Rights Foundation, joins Kevin Sheives, director at the International Forum for Democratic Studies at the National Endowment for Democracy, for a wide-ranging conversation on democratic resilience.
The discussion begins with elections and the ways authoritarian regimes use democratic procedures while undermining democratic outcomes. Vaca Daza reflects on Bolivia’s experience with Cuidemos el Voto, a citizen-led parallel vote count that recruited tens of thousands of people to monitor the electoral process. She emphasizes three lessons for pro-democracy movements: having independent data, recruiting at scale, and maintaining nonviolent discipline even under provocation.
Sheives connects those lessons to broader global patterns, including the civic resilience of Ukraine and the growing evidence of collaboration among authoritarian regimes. He discusses how regimes share technologies, legal frameworks, and tactics - from surveillance models to digital repression - and why democracies must better understand how these forms of influence travel across borders.
The episode closes by considering how public anger can become organized democratic action. Vaca Daza argues that movements must move beyond repeated protest tactics and build parallel institutions that meet real community needs, strengthen local leaders, and prepare societies for transition. Together, the guests offer a practical and strategic account of how citizens, civic groups, and democracy advocates can respond to authoritarianism with organization, discipline, and resilience.
Links:
- Learn more about Jhanisse Vaca Daza.
- Read her online essay "What Bolivia Teaches Us About Defeating Authoritarians" from the Journal of Democracy
- Learn more about Kevin Sheives.
- Learn more about the Kellogg Institute.
Listen:
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