Orlando Pérez
Professor of Political Science, University of North Texas at Dallas
Orlando J. Pérez is a Professor of Political Science at the University of North Texas at Dallas. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh and has spent three decades researching civil-military relations, democratization, and U.S.–Latin American relations. He is the author or editor of eight books, including Civil-Military Relations in Post-Conflict Societies (Routledge, 2015), Latin American Democracy: Emerging Reality or Endangered Species? (Routledge, 2015) and Making Police Reform Matter in Latin America (Lynne Rienner, 2023). His commentary has appeared in War on the Rocks, Foreign Policy, Americas Quarterly, Global Americans, and The Dallas Morning News, among others.
Recent articles on Venezuela:
- Pérez, Orlando J. 2026. “Venezuela Is Consolidating Its Hybrid Regime—With Washington’s Blessing,” World Politics Review, April 27. https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/venezuela-democracy-us-hybrid-regime/.
- Pérez, Orlando J. 2026. “After Maduro: Trump’s Managed Authoritarianism Trap in Venezuela.” War on the Rocks, January 13. https://warontherocks.com/2026/01/after-maduro-trumps-managed-authoritarianism-trap-in-venezuela/
- Pérez, Orlando J. 2026. “Maduro’s arrest will not deliver democracy unless Washington changes course.” The Dallas Morning News, January 5. https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2026/01/05/maduros-arrest-will-not-deliver-democracy-unless-washington-changes-course/.
- Pérez, Orlando J. 2025. “The Day After: What Successful Regime Change in Venezuela Would Really Take.” War on the Rocks, November 17. https://warontherocks.com/2025/11/the-day-after-what-successful-regime-change-in-venezuela-would-really-take/.