Jessica Ludwig

The Struggle for Freedom: Imprisoned educator Javier Tarazona dreams of dignity for all Venezuelans | George W. Bush Presidential Center

Today marks four years of arbitrary detention for Javier Tarazona after denouncing human rights abuses in Venezuela's border states where organized crime and irregular armed groups are active. Read his story in our #StruggleforFreedom series #LiberenaJavierTarazona www.bushcenter.org/publications...

Distinguishing Friend from Foe in Afghanistan We must acknowledge that the Taliban’s extremism, corruption, and brutality pose a global security threat with far-reaching implications.

We must remain clear-eyed about the global security risks posed by the reality on the ground in Afghanistan, where ordinary Afghans are daily subjected to tyranny of the Taliban's corruption, extremism & misogyny. My latest w/
colleague Natalie Gonnella-Platts nationalinterest.org/feature/dist...

We must fight for our Afghan allies | George W. Bush Presidential Center

As long as Afghanistan remains under Taliban control, it will never be a safe place. Most especially for Afghan women, but also for Afghans who believed in a different future for their country and worked alongside the US and NATO allies. www.bushcenter.org/publications...

U.S. program paused under Trump helped independent voices tell the truth in Cuba | Opinion Pausing funds for Cuban democracy activists risks strengthening the island’s dictatorship | Opinion

If Congress and the administration are serious about holding Cuba's dictatorship to account for regional instability, State Dept. funds for Cuban civil society and freedom advocates should be restored, esp. as Havana rearrests #FelixNavarro and #JoseDanielFerrer www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-e...

A Faith Under Siege Witness the hidden war on Ukraine's Christians in A Faith Under Siege: Russia’s Documentary. Discover their struggles and unwavering resilience.

To go more in-depth into Brystyn's story and the experiences of other Ukrainian churches deliberately targeted by Russian soldiers in occupied Ukraine, I can't recommend enough the new documentary "A Faith Under Siege" by the Ukraine Freedom Project: www.faithundersiege.com

Faith in the face of Russian repression: Ukrainian pastor Mykhailo Brytsyn | George W. Bush Presidential Center

Russia's claim to be defending religious freedom in Ukraine couldn't be further from the truth. Ukrainian pastors and faith leaders in occupied territories have been systematically targeted by Russian soldiers. Read on about one pastor's Struggle for Freedom: www.bushcenter.org/publications...

American Leaders Should Hold the Taliban Accountable, Not Engage With Them It’s past time for the U.S. and the international community to use the tools at their disposal – such as expanding targeted sanctions – to hold the Taliban to account.

The Taliban continue to provide safe haven to terrorists, steal from the Afghan people, and impose severe restrictions on women and girls in defiance of international commitments. We should hold the Taliban accountable, not engage them, writes my colleague. thediplomat.com/2025/04/amer...

President George W. Bush speaks at a celebration for the 60th anniversary for the Voice of America Feb. 25, 2002.

For decades, VOA, RFE/RL, RFA, and the other US-funded international media have been a light in some of the world's darkest places. My colleagues recount how US-supported int'l media inspired hope, fueled freedom, and cultivated allies in societies under repression www.bushcenter.org/publications...

Struggle for Freedom UPDATE: Jimmy Lai’s ongoing show trial in Hong Kong | George W. Bush Presidential Center

Hong Kong's authorities are dragging out legal proceedings against businessman and freedom advocate Jimmy Lai to send a message on behalf of Beijing that democratic activism in Hong Kong will not be tolerated. #FreeJimmyLai #StruggleforFreedom update www.bushcenter.org/publications...

America’s Enemies Are Rooting for the Death of the National Endowment for Democracy | National Review Some of the loudest voices applauding NED’s struggles are those who wish to see freedom fail. That should tell us everything we need to know.

"It’s no coincidence that the world’s most volatile global hot spots are nondemocratic." The National Endowment for Democracy invests in those around the world who fight for the same innate desire for freedom that Americans cherish and our adversaries fear. www.nationalreview.com/2025/02/amer...

Argentine Embassy in Caracas Left Without Power – Asylum Seekers in Dange Forum 2000 stands in deep concern over the worsening humanitarian and diplomatic crisis unfolding at the Argentine Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela. We have been monitoring alarming reports from local CS...

🚨 A dire situation for 5 members of Venezuela's democratic opposition staff who have sought refuge in #Argentina's embassy in Caracas (protected by #Brazil) and are under siege by the Maduro regime. Three days without power and supply deliveries severely restricted. www.forum2000.cz/en/news/arge...

Why Trump Is Wrong About Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Setting the record straight on who started the war.

Key facts: "This is not a war that Ukraine sought but is the result of having been invaded by Russia...the dictator in this war is Putin, who has been in power 2.5 decades, not Zelensky, who was democratically elected president of his country in 2019." foreignpolicy.com/2025/02/19/t...

The Struggle for Freedom: Venezuela imprisons Rocío San Miguel, a staunch advocate for peaceful democratic transition | George W. Bush Presidential Center

Yesterday, Feb. 9 marked one year since Rocio San Miguel, a lawyer and expert on Venezuela's military and security services, was arbitrarily arrested by the Maduro regime. She is still being held in inhumane conditions in El Helicoide. #StruggleforFreedom www.bushcenter.org/publications...

Taliban Travel Tracker | George W. Bush Presidential Center

Taliban leadership are traveling much wider and farther beyond Afghanistan than you might think. My colleagues and I have been tracking the data in our new Taliban Travel Tracker by the George W. Bush Institute to shed light on who is traveling where www.bushcenter.org/publications...

Tackling Migration | George W. Bush Presidential Center

The US should lead on strengthening democracy and the rule of law in the Western Hemisphere because we can't secure our borders without combating corruption, authoritarianism, and organized crime in the region. My latest, with Bush Institute colleague Laura Collins www.bushcenter.org/publications...

Marwa Arafa: An Egyptian jailed for helping political prisoners and their families survive | George W. Bush Presidential Center

Egyptian human rights defender Marwa Arafa has spent 4+ years in pretrial detention for aiding political prisoners & their families. In prison, Arafa faces the same suffering she worked to alleviate, @ellenbork.bsky.social for the Bush Institute #StruggleforFreedom www.bushcenter.org/publications...

Access to information is dealt a blow in Mexico | George W. Bush Presidential Center

While Mexico's so-called judicial reform has received much attention, a recent vote by its Senate to shut down
INAI and several other independent regulatory bodies poses yet another challenge to the integrity and transparency of Mexico's democracy www.bushcenter.org/publications...

The Struggle for Freedom UPDATE: Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner granted 21 days medical leave from Evin Prison | George W. Bush Presidential Center

Autocratic regimes target women because they are community change agents. But Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi remains firm in her struggle for #WomenLifeFreedom in Iran despite soon facing a return to prison following a 21 day medical furlough: www.bushcenter.org/publications...

Getting Ukraine Right | George W. Bush Presidential Center

"Ukraine is the place where the battle between democracy and authoritarianism is unfolding, and how we respond will have implications for Taiwan and other hotspots around the world," write my colleagues David Kramer and Igor Khrestin with US policy recs on Ukraine www.bushcenter.org/publications...

America must win the struggle between democracy and authoritarianism | George W. Bush Presidential Center

Support for democracy and human rights around the world is a strategic priority, inextricably linked to the pursuit of America’s national interests writes Ellen Bork for the George W. Bush Institute
www.bushcenter.org/publications...