Francisco Rodriguez

Francisco Rodríguez, Ph.D.Economist | Latin American Policy Expert | Author
Francisco Rodríguez is a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Economic and Policy Research and a Faculty Affiliate at the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies. A native of Venezuela, he is the founder of Oil for Venezuela, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding solutions to Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis.
Dr. Rodríguez earned his Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University and his undergraduate degree in economics from Venezuela’s Universidad Católica Andrés Bello. He has taught economics and Latin American studies at the University of Maryland at College Park, the Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administración (IESA), and Wesleyan University.
Distinguished Career Across Sectors
Throughout his career, Rodríguez has held prominent positions bridging the public sector, private industry, and international organizations:
✅ Head of Economic and Financial Advisory, Venezuelan National Assembly (2000-2004)✅ Head of Research Team, United Nations Human Development Report Office (2008-2011)✅ Chief Andean Economist, Bank of America (2011-2016)✅ Greenleaf Visiting Professor, Tulane University’s Stone Center for Latin American Studies✅ Visiting Fellow, Kellogg Institute for International Studies, University of Notre Dame✅ International Affairs Fellow in International Economics, Council on Foreign Relations
Published Research & Thought Leadership
Dr. Rodríguez is the author of four books and more than sixty research articles published in leading peer-reviewed journals including The Lancet Global Health, American Economic Journal, Journal of Economic Growth, Journal of Macroeconomics, Journal of Politics, and World Development.
He is a frequent contributor to influential publications including Foreign Affairs, Financial Times, The New York Times, Americas Quarterly, Foreign Policy, and The Washington Post.
His most recent book, The Collapse of Venezuela: Scorched Earth Politics and Economic Decline, 2012-2020, was published in Spring 2025 by University of Notre Dame Press.
Speaking Topics
✅ Latin American Economic Policy and Political Economy✅ Venezuela’s Humanitarian Crisis: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions✅ Global Development and Human Rights Economics✅ Energy Markets and Geopolitics✅ Economic Sanctions and Their Humanitarian Impact✅ Inequality, Poverty, and Social Policy in Emerging Markets
Contact
📧 Email: contact@presbourgspeakers.com