CPSA/ISA-Canada section on International Relations

C14(a) - Foreign Policy Issues

Date: May 31 | Time: 03:45pm to 05:15pm | Location: Classroom - CL 312 Room ID:15763

Chair/Président/Présidente : Chuck Thiessen (Coventry University)

Discussant/Commentateur/Commentatrice : Justin Massie (Université de Québec à Montréal)

Intelligence Alliances: Lessons from the Herbert Norman Case: Gavin Cameron (University of Calgary)
Abstract: The topic of international intelligence alliances has been highlighted in a number of recent academic articles. However, much of this work deals with the issue at a relatively abstract level, examining the structures of such arrangements or discussing the challenges of intelligence sharing. Historical case studies therefore offer rich opportunities for expanding on this literature by considering the operationalization of such intelligence alliances in a specific context. One such case is that of Herbert Norman, a Canadian diplomat who was suspected of spying for the Soviet Union in the 1940s and 1950s and who was the subject of inquiries in both the United States and Canada. Although the case has inspired multiple studies over the past decades, most of these have focused on the question of whether Norman was a spy or a Soviet agent of influence. Instead, using both this secondary literature and the available Canadian government sources, this paper will consider the Norman case as an example of inter-state intelligence relations from which assessments can be made about the wider phenomenon.

Canada’s Foreign Policy Response to the Venezuelan Crisis: Kristin Ciupa (York University)
Abstract: Once an important power in shaping Latin American geopolitics, Venezuela is experiencing an acute economic, political and social crisis that is changing the regional landscape. In June 2017, the Organization of American States (OAS) convened with the intention of issuing a declaration on Venezuela, but failed to reach a consensus on the extent to which the OAS should demand change from the Venezuelan government. When divisions within the OAS prevented this declaration, Canada and 11 other countries formed the Lima Group in August 2017, which has issued declarations condemning the actions of the Venezuelan government. The Lima Group has spoken out against human rights violations and undemocratic practices in Venezuela, showing support for the Venezuelan opposition and for regime change, and calling for the international community to advocate for the same. Canada has also imposed economic sanctions against 40 individuals in Venezuela, and is considering expanding those sanctions. This paper explores the current international political climate that has made a regionally organized critique of the Venezuelan government possible, with a focus on Canada’s leadership role in this initiative. It relies on interviews with foreign affairs officials in Venezuela and Canada, on an historical analysis of the OAS and Canada’s foreign policy in Latin America, and on a comparison of Venezuelan institutions and policy with other countries in the region. It argues that the regional call for regime change in Venezuela fails to account for the economic origins of the current crisis which lie in the country’s oil dependent economy.