Hosted by HRF staff members Casey Michel and Chelsea Hedquist, each episode is driven by a central compelling question and grounded in the firsthand experiences of dissidents resisting authoritarian power.
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In this episode of The Dissident’s Mic, Casey Michel, Director of HRF’s Combating Kleptocracy Program, sits down with Nicaraguan political activist Félix Maradiaga to discuss his time as a political prisoner, why authoritarian regimes are increasingly working together to suppress dissent, and what gives him hope that democracy can still prevail.
The Dissident’s Mic is a two-person interview series centered on timely, in-depth conversations about authoritarianism around the world.
Casey Michel oversees the Human Rights Foundation (HRF)’s Combating Kleptocracy Program, focusing on transnational corruption, illicit finance, and the corruption that links dictators around the world. He is the author of two books, “American Kleptocracy” and “Foreign Agents,” both published by St. Martin’s Press. Michel has written on kleptocracy and related topics for outlets like The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, The Atlantic, and others. He received his master’s degree Russian, Eurasian, and East European studies from Columbia University, and he’s currently sanctioned by the Russian regime for his work.
As Head of Communications Strategy for the Human Rights Foundation, Chelsea works across the organization to develop and execute integrated communications campaigns that advance HRF’s mission and global influence. Chelsea joined HRF from the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice, where she led communications and advocacy before taking on the role of Executive Director. Prior to the Lantos Foundation, Chelsea spent more than a decade working in global health communications with the World Health Organization in Europe and the United Nations Foundation in Washington, DC. She began her career as a journalist and writer before transitioning to communications and advocacy work. Chelsea received her master’s degree from Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism and her bachelor’s from Stanford University.
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