Richard M. Balzano
Richard M. Balzano
Adjunct Faculty in History and Political Science
- Doctor of Philosophy in History, University of Reading, Reading, U.K., 2024
- Master of Arts in Political Science and History (Interdisciplinary), Western New Mexico University, Silver City, N.M., 2020
- Bachelor of Arts in History, Utica College of Syracuse University (now Utica University), Utica, N.Y., 2003
Richard M. Balzano is a historian of U.S. and Latin American history. He is vice president of the Middle Atlantic Council of Latin American Studies (MACLAS).
Research Interests
- The Cold War in Latin America
- The relationship between aid, sanctions, human rights, and international law
- Resource diplomacy and the political economy of national security/interest
- Media, propaganda, and perception management re: US foreign policy
Courses Taught
- Latin American History
- The Global Cold War
- The Making of the Modern World
- American Government
Certifications and Memberships
- Vice President, Middle Atlantic Council of Latin American Studies (MACLAS)
- British International Studies Association (BISA)
- American Historical Association (AHA)
- Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations (SHAFR)
- Vermont Historical Society (VHS)
Selected Works
Presentations
- “Charlie Wilson’s Other War: Backing Genocide for Oil in Guatemala.” Paper presentation at the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations (SHAFR) Annual Conference, Panel 53: Development and the Politics of Sovereignty, Memory, and Human Rights in the Global South, Arlington, VA. June 27, 2025.
- “Oil, Aid, and Human Rights in 20th Century Guatemala — an Interview with Richard Balzano.” Max Sergeant / Latin American History Podcast. Posted January 7, 2025. Podcast, 53:00, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/oil-aid-and-human-rights-in-20th-century-guatemala/id1226985558?i=1000683823795.
- “Marketing a Human Rights 'Turnaround': Transitions in US Human Rights Discourse and the Re-branding of Reagan's Latin American Initiatives in the 1980s.” Invited speaking engagement, Utica University Center for Historical Research, “Brown Bag Talks” Lecture Series. February 8, 2023.
- “Slavery, Bondage, and the Precarious State of Freedom in Northeastern Vermont.” Invited speaking engagement, Utica University Center for Historical Research, Black History Month Lecture Series. February 7, 2023.
- “Latin American History in American Public Schools: Challenging Prospects for the Future.” Paper presentation at Middle Atlantic Council of Latin American Studies (MACLAS) “Privilege, Power, and Pedagogy” Annual Conference, Panel 16: Transgressive Pedagogies: Classroom Strategies for Social Change, The College of New Jersey, Ewing Township, NJ. March 19, 2022.
- “Push and Pull: Guatemalan Hydrocarbon Development and U.S.-Guatemalan Relations, 1916-1983.” Paper presentation at Middle Atlantic Council of Latin American Studies (MACLAS) “Privilege, Power, and Pedagogy” Annual Conference, Panel 3: Imperial Power, Indigenous Rights & Global Engagement, The College of New Jersey, Ewing Township, NJ. March 18, 2022.
- “‘Revolution’ or Rebranding: Transitions in US Human Rights Policy During the Reagan Administration.” Paper presentation at British International Studies Association (BISA) “Shifts in US Policy” Conference. November 17, 2021.
- “Hiding in Plain Sight: Smoking Guns and Digital History.” Paper presentation at Historians of the Twentieth Century United States (HOTCUS) conference, Panel: “‘Smoking Guns’: Sources that Inspire and Shape our Research.” September 2, 2021.
- “Discussion Panel: ‘Fake News’, with Writers from The Onion News Network.” Panel Host, Conference on Alternative Media, Goddard College. Plainfield, VT. August 2013.
Publications
- The Blackest Gold: US-Guatemalan Petro-Diplomacy from Conception to Liberalization (Book project under contract)
- Review of “Beginning of Winter: The George H.W. Bush Administration, the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, and the Emergence of the Post–Cold War World” by James R. Stocker [Journal of Cold War Studies 26, no. 2 (Spring 2024): 26-62], H-Diplo / Jervis Forum. September 30, 2025. https://issforum.org/to/JAR-181
- “Constructing an Echo Chamber: A Legacy of Media Bias Towards Chávez’s Venezuela.” Venezuelanalysis.com. March 5, 2025. https://venezuelanalysis.com/opinion/constructing-an-echo-chamber-a-legacy-of-media-bias-towards-chavezs-venezuela/
- “Informant and Artifacts: Local Histories’ Representations of Slavery and the Precarious State of Freedom in Northeastern Vermont.” Vermont History 90, no. 1 (Winter/Spring 2022): 1–23. https://vermonthistory.org/journal/90/VH90_01_InformantsAndArtifacts.pdf
- “Capital Paralysis: The Scope and Impact of Washington-Imposed Sanctions on Venezuela in the Context of International Law.” Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal (August 2020). http://links.org.au/capital-paralysis-scope-impact-washington-sanctions-venezuela-international-law
