Venezuela

'I like his brother more': Trump slams Pope Leo over Iran nuclear issue, left-wing policies

Trump added that Pope Leo "should be thankful," as the only reason he had been elected to the Vatican was "because he was an American" who would be able to "deal with President Donald J. Trump."

Pope Leo XIV walks as he leaves the papal residence to head back to the Vatican, in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, March 31, 2026.
An aerial view shows the oil tanker named Boracay (also called Pushpa), a vessel being investigated by French authorities and suspected of belonging to the so-called "shadow fleet" involved in the Russian oil trade, off the coast of the western France port of Saint-Nazaire, France, October 2, 2025

US allows Russian oil tanker to reach Cuba, reversing course on blockade

Captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is escorted, as he heads towards the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in Manhattan, earlier this month. The handling of Maduro’s transportation to New York was done without discretion to send a message, the writer says.

Maduro returns to US court as rare narcoterrorism law faces key test at trial - analysis

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi looks at her watch during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, March 19, 2026.

A golden age of diplomacy: A thing of the past? - comment


Russia welcomes Venezuela's interim president, says Venezuela should determine own destiny

Moscow's foreign ministry said in a statement that it welcomed the Venezuelan authorities' efforts to protect their sovereignty and national interests.

Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodriguez presents the government's 2026 budget proposal to the National Assembly, urging lawmakers to approve spending of some $19.9 billion, in Caracas, Venezuela December 4, 2025.

Machado says she is heading back to Venezuela as Trump moves to shape post-Maduro transition

Trump appears to hope to work with interim President Delcy Rodriguez and other senior officials from Maduro's government, disappointing the opposition and contributing to the country's nervousness.

NOBEL PEACE Prize laureate and Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado speaks during a press conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, a day after the award ceremony, in Oslo, Norway December 11, 2025.

Global power struggle: Why Maduro's fall is a 'red line' warning for China, Iran

Pressure applied in Latin America, the Middle East, and East Asia reflects a coordinated effort to influence rivals without full-scale escalation.

A burning US flag is pictured during a protest against the US intervention in Venezuela, in Buenos Aires on January 5, 2026.

Are you ready to stand up with Iranian protesters? - opinion

How can the Iranian citizens’ noble fight against a repressive, homophobic, sexist, anti-American theocracy be met with yawns, while democratic Israel’s heroic acts of self-defense trigger worldwide?

Iranian security forces detain protesters in Mashhad, Iran, January 3, 2026; illustrative.

It’s really about oil, not drugs: Why Trump's 'Donroe Doctrine' is attacking Venezuela - opinion

This is a president who considers global warming a hoax, solar panels “ugly as hell,” wind turbines as visual blights and killers of birds and whales.

Picture of fire at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, after a series of explosions in Caracas on January 3, 2026.

Trump's internal shifts in the US: How peace through strength restored global stability - opinion

Peace through strength is not outdated doctrine. It is the only doctrine that has ever stabilized a dangerous world.

US President Donald Trump with US officials in the war room as the US conducts an operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3, 2026.

Cuba is the next domino after Maduro’s fall - opinion

Cuba survives on foreign power; its fate may now be in US hands.

Captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is escorted, as he heads towards the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in Manhattan. in New York City, US, January 5, 2026.

Maduro’s fall shows how US power is reshaping Latin America’s future - opinion

Nicolas Maduro’s capture shows Trump’s bold Latin America policy, raising the stakes for regional stability.

VENEZUELA'S PRESIDENT Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores attend a year-end salutation to military forces in La Guaira, Venezuela December 28, 2025.

Over a dozen media workers detained in Venezuela, national press association says

Media workers were briefly detained while reporting on pro-Maduro marches and the new legislature’s swearing-in, days after the US captured the Venezuelan president.

A supporter of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro carry his portrait during a rally outside the National Assembly in Caracas on January 5, 2026.

After Maduro’s capture, Rubio links Venezuela mission to fight against Iran, Hezbollah

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States will exert leverage to ensure that the country “no longer cozy up to Hezbollah and Iran in our own hemisphere.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio holds his end-of-year press conference at the State Department in Washington, DC, US, December 19, 2025.