Venezuela stuck on repeat
The socialist regime may have strengthened its political control, but until US sanctions are unwound economic disaster will persist
It has been a strong year politically for Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. Notwithstanding the near collapse of the oil sector and the wider economy, he has routed the hardline opposition and reinforced the power of his radical left-wing regime. But his latest domestic success, in the National Assembly election on 6 December, is a rather hollow victory that leaves him with a weakened hand on the international stage. The West will certainly not recognise the ballot. And Maduro’s hope of getting to 2021 in a stronger negotiating position with external stakeholders—including the US under a new Biden administration—is not likely to come to fruition. Without external recognition of the new N

Also in this section
11 March 2025
Direct air capture is still in its infancy, but organisations are seeking to leverage global collaborations and AI to discover new materials, with an aim of scaling up the technology and cutting costs
11 March 2025
Iran, Iraq, Venezuela, Nigeria and Kazakhstan all add significant volumes as core OPEC-9 feels the strain of compliance
11 March 2025
Investor certainty key to diversifying country’s oil and gas exports amid fresh talk of improving infrastructure to boost energy security
10 March 2025
Oil sands will be complemented by conventional and shale output growth and supply opportunities improved by the Trans Mountain Pipeline, but the tariff threat remains