Your weekly reminder that Venezuela remains a terrible place to do business. Please try fixing that too

We used to assume that rightwing governments at our borders were bad news for chavismo. Now, we can’t count on that

Long-awaited freedom won’t be realized if we fail to address the power inequalities that plagued us long before chavismo

The legal weapon that jailed almost 1,000 people remains a key tool of Venezuela’s repressive apparatus

Venezuela needs to dismantle the presidency chavismo built without creating a government too weak to rebuild the country

By shedding slogans and key operatives, the Rodríguez siblings bet on turning the conflict with the opposition to their advantage

Once the welcoming party ends, she will need to manage expectations and seek more allies

Beyond the State’s inability to handle it, the Super Niño is causing ripples

In the 1960s, the Venezuelan president proved that democracy was a more sure bet for Washington's interests

Preserving the State is not the same as preserving the regime

Congressional oversight may change if Democrats win the House. Trump’s Venezuela policy won’t

The June earthquakes are an opportunity to bridge the gap between current capacities and the vast body of knowledge on disaster prevention

The regime unblocked several news websites as a gesture, although the practice remains intact

A new fact-checking website aims to provide accurate information, while another disguises itself as one to keep pushing propaganda

Parts of daily life feel surprisingly normal. Yet much of the country that I and eight million others left behind remains unchanged

Delcy put trusted officials in charge of gold, but the fate of the criminal leaders that ruled some mining towns remains unclear

An investigation by ARI and Convoca found a slight shift in who controls the Mining Arc following the apparent killing of the TDA leader

Some say dollarization won’t rescue Venezuela. Here’s another take: open the economy and we’ll see

Few people wondered about the environmental consequences of the supposed energy investments

Hundreds arrested, thousands of visas cancelled: Trump still wants Venezuelans out

The longtime centrist tries to fill a worrisome void

One year after a missile on a boat signaled that Trump was for real, the debate about his true intentions darkens under a pessimistic cloud

Full dollarization fails to address the root causes of mismanagement and risks crippling long-term capacities

Try not to panic at the disturbing mirror of 1898

Project Umbral has been tracking the process through 60 indicators, 11 pillars, and an 18-month roadmap

Much like Spain’s transition half a century ago, every reform reveals its true purpose only with time

How experts are reacting, what politicians are saying, and who’s the oligarch in the middle of everything

Without meaningful democratic reforms, the agreement may jeopardize the investments Washington hopes to attract

Chavismo is determined to become everything it claimed the opposition would be

Prof. Guillermo Aveledo Coll discusses the unfolding negotiation, the future of parties, and lessons Rómulo Betancourt might offer Machado

The parliament is discussing reforming the Law of the Supreme Court of Justice

Dozens of opposition politicians remain stripped of their homes and everything in them. Will restitution be on the agenda?

Washington is allowing Venezuela to make telecommunications-related deals with American companies. But the Chinese must be left out

The transition’s stakeholders won’t secure democracy by simply replacing the people in power

Another inorganic social media campaign promotes Alejandro Betancourt (and Delcy) while attacking his critics, including María Corina Machado

The legendary photographer and contracultural shaman, who died on August 20, invoked the grotesque to question our myths

The government failed to provide data needed to vaccinate children against preventable diseases. The country has suffered some of its lowest immunization rates in a decade

For the Rodríguez regime, the tragedy became a tool to deflect criticism and slow down the transition

Official numbers don’t match reality. But some of those released are among the most powerful examples of torture and Sippenhaft

The earthquakes affected more than 30,000 pregnant women and led to documented cases of sexual violence. Addressing that is urgent

Assessing its economic impact means looking beyond destroyed assets. The true cost lies in lost output and the time it takes an economy to get back on its feet

Very likely, yes

Caracas and Tel Aviv agreed to resume consular relations after weeks of collaboration on quake relief, retreating from seventeen years of hostility ignited by Chávez

She seeks to preserve authoritarian rule at home by engaging with former enemies and cultivating international goodwill

The famous $240 billion figure demands a proper accounting of the numbers to determine what Venezuela actually owes and how it could ever repay it

The response was about objectifying citizens, extracting from the territory, and preserving power

The White House negotiates without Machado. Congress shields her legitimacy. What’s the strategy?

Rodríguez tried to make it business-friendly, but the 2026 law preserves broad government discretion and leaves PDVSA unreformed

Tensions arise as the interim government increases power rationing and US diplomat John Barrett checks out the Guri Dam

Much-anticipated talks kicked off with an alleged phone call and matching statements, which the US welcomed