Trending Now
We have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use for Eurasia Group and its affiliates, including GZERO Media, to clarify the types of data we collect, how we collect it, how we use data and with whom we share data. By using our website you consent to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy, including the transfer of your personal data to the United States from your country of residence, and our use of cookies described in our Cookie Policy.
{{ subpage.title }}
An image shows avatars generated through artificial intelligence (AI) technology by CONNECTAS with the headline reading "La Chama, El Pana," Venezuelan slang for the girl and the friend.
Meet Venezuela’s new AI broadcasters
There’s a news broadcast in Venezuela that’s using artificial intelligence to do things a little differently. It’s not a bid for innovation for innovation’s sake, but instead for the protection of journalists behind the camera. “Before we continue, in case you haven’t noticed, we want to tell you that we are not real,” two AI-generated presenters tell their audience. “Although we were generated by AI, our content is real, verified, of high quality, and created by journalists.”
The broadcast, called “Venezuela Retweets,” launched in response to Nicolas Maduro’s post-election crackdown on journalists. The government has reportedly detained 16 journalists since the election on charges from “terrorism and incitement to hatred,” according to CNN. The Venezuelan election in July is hotly contested with Maduro’s rival, Edmundo González, having fled to Spain and claiming he was forced to concede in order to leave the country.
While transparency in news is an asset in countries with press freedom, it can be dangerous to those in countries antagonistic to journalists. Thus, new technology can give reporters a way to stay safe while informing the public about information that might make the government look bad.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro delivers a speech during a rally to celebrate the results of last month's presidential election, in Caracas, Venezuela August 28, 2024.
Venezuela arrests six in coup plot claim
Six foreign nationals, including three American, two Spanish, and one Czech citizen, were arrested in Venezuela on Saturday,accused of plotting to assassinate strongman President Nicolás Maduro. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announced the arrests on state television, claiming the suspects were part of a CIA-led plan to overthrow the government. One of the Americans is a US Navy SEAL identified as Wilbert Joseph Castañeda Gomez.
In response,the US State Department denied any involvement, called the claims “categorically false,” and reaffirmed support for a peaceful resolution to the crisis stemming from Venezuela’s recent elections. The Spanish Foreign Ministry said that the two Spanish citizens detained “do not form part of the Centre for National Intelligence or any state organization” and called for a “democratic and peaceful solution to the situation in Venezuela.”
The arrests cometwo days after the US Treasury imposed sanctions on 16 Maduro allies, and a week after Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo Gonzales, who was facing arrest, fled to Spain. Washington refuses to recognize the results of Venezuela's July 28 election, in which Maduro claimed victory despite evidence that Gonzales was the real winner. Caracas called the US sanctions a “crime of aggression” that seeks to “overthrow, without success, the Bolivarian democracy.”
Trump-Harris debate: What to expect
Ian Bremmer shares his insights on global politics this week on World In :60.
What issues will dominate the Trump/Harris debate?
Well, I mean clearly the economy, migration, abortion, I mean these are the issues that are on top of everybody's agenda. I care the most about global issues, foreign policy issues, things like climate change, artificial intelligence governance, and say, the Middle East, China, and Russia. But I suspect that that gets a small amount of time and also is a very little impact to voters that has still undecided. Having said all of that, I don't think this is mostly about issues. I think this is mostly about how does Harris perform against Trump and vice versa. And keep in mind that given just how filtered people's information sources are, if one of them wins by a little bit, then both sides are going to come away saying we destroyed the other, and so will all of their supporters.
So I mean, there has to be a big mistake or a big win for anyone to break through in what's an extremely tight race here. And that's what everyone's looking for, especially because Harris hasn't been tested like this before and Trump's last few public appearances have been pretty all over the map and showing his age. So I think people looking for first major test of Harris of this sort and is Trump capable of still delivering big-time entertainment in this sort of a format? So that's where we are. Everyone will be tuned in tonight. I think a lot more than 50 million people in the United States are going to be watching. This should be a highly, highly visible and important. Only two months before the election action.
As Edmundo Gonzalez seeks asylum in Spain, what lies ahead for Venezuela and Maduro's opposition?
Well, the fact that the United States has impounded one of Maduro's planes shows just how much that policy had failed, an effort to try to use carrots to get the Venezuelan government to be willing to hold a free and fair election. That was never going to happen. Not from the Americans, not from the Colombians, not from the Brazilians. Not from the Mexicans. There was no one out there that was going to make a difference. And sadly not Venezuela's opposition either. What this means is the military still supporting the Venezuelan president, massively corrupt, completely stolen illegitimate election and he's not going anywhere. That's where we are. And if Gonzalez hadn't fled the country, he was going to get arrested. Venezuelan military and president, very happy for him to flee the country. They gave him more than enough time and indication saying, "Okay, we're coming for you. We're coming for you. Okay, now we have an arrest warrant. If you don't leave, you're going to jail." He left. And everyone, I guess, is comfortable with that outcome, but a horrible place for the Venezuelan people, millions of whom will be streaming, millions more mostly to the United States, to Colombia, to other countries.
How was Mario Draghi's report on EU competitiveness received?
Received very well because the Europeans are not spending on competitiveness and industrial policy the way the Americans are, the way the Chinese are. And that means that they're being left behind in terms of technology. They're also not spending enough on security, which means they're still super, super dependent on the United States. And Draghi is calling for the Europeans to do a lot more, but they don't have the internal leadership to make that happen, and they don't have the fiscal space, nor do they have the coordination capable, even in a strong European Union. So very welcome. Not going to get implemented. That's where we are. Love Draghi, but he ain't running the EU.
- Harris’ first interview recap: She’s pragmatic, not progressive ›
- Ian Explains: What is Kamala Harris' foreign policy? ›
- Muted mics, amplified impact: Harris and Trump debate for razor-thin margins ›
- GZERO presidential debate scorecard: Rate the debate! ›
- Debate Bingo: Kamala Harris v. Donald Trump ›
- Harris wins debate - GZERO Media ›
Carolina Gonzalez, daughter of Venezuela's presidential opposition candidate in the recent election Edmundo Gonzalez, leaves the Torrejon de Ardoz Air Force Base, outside Madrid, Spain, September 8, 2024.
Opposition leader flees Venezuela, Argentina heads to ICC
Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez fled to Madrid on a Spanish military aircraft Sunday, having spent a month in hiding following the country’swidely discredited July 28 election in which President Nicolas Maduro claimed a dubious victory.
Spain offered Gonzalez asylum after Venezuelan prosecutors sought his arrest Monday for conspiracy and criminal association, which carry a possible 30-year prison sentence. The charges stem from the uploading of voting records showing that Gonzalez, and not Maduro, won the election by nearly 70%.
Gonzalez was a stand-in for opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who had been barred from running. His departure is the latest blow to the Venezuelan opposition: Since the vote, 2,400 protesters and four prominent opposition politicians have been arrested, and Maduro recently appointed hardliner Diosdado Cabello, who called Gonzalez“a coup-mongering “rat” as interior minister.
The election shenanigans are also causing tension with Argentina. Late Friday,Venezuelan security forces surrounded the Argentinian embassy in Caracas, where six opposition workers have been holed up since March. The following day, Venezuelarevoked permission for Brazil to manage the embassy, as it had been doing since the expulsion of Argentinian diplomats earlier this year.The announcement came hours after Argentina announced thaton Monday it would ask the International Criminal Court to arrest Maduro on charges of crimes against humanity.
We’ll be watching how the court reacts – and whether Maduro cracks down further.
More than 100 residents from across the Treasure Coast on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, take part in a global protest while at the Cashmere Shell Station at Southwest Cashmere Boulevard in Port St. Lucie, over the poll results in the Venezuela’s presidential election.
Hard Numbers: Gonzalez shuns summons, Defense contractors make bank, Anger over Nigerian plane purchase, Brazil’s gay community on edge, Former GOP staffers back Harris, Oasis returns
2: On Monday, Venezuela’s top prosecutor issued a second summons for opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez to answer charges that his party violated electoral law by posting results from the July 28 election independently of state authorities. Those results suggested Gonzalez won in a landslide, countering the government’s still-unsubstantiated claim that President Nicolas Maduro won the vote. Gonzalez, who’s been in hiding since the vote, says he won’t comply because the terms of his appearance aren’t clear. If he fails to show up, the government can issue a third summons, which permits the police to arrest him.
52 billion: War, huh ... what is it good for? Absolutely everything — if you sell weapons for a living. With two major wars raging in Ukraine and Gaza, dozens of smaller conflicts burning, and countries worldwide warily arming themselves to the teeth these days, the top 15 defense contractors are set to rake in a free cash flow of $52 billion by the end of 2026. That’s more than double what they made in 2021.
$100 million: This is just plane dumb politics. While his country struggles with soaring inflation and deepening poverty, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has outraged members of his government and ordinary Nigerians by buying a new presidential jet for $100 million. A spokesperson for Tinubu – who has pushed through painful subsidy cuts and other reforms to put Nigeria on firmer macroeconomic footing – said they got the aircraft at a bargain price.
5: Brazil’s gay community is on edge amid a spate of incidents in which men were lured with fake profiles on dating apps and then robbed or killed. At least 5 such murders have occurred in recent months. Public safety watchdog groups say killings motivated by homophobia in Brazil shot up by more than 40% last year, and that the 214 recorded cases are likely an undercount. Activists say authorities are often reluctant to investigate these crimes as hate crimes specifically.
238: Former Republican staffers have signed a letter saying that a second Donald Trump presidency would be “untenable” and that advancing the policy goals of Project 2025 would "hurt real, everyday people and weaken our sacred institutions.” The 238 signatories, including former staffers under President George W. Bush, Arizona Sen. John McCain, and Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, endorsedKamala Harris for president.
14: If you thought you’d never get a chance to hear “Wonderwall” at Wembley Stadium, think again. The famed 1990’s band Oasis have — after a 15-year split fueled by differences between the Gallagher brothers — announced a reunion tour with 14 shows in the United Kingdom and Ireland for next year. Tickets go on sale on Saturday.
A demonstrator is holding a banner during an antigovernment protest in Lisbon, Portugal, on August 4, 2024. Venezuelans in Lisbon are gathering in Praca do Comercio to protest and express their disagreement with the election results in Venezuela and to support opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez.
Venezuela’s neighbors brace for a fresh exodus
A new poll shows more than 40% of Venezuela’s population — roughly 7 million people — might flee the country in the wake of strongman President Nicolás Maduro’s apparently successful bid to steal the July 28 election.
According to research by local pollster Meganalisis, nearly a million of those people are planning to leave by the end of the year. If that happens, it will exacerbate what is already the world’s worst external refugee crisis.
Since 2014, nearly 8 million Venezuelans have fled their country’s political and humanitarian chaos, surpassing the numbers from Ukraine (6 million) and Syria (5.5 million). Three million went to Colombia, and 1.5 million are in Peru. Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Spain, and the US are home to half a million each.
Their arrival has stretched the capacity of governments and societies to absorb newcomers, especially during the difficult climb out of the pandemic. Anti-immigrant sentiment has grown across the region. As far away as New York City, Mayor Eric Adams says the presence of 150,000 refugees, many from Venezuela, would “destroy the city.”
Venezuela’s opposition – which won the election, according to independent counts – is still in the streets, demanding a transition of power. But with Maduro now doubling down, millions may soon vote again – this time with their feet.
For more: Watch GZERO’s special report about the non-profits helping to welcome and resettle thousands of refugees amid New York City’s “broken” immigration system.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a march amid the disputed presidential election, in Caracas, Venezuela August 3, 2024.
Maduro doubles down against opposition duo
A week after declaring victory — so far without evidence — in Venezuela’s hotly disputed election, socialist strongman Nicolas Maduro isn’t backing down.
Investigators opened criminal probes against opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and opposition candidate Edmundo González on Monday, following their recent appeal to the country’s military and police to abandon Maduro and “take the side of the people.”
Venezuelan authorities, which announced Maduro as the winner with 53% of the vote, haven’t published voting records to support this claim, and have cracked down on protests. The opposition, meanwhile, collected vote tallies from more than two-thirds of precincts, which pointed to a landslide win for González, who ran in Machado’s place after she was banned.
For now, the criminal probe is likely more bark than bite, says Risa Grais-Targow, a Venezuela expert at Eurasia Group. “It’s meant to deter other opposition figures,” she says, but locking up the two most prominent faces of an unusually unified Venezuelan opposition “would lead to a harsher international response and potentially blow up the streets.”
In other words, Maduro, so far weathering the blowback of what looks like a stolen election, wants to intimidate the opposition without provoking a situation that could quickly spin out of control. So far, it’s working.
A demonstrator looks on during a protest against election results that awarded Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro with a third term, in Caracas, Venezuela, August 3, 2024.
Will Maduro yield amid protests and calls for transparency?
Seven EU member states on Sunday demanded that the Venezuelan government publish the electoral rolls to settle last weekend’s heavily disputed election, and the US and Argentina have taken the lead in recognizing opposition candidate Edmundo González as president. Thousands of Venezuelans have put their lives and freedom at risk to protest President Nicolás Maduro’s claimed electoral victory this past week,and the regime has arrested hundreds and deployed armed paramilitaries to intimidate them.
Human Rights Watch reports that 17 people have died since protests broke out last Monday.
Gonzalez is in hiding to protect his well-being. But Maria Corina Machado, a fellow opposition leader who was barred from running, held a defiant rally on Saturday to galvanize the demonstrators. “After six days of brutal repression, they thought they were going to silence us, intimidate or paralyze us,” she said. “The presence of every one of you here today represents the best of Venezuela.”
Her coalition collected electoral tally sheets from 80% of the precincts, and they showed a landslide victory for the opposition, with 6.89 million votes for Gonzalez and 3.13 million for Maduro. Venezuela’s government claimed Maduro won 6.4 million votes to Gonzalez’s 5.3 million.
What happens now? Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico are leading diplomatic efforts to set up an impartial audit of the results, and they can count on wide backing in the Americas and Europe. We’re watching how they apply pressure this week, and whether Caracas might make agreeable noises, if only to try to calm the furor in the streets.