2026-08-19
5 分钟Hi there, it's Jason Palmer here, co-host of The Intelligence, our daily news and current affairs podcast.
This is Editor's Picks.
You're about to hear an article from the latest edition of The Economist read aloud.
Enjoy.
When President Donald Trump sent American special forces to snatch Venezuela's dictator Nicolás Maduro in January,
it did not sound as though restoring democracy was his priority.
He boasted endlessly about how he now controlled Venezuela's oil,
while barely mentioning the country's political future.
He installed as interim president Delcy Rodriguez the deposed despot's dismal deputy.
Many worried that without a strong American commitment to a democratic transition,
the old, brutal kleptocracy would carry on.
Yet the prospects for democracy in Venezuela seem to be improving.
This is not because Mr. Trump has suddenly developed a passion for the subject.
It is because his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio,
who really does care about ending left-wing dictatorships in Latin America,
has been granted a reasonably free hand to use America's huge influence in pursuit of that goal.
A first round of negotiations between Venezuela's regime and figures from the opposition ended on August
12th with a modest agreement to begin a process of judicial reform, including of the Supreme Court.
Our reporting finds reasons for optimism.
Further talks could produce by December reforms that could allow for fair elections.