Twin shallow earthquakes off Venezuela's central coast killed at least 32 people and injured more than 700, collapsing homes in Caracas and prompting a nationwide state of emergency just months after the United States captured the country's president.
Venezuela is set to disclose a public-debt pile approaching $240bn, well above the $150bn–$170bn analysts had assumed. Built up since the 2017 default, it sets up the biggest sovereign restructuring on record, with a sprawling creditor list and Wall Street advisers already circling.
Since US forces captured Nicolas Maduro on 3 January 2026, deputy Delcy Rodriguez has governed Venezuela, opening the oil sector to private investors and freeing hundreds of prisoners while sidestepping the elections the constitution requires. Analysts call it 'normalization without transition.' The Trump administration, focused on stability and energy, has effectively backed Rodriguez over Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado, who now vows to run for president.