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Venezuela

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is situated on the northern coast of South America. Home to an estimated population of 29.1 million, it covers around 916,445 square kilometres which includes the Andes mountains and the Amazon Basin Rainforest. Its main export is oil. Venezuela was colonized by Spain in 1522 but continued resistance led in 1811 to it becoming the first Spanish American country to declare independence. A chequered political history followed which saw dictatorships rise and fall, as well as military coups.

Capital

Caracas

Head of State

President Nicolás Maduro

Head of Government

President Nicolás Maduro

Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez smiles during a press conference at Miraflores Palace in Caracas on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

US-Venezuela conflict

Trump praises ‘terrific’ new Venezuela leader after call

Delcy Rodriguez has been walking a diplomatic tightrope, trying to meet Trump’s demands without alienating Maduro loyalists.

54 minutes agovideocam

Vladimir Putin

How Putin’s focus on Ukraine war leaves allies Venezuela, Iran and Cuba exposed

14 Jan 2026 - 6:48PM

China's military weapons

Why the US may find Iran’s air defence system harder to break than Venezuela’s

14 Jan 2026 - 5:32PMvideocam

US-Venezuela conflict

Letters | The strategic calculations behind Trump’s Venezuela raid

Readers discuss the objectives of the US raid on Venezuela, why the episode pleases China and Russia, and how to help Shenzhen shine as a global city.

14 Jan 2026 - 11:30AM

US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with oil executives in the East Room of the White House in Washington on January 9. Trump aims to convince them to support his plans for Venezuela. Photo: AFP

China-Middle East relations

Why China may not act in Iran even if it has ‘more to lose’ than in Venezuela

Beijing is likely to see the current anti-government protests as an ‘urgent’ situation, but analysts do not expect it to intervene directly.

13 Jan 2026 - 11:00PMvideocam

US-China relations

Opinion | Trump’s audacious imperialism will only propel China’s rise

Far from setting China back, Trump’s foreign policy is bolstering the case for viewing Beijing as the driver of a more equitable world.

13 Jan 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

Malaysia

‘No oil here’: Malaysians turn US embassy space post into foreign-policy satire

The embassy’s International Space Station image prompted self-deprecating jokes about oil, US power and being strategically uninteresting.

13 Jan 2026 - 7:44PMvideocam

A worker carries a bunch of oil palm fruit at a plantation in Slim River, Malaysia. Malaysians repeatedly referenced palm oil in online jokes responding to a recent US embassy space photo, stressing the country has palm oil rather than crude petroleum. Photo: Reuters

Yuan

China’s PBOC sets onshore yuan fixing at strongest point in nearly 16 months

Analysts note how Beijing’s policy goals, such as internationalising China’s currency and curbing overcapacity, are aligning with a firmer exchange rate.

13 Jan 2026 - 2:00PMvideocam

SCMP Highlights

Matricide in Indonesia, Philippine Airlines’ viral video: 7 Asia highlights

From India becoming the world’s fourth largest economy to Philippine Airlines’ viral safety video, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

13 Jan 2026 - 1:28PM

Mexico

Sheinbaum tells Trump US military intervention in Mexico ‘unnecessary’

Mexico’s president said she rejected Trump’s offer of sending the US military after the cartels in her country.

13 Jan 2026 - 8:49AM

US military personnel observe the border area of the United States and Mexico. Photo: Reuters

US-Venezuela conflict

‘Expansion to defence’: China firms strategise in Latin America after Venezuela

After the abduction of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, many Chinese entrepreneurs in the region say they are staying put – for now.

13 Jan 2026 - 9:55AMvideocam

US-Venezuela conflict

Trump sets meeting with Machado as Venezuela frees more prisoners

White House plans Thursday talks with the Nobel winner while continuing to engage Venezuela’s leaders on oil access and prisoner releases.

13 Jan 2026 - 3:45PMvideocam

Nicolas Maduro

Supertankers sailing to pick up Venezuelan oil for China make U-turn: ship data

The Xingye and Thousand Sunny, which have not been the subject of sanctions, head back to Asia after weeks of idling in the Atlantic.

13 Jan 2026 - 10:11AM

US-Venezuela conflict

Cuba’s president denies being in talks with US after Trump threats

Havana rejects ‘make a deal’ ultimatum as Trump vows to cut off Venezuelan oil and money to the communist-run island.

13 Jan 2026 - 10:40AMvideocam

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel speaks during an event held in support of Venezuela, in Havana on January 3. Photo: EPA

Asean

Opinion | Why US ops in Venezuela have shaken Asia-Pacific’s middle powers

Middle powers fear a return to ‘rules of the jungle’ geopolitics as rival powers carve out spheres of influence.

13 Jan 2026 - 1:31AMvideocam

US-Venezuela conflict

Trump says might keep Exxon out of Venezuela after CEO called it ‘uninvestable’

US president voices displeasure with the US company’s response to his initiative for Venezuela’s oil industry.

12 Jan 2026 - 4:25PM

US-Venezuela conflict

Editorial | US raid on Venezuela should push nations to revive collective security

Following Washington’s fragrant breach of international law, responsible member states must restore the UN’s credibility and authority.

12 Jan 2026 - 11:53AM

US-Venezuela conflict

Open Questions | Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

Political scientist says the Western-led global order remains useful, and the Belt and Road Initiative isn’t a geopolitical project.

12 Jan 2026 - 10:06AMvideocam

Donald Trump

Cuba defiant after Trump threat to cut off ‘oil and money’ lifeline

Cuban president says island is prepared to ‘defend homeland to last drop of blood’ as Trump ramps up pressure after action in Venezuela.

12 Jan 2026 - 4:26PMvideocam

My Take

My Take | The days of EU and Nato may be numbered under von der Leyen and Kallas

Europe’s leaders continue to play supplicants to Trump, who may be an even bigger existential threat than Putin with his undisguised US imperialism.

11 Jan 2026 - 10:15PM

US-Venezuela conflict

Could China execute special forces operation like US precision Maduro abduction?

The Pentagon sees China’s 20,000-30,000 special operation personnel as limited by logistics support and fragmented command structure.

11 Jan 2026 - 10:00PMvideocam

110

On January 5, Nicolas Maduro is escorted towards the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in Manhattan after being abducted from Caracas by US forces. Analysts ask whether China has the capacity to carry out a similar opertion. Photo: Reuters

Greenland

Britain in talks with Nato allies over Arctic security as US eyes Greenland

UK minister says talks on the Arctic ‘business as usual’, while Trump posits having Greenland ‘one way or the other’.

12 Jan 2026 - 3:06PM

Donald Trump has said that he would like to make a deal to acquire Greenland, a semiautonomous region of Nato ally Denmark. Photo: Reuters

US-China relations

Opinion | How Trump’s ‘Donroe Doctrine’ is escalating US-China rivalry

Maduro’s capture not only challenges China’s influence in Latin America but also signals a bolder US security posture that could reshuffle great-power competition.

11 Jan 2026 - 9:25PMvideocam

US-Venezuela conflict

Can Peru keep both China and US onside in an increasingly volatile environment?

Its mineral resources make it a focus for superpower rivalry, but analysts say the country is in a very different situation to Venezuela.

11 Jan 2026 - 4:03PMvideocam

Australia

Letters | Bondi response must go beyond policing and towards rebuilding unity

Readers discuss social cohesion in Australia, a commission into the Bondi shooting, and US interventions.

11 Jan 2026 - 11:30AM

Mourners gather at Bondi Pavillion for a tribute to the victims of a shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney on December 15. Photo: AFP

Nobel Prize

Nobel panel rejects Machado’s idea to give her Peace Prize to Trump

The Norwegian Nobel Institute said the award cannot be revoked, shared or transferred to others.

11 Jan 2026 - 9:02AMvideocam

Nobel peace laureate Maria Corina Machado greets supporters from a balcony of a hotel in Oslo, Norway, last month. Photo: AFP

United States

Editorial | What happens next in Venezuela should be of international concern

If the US can take over the running of a country in this way, it could be the beginning of a slippery slope.

11 Jan 2026 - 7:15AM

US-Venezuela conflict

How the US raid in Venezuela has triggered Brazilian fury and a Chinese opening

Latin America’s largest economy seeks ‘delicate balance’ between Trump’s ambitions and boosting ties with Beijing, its top trading partner.

11 Jan 2026 - 6:04AMvideocam

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Venezuela

Trump praises ‘terrific’ new Venezuela leader after call

Delcy Rodriguez has been walking a diplomatic tightrope, trying to meet Trump’s demands without alienating Maduro loyalists.

How Putin’s focus on Ukraine war leaves allies Venezuela, Iran and Cuba exposed

Why the US may find Iran’s air defence system harder to break than Venezuela’s

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Letters | The strategic calculations behind Trump’s Venezuela raid

Readers discuss the objectives of the US raid on Venezuela, why the episode pleases China and Russia, and how to help Shenzhen shine as a global city.

Why China may not act in Iran even if it has ‘more to lose’ than in Venezuela

Beijing is likely to see the current anti-government protests as an ‘urgent’ situation, but analysts do not expect it to intervene directly.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | Trump’s audacious imperialism will only propel China’s rise

Far from setting China back, Trump’s foreign policy is bolstering the case for viewing Beijing as the driver of a more equitable world.

‘No oil here’: Malaysians turn US embassy space post into foreign-policy satire

The embassy’s International Space Station image prompted self-deprecating jokes about oil, US power and being strategically uninteresting.

China’s PBOC sets onshore yuan fixing at strongest point in nearly 16 months

Analysts note how Beijing’s policy goals, such as internationalising China’s currency and curbing overcapacity, are aligning with a firmer exchange rate.

Matricide in Indonesia, Philippine Airlines’ viral video: 7 Asia highlights

From India becoming the world’s fourth largest economy to Philippine Airlines’ viral safety video, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Sheinbaum tells Trump US military intervention in Mexico ‘unnecessary’

Mexico’s president said she rejected Trump’s offer of sending the US military after the cartels in her country.

‘Expansion to defence’: China firms strategise in Latin America after Venezuela

After the abduction of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, many Chinese entrepreneurs in the region say they are staying put – for now.

Trump sets meeting with Machado as Venezuela frees more prisoners

White House plans Thursday talks with the Nobel winner while continuing to engage Venezuela’s leaders on oil access and prisoner releases.

Supertankers sailing to pick up Venezuelan oil for China make U-turn: ship data

The Xingye and Thousand Sunny, which have not been the subject of sanctions, head back to Asia after weeks of idling in the Atlantic.

Cuba’s president denies being in talks with US after Trump threats

Havana rejects ‘make a deal’ ultimatum as Trump vows to cut off Venezuelan oil and money to the communist-run island.

Opinion | Why US ops in Venezuela have shaken Asia-Pacific’s middle powers

Middle powers fear a return to ‘rules of the jungle’ geopolitics as rival powers carve out spheres of influence.

Trump says might keep Exxon out of Venezuela after CEO called it ‘uninvestable’

US president voices displeasure with the US company’s response to his initiative for Venezuela’s oil industry.

Editorial | US raid on Venezuela should push nations to revive collective security

Following Washington’s fragrant breach of international law, responsible member states must restore the UN’s credibility and authority.

Open Questions | Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

Political scientist says the Western-led global order remains useful, and the Belt and Road Initiative isn’t a geopolitical project.

Cuba defiant after Trump threat to cut off ‘oil and money’ lifeline

Cuban president says island is prepared to ‘defend homeland to last drop of blood’ as Trump ramps up pressure after action in Venezuela.

My Take | The days of EU and Nato may be numbered under von der Leyen and Kallas

Europe’s leaders continue to play supplicants to Trump, who may be an even bigger existential threat than Putin with his undisguised US imperialism.

Could China execute special forces operation like US precision Maduro abduction?

The Pentagon sees China’s 20,000-30,000 special operation personnel as limited by logistics support and fragmented command structure.

Britain in talks with Nato allies over Arctic security as US eyes Greenland

UK minister says talks on the Arctic ‘business as usual’, while Trump posits having Greenland ‘one way or the other’.

Opinion | How Trump’s ‘Donroe Doctrine’ is escalating US-China rivalry

Maduro’s capture not only challenges China’s influence in Latin America but also signals a bolder US security posture that could reshuffle great-power competition.

Can Peru keep both China and US onside in an increasingly volatile environment?

Its mineral resources make it a focus for superpower rivalry, but analysts say the country is in a very different situation to Venezuela.

Letters | Bondi response must go beyond policing and towards rebuilding unity

Readers discuss social cohesion in Australia, a commission into the Bondi shooting, and US interventions.

Nobel panel rejects Machado’s idea to give her Peace Prize to Trump

The Norwegian Nobel Institute said the award cannot be revoked, shared or transferred to others.

Editorial | What happens next in Venezuela should be of international concern

If the US can take over the running of a country in this way, it could be the beginning of a slippery slope.

How the US raid in Venezuela has triggered Brazilian fury and a Chinese opening

Latin America’s largest economy seeks ‘delicate balance’ between Trump’s ambitions and boosting ties with Beijing, its top trading partner.

Letters | The strategic calculations behind Trump’s Venezuela raid

Opinion | Trump’s audacious imperialism will only propel China’s rise