Foreign Policy Live Venezuela’s Future and Other Conflicts to Watch in 2026
Jan 8, 2026
Comfort Ero, President and CEO of the International Crisis Group and a veteran in conflict resolution, explores pivotal global issues. She analyzes potential shifts in Venezuela following Nicolás Maduro's capture, debating the implications for democracy and U.S. foreign policy. Ero also discusses rising global conflicts, from Sudan's humanitarian crisis to the fragile ceasefire in Gaza. With a focus on the U.S.-China dynamic, she offers insights on how global powers interpret American actions and the risks of regional instability.
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Guardrails Are Falling Apart
- Global conflict is rising because traditional international guardrails and Western leverage have eroded.
- Rising regional powers and fragmented multilateral systems now shape and embolden local conflicts.
Power Over Norms In U.S. Strategy
- The new U.S. National Security Strategy signals a return to raw power and hemispheric control.
- That posture sidelines international norms and treats multilateral law as optional when core interests are invoked.
Mixed Signals Reshape Allies' Calculus
- U.S. messaging on Venezuela and Greenland reveals internal White House tug-of-wars shaping policy swings.
- Other powers will read U.S. actions as precedents, complicating Europe’s security calculations.