FT News Briefing A wave of repression in Venezuela
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Jan 7, 2026 
Michael Stott, the Latin America editor at the Financial Times, shares on-the-ground insights from Caracas, detailing the tense atmosphere and government crackdowns following Nicolás Maduro's capture. Stott highlights the heavy media control and limits on information as citizens face intimidation. Joe Leahy, the Beijing bureau chief, discusses China's substantial financial ties to Venezuela and the geopolitical implications of losing an ally in the region amid US intervention, emphasizing that China's concerns extend beyond mere economic interests.
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Tense Calm And Renewed Repression In Caracas
- Caracas shows a tense, subdued calm with citizens afraid to go about normal life and facing paramilitary intimidation.
- Michael Stott says the immediate aftermath delivered renewed repression rather than a democratic transition.
Information Blackout Hampers Accurate Reporting
- Venezuelan media are tightly controlled and state television largely ignores the recent events, hampering reliable reporting.
- Michael Stott says journalists are constrained and foreign correspondents cannot enter, so information relies on social media and contacts.
Emergency Decrees Tighten Control Over Citizens
- The new interim government issued emergency decrees threatening those who celebrate Maduro's ouster and checking citizens' WhatsApp messages.
- Michael Stott describes a global sense of dismay that the overthrow led to more repression, not freedoms or elections.