From Venezuela to Greenland? Trump’s Gunboat Diplomacy

This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard speaks with Crisis Group experts Renata Segura and Stephen Pomper about the fallout from the U.S. operation capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Washington’s push for oil concessions, and the future U.S. Western hemisphere policy.In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard talks with Renata Segura, Crisis Group’s Latin America & Caribbean director, and chief of policy Stephen Pomper, about the fallout from the U.S. operation last weekend seizing Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. They unpack how the Chavista government is holding together under pressure from the Trump administration to give up control of Venezuelan oil. They examine what’s driving the Trump administration's action in Venezuela and whether a democratic transition is realistically on the horizon. They also explore what precedent the operation sets for Cuba and countries across Latin America, the administration’s sharpening rhetoric around Greenland, and what all this signals about a more openly revisionist U.S. approach to the post–World War II order.Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.For more, check out our statement “Venezuela after Maduro: Transaction or Transition?”, this week’s special episode “What Next for Venezuela?” and our Venezuela page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, in a special episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard is joined by Crisis Group’s Caracas-based senior Andes region analyst Phil Gunson to unpack the U.S. military operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and to assess what may come next. They examine how the operation unfolded, how it was experienced inside Venezuela, and the government’s initial response. They discuss Vice President Delcy Rodríguez’s assumption of power and whether Washington may be willing to work with a Maduro-less but still Chavista government to secure oil concessions rather than pursue full regime change. They talk about what Trump meant when he said the U.S. would “run” Venezuela. They also explore the weakened state of the opposition, the role of the military and armed groups, regional reactions, and the prospects for resolving Venezuela’s political crisis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard Atwood speaks with Richard Moncrieff about the Rwanda-backed M23’s advance into Uvira in eastern DR Congo and where the war and the diplomacy to end it might be headed. They discuss what’s driving the group’s latest offensive, what governance looks like in M23-held areas, its reliance on Rwanda, and its ambitions through its political arm, the Congo River Alliance (or AFC). They then examine President Félix Tshisekedi’s resilience despite battlefield setbacks, Burundi’s deepening involvement, and rising tensions with Rwanda. Finally, they unpack the mediation tracks led by Qatar and the U.S., President Donald Trump’s dealmaking, the value of its business elements and prospects for reaching at least a durable ceasefire. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard speaks with Matthew Wheeler, Crisis Group’s Senior Analyst for Southeast Asia, about the renewed clashes along the Thailand-Cambodia border. They explore the origins of the long-running dispute and the triggers for the latest round of fighting, which has shattered a ceasefire reached in Malaysia in late July and displaced more than half a million people. They examine calculations in Bangkok and Phnom Penh, the rising nationalist sentiment in Thailand, and the fallout from a leaked phone call between then-Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Cambodia’s de facto leader Hun Sen in June. They also assess diplomacy to end the fighting, Malaysia’s mediation, and President Donald Trump’s role in brokering the July truce. As fighting continues despite Trump’s claim to have forged another ceasefire, they discuss why a quick de-escalation looks less likely this time around.For more, check out Matthew’s analyst’s notebook, “Ceasefire Collapses as Heavy Fighting Erupts along Cambodia-Thailand Border”, as well as our Cambodia and Thailand pages.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard is joined by Dareen Khalifa, Crisis Group’s senior adviser for dialogue promotion, to discuss Syria’s transition after the fall of the Assad regime and the political evolution of President Ahmed al-Sharaa. They talk about al-Sharaa’s recent trip to the White House and Washington’s evolving Syria policy and sanctions relief. They examine how life has changed under Syria’s new leadership and the daunting task the authorities face in unifying the country’s armed groups, including efforts to integrate the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the north east. They also delve into outbreaks of sectarian violence in Alawite and Druze-majority areas, concerns about the political transition’s inclusiveness and Syria’s complicated relations with Israel. Finally, they trace al-Sharaa’s evolution from his militant past to the Syrian presidency and discuss whether domestic headwinds could derail his achievements on the world stage.For more, check out our Syria page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard is joined by Crisis Group’s Cameroon expert Arrey E. Ntui and Sahel director Jean-Hervé Jézéquel. Richard first talks with Arrey about the fallout from Cameroon’s disputed elections, growing public anger toward President Paul Biya – the world’s oldest serving head of state – and opposition protests. They also assess how the political crisis might affect Cameroon’s long-running Anglophone conflict and risks for further escalation. Richard then turns to Jean-Herve to discuss the blockade imposed by the militant group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which has cut off fuel supplies to the capital Bamako. They examine why the military has struggled to secure key supply roads, whether the blockade signals a shift in JNIM’s strategy, how it might shape public sentiment toward Mali’s military rulers and whether the blockade paves the way for a jihadist takeover.Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more, check out our Cameroon and Mali pages. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard talks with Crisis Group experts Phil Gunson and Renata Segura about U.S. military build-up off Venezuela’s coast, strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats and whether Washington could depose Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard speaks with Crisis Group’s Venezuela and Andes expert Phil Gunson and Latin America & Caribbean director Renata Segura about the escalating tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela. They assess the large-scale military build-up off Venezuela’s coast, officially framed as a counter-narcotics operation but widely seen as part of a broader campaign to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. They unpack U.S. strikes on suspected drug smuggling boats and how effective such measures are in curbing the narcotics trade. They talk about the evolution of U.S. policy toward Venezuela, divisions within Donald Trump’s team over policy and how Venezuelans view the latest escalation. They look at the role of Venezuela’s military and armed groups and how they might respond to foreign intervention. Finally, they consider Washington’s next steps and assess Trump’s approach to the Western hemisphere more broadly and how Latin American leaders view his policies. Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more, check out our statement “Beware the Slide Toward Regime Change in Venezuela” and our Latin America & Caribbean regional page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this update episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard speaks with Crisis Group’s Sudan expert Shewit Woldemichael and Horn director Alan Boswell about the paramilitary RSF capturing North Dafur’s capital El Fasher, the reports of horrific violence in the city and the implications for the trajectory of Sudan’s war. They discuss how the RSF managed to take control of the city after a siege of more than a year and the situation in El Fasher now amid a worsening humanitarian crisis and reports of mass killings of civilians. They discuss the de facto partition of Sudan with the RSF now controlling most of western Sudan and the army holding the capital Khartoum and the east. They also explore whether the capture of El Fasher may derail U.S.-led efforts to broker a ceasefire.For more, check out our recent episode Can a U.S.-Arab Roadmap Stop Sudan’s War? And our Sudan country page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard speaks with Crisis Group Yemen expert Ahmed Nagi about what the ceasefire in Gaza means for the Israel-Houthi conflict, risks of further attacks in the Red Sea and the future of the intra-Yemeni peace process. In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard is joined by Crisis Group’s Yemen expert, Ahmed Nagi, to discuss where the Israel-Houthi conflict may be headed after the ceasefire in Gaza. They examine the Houthis’ attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, which the group links to Israel’s assault on Gaza. They assess Israel’s recent attacks in Yemen that killed senior Houthi political and military figures, and how the group is adapting. They also unpack the Houthis’ ties to Tehran, as they have become the most capable actor within Iran’s “axis of resistance”, as well as the group’s sharper rhetoric against Saudi Arabia in recent weeks. Finally, they discuss the standoff between the Houthis and its Yemeni rivals, the state of the internationally recognised government under the Presidential Leadership Council, risks of renewed conflict, and prospects for reviving intra-Yemeni talks.Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more, check out our Yemen country pages. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.