The Economist

Hello and welcome to the intelligence from The Economist.

I'm your host, Jason Palmer.

Every weekday we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world.

As part of our World Ahead series, looking at what 2026 has in store for countries, trends and industries, we take a look at the business of gaming,

having fairly well saturated the markets that it's in, new regions and demographics

beckon.

But first to Venezuela.

What a weekend it was for Venezuelans and for one Venezuelan in particular. First, surprise airstrikes.

Then a daring nighttime raid by American Special Forces to seize President Nicholas Maduro.

After a stint on an amphibious warship, a blindfolded plane trip to the U.S., Mr. Maduro was photographed expressionless during all of this. Then, when PIRP walked through the halls of the Drug Enforcement Agency

in New York, he had an incongruous holiday message for onlookers.

For weeks, America had been assembling its largest force in the Caribbean in decades,

sinking alleged drugboats, seizing Venezuelan oil tankers,

and generally making dark threats against Mr. Maduro.

Now, having deposed him, the Trump administration claims it has unfettered control over the country.

Going to stay until such time as the proper transition can take place.

So we're going to run it essentially until such time as a proper transition can take place.

Easier said than done.

Mr. Trump named Mr. Maduro's hand-picked vice president, Delci Rodriguez, as the administration's partner in making Venezuela great again.

There are a lot of questions about how that's going to go.

America's recent history and brute force regime change is, let's call it, spotty.

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