Oil, regime change, and what's next in Trump's MAGA playbook?

Oil, regime change, and what's next in Trump's MAGA playbook?

Author: Chatham House February 6, 2026 Duration: 31:34

After the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, our analysts discuss where in the Western Hemisphere US President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio may turn their attention to next.

Host Bronwen Maddox is joined by Laurel Rapp, director of Chatham House's US and North America Programme, and Dr Christopher Sabatini, Senior Fellow for Latin America. They dissect the so-called 'Donroe Doctrine', Marco Rubio's project to reform Cuba's regime, Haiti, and why oil is central to the MAGA playbook.

Read Dr Sabatini's full research paper 'A roadmap for security and governance reform in Haiti'.  

Read our latest:

Comment | Haiti's vicious circle: Funding is needed to end the violence. But the violence means funding doesn't come.

Event | The new threat? An imperial America

News release | Chatham House fellow gives evidence on Venezuela to UK Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee

 

Listen to The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧 

Listen to Africa Aware podcast 🎧 

 

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Sara Seth and Stephen Farrell.

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Hosted by Chatham House director Bronwen Maddox, Independent Thinking brings the institute’s private deliberations into the public ear. This isn’t a rehearsed lecture series, but a direct channel into candid, high-level discussions typically held behind closed doors. Maddox guides conversations with a carefully selected mix of leading policymakers, frontline journalists, and Chatham House’s own deep bench of experts, focusing on the international political issues that are shaping headlines and rewriting global strategies. The tone is analytical yet accessible, privileging substance and nuance over soundbites. Each episode feels like a privileged seat at a crucial roundtable, where complex topics-from shifting alliances and economic sanctions to climate diplomacy and conflict-are unpacked with clarity and intellectual rigor. Listeners gain a clearer understanding of the forces driving world events, hearing diverse perspectives clash and converge in real time. For anyone looking to move beyond the superficial news cycle and engage with the substantive arguments defining our geopolitics, this podcast offers an essential and thoughtful resource. It’s where informed opinion meets the pressing questions of our moment, fostering a deeper kind of political literacy.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

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