Hudson Institute Events Podcast

Venezuela’s political landscape shifted decisively on January 3, 2026, when American forces captured Nicolás Maduro, ending nearly 13 years of his rule and leaving his vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, as acting president. A veteran of the Chavista establishment, Rodríguez is governing under Washington’s three-phase plan of stabilization, recovery, and transition. Under her interim rule, Venezuela has restored diplomatic relations with the United States, released some political prisoners, opened the oil sector to foreign investment, and signed a package of energy agreements that includes a 100-year concession on 17 oil fields holding roughly 65 billion barrels of reserves. But authorities in Venezuela have declined to set an election date, María Corina Machado and Edmundo González remain outside the government-opposition talks, and June’s earthquakes, which killed more than 2,000 people, have hampered an already daunting recovery.
Join Hudson Institute for a panel that will examine how far Rodríguez’s interim government can advance the country’s economic recovery without an electoral mandate or political reforms, and how Washington’s approach will shape Venezuela’s democratic transition.

The Council of Europe is the oldest intergovernmental organization devoted to human rights in Europe. With 46 member states and nearly 700 million citizens, it has built a vast legal framework on human rights and democracy and has developed hundreds of conventions, treaties, and agreements since its founding in 1949.
In the aftermath of the Cold War, for example, the council supported Eastern European countries as they overhauled their legal systems. Today, it has made Ukraine its top priority and has sought to hold Russia accountable for its violations of human rights.
Perhaps because the United States is not a member state—it enjoys observer status—the Council of Europe is not well known in Washington. Worse, it is sometimes mistaken for the European Union’s European Council.
Join Secretary General Alain Berset as he explains the Council of Europe’s role today and its future plans. After his remarks, he will sit down with Senior Fellow Peter Rough for a fireside chat.

The United States’ highest national security priority is deterring major-power conflict with nuclear-armed adversaries. Investing in inertial confinement fusion is crucial to counter China, which is rapidly building fusion facilities and high-energy-density physics infrastructure to develop its arsenal.
Join Hudson Institute’s Keystone Defense Initiative for a discussion of “Inertial Confinement Fusion Is Key to America’s Nuclear Deterrent,” a new policy memo authored by Senior Fellow Rebeccah Heinrichs, Former Principal Deputy Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration Madelyn Creedon and Special Competitive Studies Project Adviser Abigail Remler.
Dr. Rebeccah L. Heinrichs and Hon. Madelyn Creedon will join Dr. Mark Herrmann, associate director for weapon physics and design at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Dr. Keith LeChien, founder and chief technology officer of Pacific Fusion, to discuss the memo’s key takeaways and policy implications.

Colombia’s political landscape shifted decisively on August 7, 2026, when Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as president, ending the tenure of its first leftist government under Gustavo Petro. A former criminal defense lawyer running as a political outsider, de la Espriella campaigned on a sharp break from Petro’s “Total Peace” framework. He promised closer alignment with Washington, including expanded joint military operations against armed groups and drug-trafficking networks.
Join Hudson Institute for a panel that will examine how far de la Espriella can advance economic and security reforms without a legislative majority and how his approach will shape Colombia’s relations with the United States.

A founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Iceland has been a vital ally and partner to the United States for nearly 80 years. Positioned at the crossroads of the North Atlantic and the Arctic, its strategic importance to transatlantic security far exceeds its geographic size. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte recently described Iceland as the alliance’s “eyes and ears” for its critical role in securing vital transatlantic air and sea routes.
How is Iceland adapting to the era of great power competition? What does the future hold for US-Icelandic bilateral relations?
Join us for an in-depth conversation with Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir, member of the Icelandic Parliament and leader of the Independence Party, on great power dynamics, Iceland’s role in transatlantic security, and bilateral cooperation.