frozen snapshot — 2026-08-14 · see today →

What's on María Corina Machado's mind?

read fresh this morning at 6

26%18%14%10%32%

formal talks begin 26% hiring the DC shop 18% the secrecy problem 14% legitimacy over continuity 10% · neweverything else 32%

Government and opposition delegations closed a negotiating round, and The Economist got a look inside the room she isn't sitting in.

Venezuela govt, opposition wrap up round of post-Maduro talks

our translation

she needs the process to keep moving without her fingerprints on any compromise — every round that ends quietly is a round nobody can blame her for

round wrapped, two outlets covered itvery sure · 2 sources

single-outlet scoop still circulatingpretty sure · 1 source

protest in Caracas, one wire pickuppretty sure · 1 source

new — Economist deep-dive on the negotiationhonestly, a hunch · 2 sources

friday, august 14

Read the Economist's version of your own negotiation(reported)

Decide whether the DC lobbying story needs a reply today(reported)

Debrief the delegation on what the round actually produced(safe bet)

Say something warm about the Caracas protesters, from Panama(safe bet)

rebuilt from the public schedule, pool reports & old habits — the rest is educated guessing

The source

Inside Venezuela’s high-stakes political negotiations

every line on the pad traces to something public — tap to see it