What a Start to 2026

By Andy Kober

Who would anticipated that 2026 would have begun in such a manner?
Some of what has transpired began in 2025 but exploded in the opening days of 2026.
First was the capture of Nicolas Maduro, the dictator of Venezuela.
A socialist, Maduro came to power in 2012 as vice president of Venezuela becoming president in 2013. Freedoms quickly disappeared. Subsequent elections after that were won by Madura, though charges of manipulation increased each time. Once a prosperous country, under Maduro’s socialist regime the Venezuelan people suffered. In 2024, Maduro won the presidential election by a considerable margin again – or did he? International observers reported widespread voting issues, saying the election was not free or fair. It was suggested that Maduro lost by a large margin and it was at this point the US no longer recognized Maduro as the legal president of Venezuela.
Maduro has been accused of widespread crimes against humanity by the Organization of American States along with jailing and executing those speaking out against him. As the Venezuelan economy tanked, the poor people that bought into the socialist promise offered by Maduro, saw their trust and futures crushed, and increasingly turned against him.
Maduro has appeared to be complicit in the drug trade, sending illegal drugs to the US, and other places, with the funds used to keep him and his family in power. It was the drug trade for which Maduro would be indicted by the US Department of Justice in 2020.
As this is being written, Maduro is being held in jail in the US. Coming days will provide a clearer picture of what will happen in Venezuela.
A REVOLUTION is taking place in Iran and gaining traction.
Starting well before 2026, this appears to be the most serious threat to the current Islamic theocracy. It is an authoritarian regime that has driven the country into economic ruin. The regime has also been widely accused of human rights violations and outright murder. There have been elections, but not of the ruling theocracy so have been useless.
It is under Islamic theocracy that gays and lesbians are put to death, that women are treated as lower class people, that sponsors terrorist attacks and activities unilaterally opposed to freedom. While there are those in this country that appear to welcome an Islamic theocracy, many who live under it are attempting a revolution to end it and move toward a free society. Some of them are paying with their lives.
It is entirely possible the US could become involved in Iran to protect and assist those seeking freedom.
THERE are two other issues that are flaring and bear watching.
The socialist government of Cuba could be on the verge of collapsing, having lost economic support from Russia, and now losing it from Venezuela. Once enjoying a robust economy, Cuba is suffering from huge inflation rates, declining value of its currency, and shortages of goods. It is ripe for a revolution, moving away from the disaster of socialism. And yes there are connections between Cuba, Iran, and Venezuela.
Finally, the recent incident in which Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an ICE officer continues dominating the news. Having watched video clips accessible to the public, it might be suggested that controlling one’s emotions is always a good idea and can help prevent really bad things from happening.
We’re just days into the new year and it is likely that some of this changed between the time this was written and this newspaper published, and one cannot help but wonder what will happen tomorrow.
That’s my opinion.
A newspaper columnist for over 35 years, Andy Kober can be reached by email at andykober@hotmail.com