The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim

Episode: Could Trump go for Greenland or Cuba next?

Date: January 7, 2026
Network: Sky News
Hosts: Yalda Hakim & Richard Engel

Episode Overview

This explosive episode dives into the dramatic events at the start of 2026: the U.S. special operations raid in Venezuela leading to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, the regional and global shakes felt in its aftermath, and rampant speculation about President Donald Trump’s next moves—perhaps toward Cuba or even Greenland. Veteran foreign correspondents Yalda Hakim and Richard Engel bring frontline insights, blend real-time analysis with historic perspective, and share on-the-ground mood from Latin America and beyond.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Venezuela Operation: A New “Shock and Awe”

• Summary of Events:

  • In the early hours of January 3rd, 2026, U.S. Special Ops stormed Caracas, capturing President Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores, whisking them off to the U.S. via the USS Iwo Jima ([04:01]).
  • Trump's intent was clear—get Maduro out by any means, after months of pressure, including economic strangulation and the designation of his regime as a narco-terror organization.

• Inside Tactics:

  • CIA agents had penetrated deep, tracking Maduro’s daily life and even building a full-scale mockup of his compound in Kentucky to rehearse the raid. This level of infiltration echoes the playbook used for high-value targets like Osama bin Laden ([05:52]).

• The Aftermath:

  • Maduro appeared in New York court in shackles, claiming he was a “prisoner of war,” echoing infamous moments from Saddam Hussein’s own initial court appearances ([06:44], [26:16]).
  • Delcy Rodríguez, loyal to Maduro, is now interim president—her fate openly threatened by Trump if she fails to “play ball” ([07:57]).

• Quote:

  • “People here in this region think that Trump is dividing up the planet, that he has taken Latin America as his own—all of it—and specifically taken Venezuela and says that Venezuela was stolen from him and that he wants Venezuela to become effectively an American colony.” — Richard Engel ([07:57])

2. Geopolitical Fallout: American Spheres and Global Realignments

• Historical Context:

  • The U.S. move draws on the Monroe Doctrine, with Trump reviving the idea that Latin America is the U.S.'s “backyard,” with other powers excluded ([11:37]).
  • The operation is positioned not as “regime change” for democracy, but as “behavior change” to serve U.S. interests: oil, minerals, and strategic leverage ([09:48]-[11:37]).

• Quote:

  • “We want to see behavior change. We couldn't work with Nicolás Maduro. We're not interested in democracy here.” — Yalda Hakim ([09:48])

• Global Ramifications:

  • If the U.S. can simply “remove” leaders in its hemisphere, what’s to stop China from using the same logic for Taiwan, or Russia for Ukraine? The collapse of the global rules-based order is a central concern ([13:00]).
  • European reactions have been cautious, focusing legal challenges on the legitimacy of extraterritorial abduction ([21:35]).

• Quote:

  • “Well, then China says, well, what about us? This is ours. We're going to take Taiwan, that belongs to us. And Russia could say, well, this is our hemisphere. Ukraine is ours. We're just going to keep going.” — Richard Engel ([13:00])

3. Resource Race: Oil, Minerals, & Competition with China

• The Resource Play:

  • Venezuela, despite possessing some of the world’s largest oil reserves and significant rare earth minerals, has seen its people starve thanks to decades of mismanagement and autocratic rule ([14:58]-[18:13]).
  • Trump's focus is transactional, not ideological; it's about extracting value—oil for industry, rare earths for technology independence, particularly in the escalating rivalry with China ([18:13]-[20:38]).

• Quote:

  • “When he talked about Venezuela, he talked about drugs a little bit. But once the operation was done, it was about oil and taking back what was ours.” — Richard Engel ([17:44])

• China's Investment:

  • China’s longstanding investment in Venezuelan oil and minerals—and its close relationship with Maduro—made the U.S. operation both a geopolitical play and a message to Beijing ([21:35]).

4. Trump’s Next Targets: Greenland, Cuba, and Beyond

• Rhetoric and Reality Collide:

  • Trump’s threats against Cuba are taken seriously by regional actors; with Cuba once again feeling vulnerable ([07:57], [33:27]).
  • Greenland is suddenly back in Trump’s crosshairs. Once seen as a punchline, his seriousness now has NATO and Europe on alert, particularly after the success in Venezuela ([27:01]-[30:00]).

• Strategic Dreams:

  • Greenland represents critical minerals, new energy resources unlocked by climate change, and valuable infrastructure for AI power grids—areas of direct U.S.-Chinese competition ([27:53]).
  • U.S. officials, including J.D. Vance, are trying to wedge Greenland away from Denmark, supporting independence as a precursor for increased influence ([30:00]).

• Memorable Quote:

  • “He wants [Greenland]. And so does Elon Musk. Did you see they’ve reconciled? He was at dinner with Trump just the other day and put out a post on X saying it’s going to be a fantastic 2026.” — Richard Engel ([27:53])

• European Unease:

  • Denmark and the EU have warned that a U.S. move on Greenland could spell the end of NATO, and European leaders insist only Greenlanders can decide their future ([30:00]-[31:37]).
  • Yet, Engel doubts Trump is deterred:
    “Trump could care less about European pushbacks... we're gonna do our predictions in a minute. Our first predictions of the new year. I'll hint mine is definitely Greenland because I think he's serious.” ([31:37])

5. Comparisons with Trump’s First Term: Now Unleashed

• Changes in Trump’s Circle:
  • “His first term was kind of overshadowed by Covid… [now] he got rid of all those people [who restrained him], and he now feels more emboldened. There’s an expression in Italian... ‘hunger comes from eating,’ and he’s starting to eat, and I think the hunger is building.” — Richard Engel ([31:37])

6. Looking Forward: Predictions and International Tension

• Engel’s Prediction:

  • Trump will move on Greenland, and possibly Cuba; opposition from Europe or Canada is unlikely to deter him ([33:27]-[34:03]).

• Hakim’s Focus:

  • Eyes are now on Iran and the possibility of U.S. action in reaction to internal unrest, with Israel’s elections looming and Netanyahu known to link war with surges in popularity ([34:03]-[35:41]).

• Quote:

  • “Hakim, that war and electoral politics may be linked. How, how, how, how cynical can you be...” — Richard Engel ([35:41])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On U.S. incursion logic:
  “It feels like we are just beginning, that this operation has opened the door and that we’re all heading down a corridor to some uncharted territory.” — Richard Engel ([03:05])

• On regional perceptions:
  “Here in the region, many people feel that they’ve become pawns, that Trump is just sort of unilaterally taken them under his wing.” — Engel ([07:57])

• On Trump’s open ambitions:
  “Nothing that Donald Trump is doing is not what he has said. He has made a lot of this very clear.” — Yalda Hakim ([14:01])

• On the democracy pretext:
  “Have you heard President Trump talk about any of those things?” — Engel
  “No, not at all.” — Hakim ([17:41])

• On a slippery slope world order:
  “The ramifications are huge. And I think, well, it’s just starting. Welcome to 2026 Yalda.” — Engel ([13:00])

Timestamps – Important Segments

• [04:01] — Recap and details of the night raid on Maduro’s compound
• [05:52] — CIA’s deep infiltration & the Kentucky compound mock-up
• [06:44] — Maduro’s U.S. trial; comparison to Saddam Hussein
• [07:57] — Regional reaction: U.S. ambitions in Latin America, threats to Cuba, Mexico, and beyond
• [09:48]-[11:37] — Not regime change, but “behavior change” and the Monroe Doctrine revived
• [13:00]-[14:01] — Implications for global order: if U.S. can do this, why not China or Russia?
• [17:44]-[18:13] — Oil, rare earths, and the transactional Trump doctrine
• [20:38]-[21:35] — China’s relationship with Venezuela and anxieties about Chinese retaliation globally
• [27:01]-[29:06] — Greenland as next target; AI, climate change, Musk connection
• [30:00]-[31:37] — European pushback, Denmark’s warnings, but Trump undeterred
• [33:27]-[34:03] — Engel’s predictions: Greenland and Cuba in Trump’s sights
• [34:03]-[35:41] — Hakim’s predictions: Watch Iran (and Israeli electoral politics)

Tone and Language

The conversation is fast-paced, urgent, often incredulous, but never alarmist, combining world-weary realism with flashes of dark humor and the gravitas of long-term frontline reporting. Both hosts question not only the motives in play but the future shape of world order.

For listeners seeking a gripping debrief from the world’s new frontlines, this episode unpacks the extraordinary events of early 2026—and looks into a future where US interventionism, raw resource competition, and rule-breaking realpolitik are back with a vengeance.