Taken from CNBC’s Daily Open, our international markets newsletter — Subscribe today
It’s barely a week into 2026 and already, the year is making its intentions clear.
After the U.S. military strike on Venezuela and capture of its leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife on Saturday, global markets reacted with notable calm: Most bourses across Asia, Europe and the U.S. edged higher while defense and energy stocks rallied. World leaders, meanwhile, moved quickly to stake out their positions.
But questions abound, particularly concerning Venezuela’s oil. The country holds the largest proven crude oil reserves in the world, yet it remains far too early to assess whether the U.S.-Venezuela tensions could open the door for U.S. oil companies to invest in the South American country. Chevron is the only U.S. oil major currently operating in the country, and questions surrounding governance, sanctions and political legitimacy remain.
And the effects are rippling well beyond Caracas. U.S. President Donald Trump has again turned his attention to Greenland, while Maduro’s arrest has reignited debates over international law and sovereignty, bringing China’s Taiwan saber-rattling into focus.
