Venezuela’s Supreme Court tests President Joe Biden

For a fortnight in October, it did not seem delusional to feel hopeful about Venezuela. On October 17th the autocratic regime of President Nicolás Maduro met in Barbados with representatives of the opposition to agree on how free and fair future elections should be held. The following day, the United States government lifted most of the draconian sanctions it had imposed since 2019 on Venezuela’s oil, mining and finance sectors. Five political prisoners were then set free. On October 22nd, opposition primaries went ahead. Turnout was high, with the organisers saying more than 2m people voted. A thunderous 92% of those who participated backed María Corina Machado, one of Mr Maduro’s most determined critics (pictured).