The John Batchelor Show

1900 MEXICO
Brazilian Shift And Cartel Drone Warfare
Evan Ellis analyzes major political and security shifts across Latin America. In Brazil, Flavio Bolsonaro outperformed polls against Lula da Silva, driven by strong evangelical support, market confidence, and congressional gains for his Liberal Party. Ellis observes a regional retreat from the leftist São Paulo Forum. Regarding Mexico, he highlights rising cartel drone usage along the border—adapted from Ukrainian combat experience—and details U.S. counter-drone technology testing alongside ongoing Chinese commercial adaptation in the region. (5)

1896 SIBERIA
Siberian Plague Incident Raises Bioweapon Questions
Ivana Stradner investigates reports of a fatal pneumonic plague incident at a research facility in remote Irkutsk, Siberia. Moscow has denied rumors while routinely projecting blame onto the U.S. with false accusations of operating bioweapons labs in Ukraine. Stradner highlights the Soviet legacy of engineering plague as a biological weapon and warns that Russia’s opaque information control conceals dangerous pathogen research. She urges the U.S. administration to press for international inspections. (4)

1867 MOSCOW
Kompromat Leverage And Russian Objectives
Craig Unger examines Donald Trump’s deep ties to Russia through the lens of “kompromat”—compromising material used as blackmail. Unger argues Trump is financially indebted to Russian interests who laundered hundreds of millions through his real estate and bailed him out after multiple casino bankruptcies. This leverage influences policy, such as Trump echoing Kremlin talking points against Ukraine. Unger warns that Putin’s primary geopolitical objective remains dismantling NATO, posing severe risks to Baltic security. (3)

1900 CARACAS
Venezuela’s Uncertain Path Toward Democracy
Mary Anastasia O’Grady analyzes Venezuela’s uncertain path toward democracy following the removal of Maduro. The U.S. strategy prioritizes restoring Venezuelan oil production—which has fallen below one million barrels daily—and forming new judicial and electoral bodies before holding rescheduled elections. However, opposition figures like María Corina Machado remain sidelined. O’Grady notes that foreign oil companies hesitate to invest significant capital without legitimate, transparent contracts in an environment governed by an unrepresented dictatorship. (2)

1962  YEMEN
Houthi Missiles Target Riyadh And Aden
Bridget Toomey discusses the escalating Houthi campaign in Yemen and missile strikes on Riyadh and Aden airports. A Saudi-backed Yemeni government counteroffensive drove Houthis back near the Bab el-Mandeb choke point, but momentum slowed as heavy fighting continued inland. Houthi advances threaten to isolate Yemen’s third-largest city and disrupt government supply lines. Toomey highlights Houthi missile accuracy, aiming to deter foreign travel to Saudi Arabia and block aerial support to Yemeni forces. (1)