Will the US invade Venezuela? We ask @annetteidler.bsky.social, @stevelevitsky.bsky.social, and Boris Muñoz to look beyond the pretext of drug trafficking to puzzle out US motivations and weigh the pros and cons of invasion. https://loom.ly/5AiSOs4

"Trump claimed at some point that Maduro is emptying prisons and asylums. There's no evidence that this is true." Associate Prof Annette Idler examines US policy towards Venezuela, questioning security claims and highlighting the risks of escalation.👇 https://ow.ly/nri450XN3Kp

Why is the US escalating pressure on Venezuela now? In my interview for @harvard.edu @weatherheadcenter.bsky.social ’s Epicenter, I discuss why the threat is constructed, how US politics intersects with geopolitics, and why a drug war won’t yield stability epicenter.wcfia.harvard.edu/articles/why...

Spoke with BBC News about the U.S. carrier strike group now off Venezuela — the biggest deployment in the region in decades. What’s driving it? Pressure on Maduro. War-on-drugs politics. Oil + great-power competition. Rising regional tensions. Watch here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4Qn...

"Global trade and digital connectivity is what turned these Brazilian factions into networked global organisations." Associate Prof Annette Idler explains Brazil's role in global drug trafficking. 👇 https://ow.ly/ghjp50XuI4l

Spoke w/ Estadão on Brazil’s role in global cocaine routes. Rio’s violence is tied to EU demand, West African transit, and record Andean production. The war on drugs has failed — we need smarter, networked solutions. Article: tinyurl.com/2a9z5fxx Watch: tinyurl.com/va93dx37

We’ve launched the CONPEACE Report—a decade of research on turning conflict actors into architects of peace. Featured in El País: “So much is at stake—lives, wellbeing, progress, trust in the future. [This report] must be taken seriously.” Report: tinyurl.com/CONPEACE El País: tinyurl.com/bdxdb5cj

🎙️ I joined #BBC #Radio4’s Briefing Room to discuss the U.S. military build-up near #Venezuela — a move that could reshape regional security and global power dynamics. @pembrokeoxford.bsky.social @socsci.ox.ac.uk 🎧 Listen here @ 15:52: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

“What we see here is largely performative, it’s a show of power.” Associate Prof Annette Idler explores the motives of US involvement in Venezuela on BBC Radio 4's Briefing room. Listen here 👇 https://ow.ly/vU3750Xok0p

"These recommendations are not only valid in the case of Colombia, but are also relevant for other countries seeking to transition from armed conflict to peace effectively and sustainably." Read about Assoc Prof Annette Idler's report outlining 10 years of research👇 https://ow.ly/S4bL50XnCBw

I was interviewed by @france24.com on Trump’s new not-so-covert CIA operations in Venezuela. Turning covert ops into public theatre is about signalling toughness, not strategy—it risks cycles of retaliation. @pembrokeoxford.bsky.social @blavatnikschool.bsky.social www.france24.com/en/americas/...

⚠️ U.S.–Venezuela tensions are rising — and the risks extend far beyond Caracas. In my interview w/ @newsweek.com, I discussed why military escalation won’t fix the problem. Re-engagement, not confrontation, is key for regional stability. @pembrokeoxford.bsky.social www.newsweek.com/us-could-fir...

"What really needs to be done is to transform the war on drugs into something focused on public health issues." Associate Professor Annette Idler explains how rising cocaine use worldwide is strengthening Brazil’s criminal factions.👇 https://ow.ly/nXkk50Xkeb0

Spoke w/ @bbcbrazil.bsky.social about how record global cocaine use empowers transnational groups like Brazil’s Comando Vermelho. Brazil is transit hub & market where violence & demand feed each other. We must move from crackdowns to smarter, prevention-based strategies. www.bbc.com/portuguese/a...

Closing tomorrow! Come and work with us at the Global Security Programme @pembrokeoxford.bsky.social @ox.ac.uk as postdoc: www.pmb.ox.ac.uk/vacancy/post...

"Trump is signalling that Washington is prepared to move beyond sanctions and rhetoric." Assosicate Professor Annette Idler spoke to Channel 4 News as President Donald Trump sends US warships towards Venezuela. 👇 https://ow.ly/4VIs50XitrW

Spoke with @channel4news.bsky.social on U.S. pressure on Venezuela. We need to move from coercion to cooperation — militarising complex crises only fuels instability. @pembrokeoxford.bsky.social @socsci.ox.ac.uk #GlobalSecurity #Venezuela #WarOnDrugs Watch at 3:56min: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQoQ...

Professor @annetteidler.bsky.social spoke on #LBC about how phone thefts are part of wider networks of illicit flows—from local street crimes to global supply chains. 🎧 Listen from minute 26:30: 🔗 www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yqlt... #IllicitFlows #OrganisedCrime #Security #LBC #Oxford

"They have a portfolio approach to different types of organised crime." Annette Idler speaks to Andrew Marr on LBC on the importance of looking at the bigger networks of organised crime – rather than individual gangs. From 26:36👇 https://ow.ly/cwZI50X8lal

🌍 Hiring!Join me @pembrokeoxford.bsky.social @ox.ac.uk as Postdoc in Global Security—working on Contested Cross-border Spaces,Illicit Flows&Order. If you think across borders&disciplines, this is for you! 🕘 Deadline: 31/10/2025 🔗 pmb.ox.ac.uk/vacancy/postdoctoral-research-fellowship-global-security

Great to speak w/ Andrew Marr on @lbc.co.uk about how phone theft isn’t street crime, it’s part of global illicit supply chains, linked to routes, logistics & financial systems used e.g. for drugs, weapons & human trafficking. Watch @ 27:01: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yqlt...

Spoke to LBC on Sunday about the UK gov’s crackdown on ads promoting migrant smuggling. A good idea in theory—but without real enforcement & focus on big players, it risks missing the mark. It’s a global illicit economy, not just a local PR problem. 🎥 tinyurl.com/9pxztc6p

"We need to think about how to actually target the big, the large intermediaries, the brokers, the heads of those gangs." Prof @annetteidler.bsky.social speaks to LBC as the UK gov. announces plans to make it illegal to promote Channel crossings on social media. ⬇️

We recently hosted the Rhodes Symposium on International Security at Rhodes House. The event was organised and moderated by #RhodesScholars Jupneet Singh and Fahad Abdulrazzaq and the panel featured alumnus Admiral Stuart Munsch, alumna Jen Easterly and Professor @annetteidler.bsky.social.

🌍 What does peacebuilding look like in an age of illicit flows? Dr @annetteidler.bsky.social‬ shares her field insights from Colombia to Myanmar, and how research can shape real-world UN practice. 🔎 Read the UNSSC spotlight:

How do #illicitflows shape #conflict, #peacebuilding, & state fragility across borders? Feeling honoured to be hosted by #UNSSC for a webinar on this on 29 May 2pm-3pm BST. Register now: tinyurl.com/3maxn4xz Explore topic now in spotlight interview: www.unssc.org/news-and-ins...

Who really controls borders in conflict zones? A new article co-authored by @annetteidler.bsky.social explores how porous borders – where rules exist but aren't enforced – give rise to hybrid sovereignties, where states and armed groups both govern. 🔗

'Do we want short term enforcement or long term social strategies?' Associate Professor in Global Security @annetteidler.bsky.social spoke to #BBCWorldService ahead of the Ecuadorian election, which took place over the weekend. Listen from 45:02👇 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

🆕 Violent local groups can influence nationally important infrastructure projects. Dams in Colombia & Myanmar were only possible with the cooperation of FARC and KIA respectively. New International Studies Quarterly article co-authored by @annetteidler.bsky.social explores this👇 buff.ly/3QuAbYu

🚨 New Research Alert! 🚨 with @annetteidler.bsky.social How do violent non-state actors (VNSAs) shape the fate of massive infrastructure projects? Our new article in International Studies Quarterly reveals the hidden forces behind global megaprojects. 🧵👇 👉 academic.oup.com/isq/article/...