Skip to main content

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

Map: The CIA’s global network of secret torture centers

Beyond revealing the outrageous abuses of the CIA’s torture program, the Senate Intelligence Committee’s torture report also confirmed the several countries where intelligence officials interrogated and tortured detainees in secret.

This map shows those locations, including the larger detention center at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba:

CIA black sites

As my colleague Max Fisher reported, these are only a small fraction of the countries that participated in the CIA’s shadowy activities. Fifty-four countries assisted the CIA in a rendition program that helped capture, detain, transport, and torture people around the world.

Politics
Donald Trump messed with the wrong popeDonald Trump messed with the wrong pope
Politics

Trump fought with Pope Francis before. He’s finding Pope Leo XIV to be a tougher foil.

By Christian Paz
Podcasts
Obama’s top Iran negotiator on Trump’s screwupsObama’s top Iran negotiator on Trump’s screwups
Podcast
Podcasts

Wendy Sherman helped Obama reach a deal with Iran. Here’s what she thinks Trump is doing wrong.

By Kelli Wessinger and Noel King
The Logoff
The new Hormuz blockade, briefly explainedThe new Hormuz blockade, briefly explained
The Logoff

Trump tries Iran’s playbook.

By Cameron Peters
Politics
Everything JD Vance wanted is slipping awayEverything JD Vance wanted is slipping away
Politics

The vice president’s disastrous week reveals that he’s in a trap of his own making.

By Zack Beauchamp
Politics
Donald Trump’s pivot to blasphemyDonald Trump’s pivot to blasphemy
Politics

Attacking the pope and posing as Jesus — even religious conservatives are mad this time.

By Christian Paz
Politics
How MAGA’s favorite strongman finally lostHow MAGA’s favorite strongman finally lost
Politics

Hungarians ousted Viktor Orbán in an election rigged to favor him. It wasn’t easy.

By Zack Beauchamp