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Venezuela
Maduro will get a show trial
Justice can exist, but not judicial independence
Joe Emersberger Jan 11, 2026 In a civilized world, the U.S. would not get away with war crimes that killed 100 people (combatants and civilians combined) to kidnap Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. The U.S. dictatorship would face being overthrown by foreign armies (with UN authorization) if it did not return Maduro and his wife to Venezuela, and pay massive reparations to all the victims’ families in Caracas. In this fantasy scenario the U.S. would never have dared to perpetrate this crime in the first place, or imposed murderous illegal sanctions (more recently an armed blockade) on Venezuela. |
Maduro: Ein Diktator?
| Marc Vandepitte Global Research, 8. Januar 202 Is Nicolás Maduro a ruthless dictator or the guardian of a besieged fortress? In a country torn apart by sanctions and “electoral warfare,” reality is more complex than Western headlines would have us believe. * Nicolás Maduro Moros (1962) comes from a working-class family and was shaped by the trade-union movement. He worked as a bus driver for the Caracas metro system and grew into a prominent union activist. Within the Chavista project led by President Hugo Chávez, he built a career as a Member of Parliament, Minister of Foreign Affairs (2006–2012), and, from October 2012, Vice President. When a dying Chávez appointed him as his successor in December 2012, he did so with a clear message: Maduro was the man who could safeguard the unity of the PSUV (United Socialist Party of Venezuela) and preserve the country’s social gains. Diese einseitigen Zwangsmaßnahmen, die lebenswichtige Öleinnahmen blockierten, hatten das erklärte Ziel, die venezolanische Wirtschaft zu zerstören und die Bevölkerung zum Aufstand zu zwingen. Laut einem CEPR-Bericht [1], zu dem Jeffrey Sachs beigetragen hat, verursachten die Wirtschaftssanktionen in den Jahren 2017–2018 rund 40.000 zusätzliche Todesfälle in Venezuela. Infolge des wirtschaftlichen Notstands und der internen Polarisierung verließen mehr als sieben Millionen Venezolaner das Land. Dies führte zu einer enormen Abwanderung hochqualifizierter Fachkräfte, die die Wirtschaft zusätzlich schwächte. Maduro sah sich nicht nur wirtschaftlichem Widerstand gegenüber. Während seiner Herrschaft sah sich Venezuela mit von den USA unterstützten Putschversuchen konfrontiert, wie der gescheiterten „Operation Gideon“[2], und der Schattenregierung von Juan Guaidó [3], die von Washington massiv unterstützt wurde. |
Warum Venezuelas Militär nicht gekämpft hat
| Miguel Santos García Global Research, 4. Januar 2026 US- Präsident Donald Trump erklärte in einer Pressekonferenz , die USA würden Venezuela nun regieren. Damit erweckte er den Eindruck, die neue Präsidentin Venezuelas, Delcy Rodríguez , die bis zu Maduros‘ Entführung Vizepräsidentin war, werde den Anweisungen der USA Folge leisten. Stunden nach Trumps Pressekonferenz wandte sich Rodríguez in einer Fernsehansprache an die südamerikanische Nation und machte deutlich, dass sie die Vereinigten Staaten als illegalen Eindringling betrachte, der zurückgeschlagen werden müsse. Ihr Widerstand gegen Trump verdeutlichte, dass Trumps Pläne, Venezuela als US-Beute zu besetzen und zu regieren , auf weitaus größere Hindernisse stoßen werden, als er in seiner Pressekonferenz am Samstag, in der er den Sieg in Venezuela verkündete, suggeriert hatte. |
| President Donald Trump said the US would run Venezuela until a transition could be organized, hours after a US operation captured leader Nicolás Maduro, ousting the strongman from power after months of mounting military and economic pressure on his regime. “We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said Saturday at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. “So we don’t want to be involved with having somebody else get in, and we have the same situation that we had for the last long period of years.” Trump said the US administration of Venezuela would include deploying US oil companies to the country, though indicated that his embargo “on all Venezuelan oil remains in full effect” and that US forces would stay on alert. “We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country,” Trump said. But the president offered few other details on how he planned to administer the country, saying it would be done “with a group” largely comprised of senior US officials and with an emphasis on repairing oil infrastructure and making sure the people of Venezuela were “also taken care of.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio had been in recent contact with Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, the US president said, adding he expected her cooperation going forward. “She had a long conversation with Marco, and she said, ‘We’ll do whatever you need,’” Trump said. “I think she was quite gracious, but she really doesn’t have a choice.” Asked if US boots would be on the ground, Trump said he was “not afraid” of the idea to make sure the country was run properly. |
| Venezuela Kommentar von GaborSteingart |
Who’s Really Running Venezuela?
| CODEPINK and Medea Benjamin Jan 09, 2026 Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J. S. Davies As the Senate voted to advance a War Powers Resolution on Venezuela on January 8th, Republican Senator Susan Collins declared that she did not agree with “a sustained engagement “running” Venezuela.” The world was mystified when President Trump first said that the United States would “run” Venezuela. He has since made it clear that he wants to control Venezuela by imposing a U.S. monopoly on selling its oil to the rest of the world, to trap the Venezuelan government in a subservient relationship with the United States. |
Abduction in Caracas
| Tariq Ali Jan 09, 2026 Two decades before US forces kidnapped Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro this weekend, Hugo Chávez had already predicted the approach: Years ago, someone told me: “They’re going to end up accusing you of being a drug trafficker—you personally—you, Chávez. Not just that the government supports it, or permits it—no, no, no. They’re going to try to apply the Noriega formula to you.” They’re looking for a way to associate Chávez directly with drug trafficking. And then, anything goes against a ‘drug trafficker president’, right? |
Maduro pleads not guilty in U.S. court
| Drop Site Daily: January 6th, 2026 Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro pleads not guilty in his U.S. trial and says he remains the president of Venezuela. Delcy Rodríguez is sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president. Reports of gunshots and unidentified drones near the Venezuelan presidential palace Monday night. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello calls for a nationwide mobilization, as Venezuelans stream into Caracas to show their support for Maduro. DOJ drops charges alleging that Maduro was the leader of the “Cartel de los Soles |
Donroe Doctrine: Trump attack on Venezuela is part of imperial plan to impose US hegemony in Latin America
Donald Trump’s bombing of Venezuela and abduction of President Maduro is part of colonial plan to impose US hegemony in Latin America, control natural resources, make new supply chain to cut out China
| Ben Norton Jan 05, 2026 The United States has launched a full-frontal attack not only against Venezuela, but against all of Latin America — and even against the basic concept of sovereignty. Donald Trump ordered the US military on January 3 to bomb Venezuela, to kidnap its constitutional President Nicolás Maduro, and to send him to New York to be subjected to a show trial on politically motivated charges. By attacking Venezuela, the US empire hopes to accomplish several goals: Impose US hegemony in Latin America (from the Monroe Doctrine to the Donroe Doctrine). Exploit Venezuela’s natural resources (oil, gas, critical minerals, and rare earth elements), as part of an attempt to build a new supply chain in the western hemisphere. Cut off Latin America’s ties with China (as well as with Russia and Iran). Threaten other left-wing governments in the region (primarily Cuba and Nicaragua, but also Brazil and Colombia). Destroy the project of regional integration in Latin America and the Caribbean (in organizations like the ALBA and CELAC). Sabotage Global South unity (given Venezuela’s support for Palestine, Iran, African liberation struggles, etc.). |
Anti-imperialist Nexus Jan 06, 2026
Even supporters of the Venezuelan opposition are demanding Maduro’s release
| While despicable “journalists” in the corporate media are justifying the abduction of Maduro and pretending invasion is liberation, supporters of the Venezuelan opposition are joining pro-Maduro protesters on the street. The reason is simple: they know the US is trying to take over their country and if it succeeds, Venezuela is lost forever. We were told that Maduro is hugely unpopular, but we did not see waves of Venezuelans come out to celebrate his abduction—they came out to demand his release (remember, they did the same back in 2002 for Hugo Chavez and they got their way). |
Venezuela and the Petrodollar: Why the US Dollar System Depends on Military Intervention
Venezuela’s 303B barrels threaten the petrodollar. From Kissinger’s 1974 Saudi deal to today’s intervention, this analysis connects dollar survival to regime change across Iraq, Libya, Venezuela.
| Think BRICS Jan 07, 2026 The Petrodollar Crisis Behind the Invasion The real reason the US is invading Venezuela goes back to a deal Henry Kissinger made with Saudi Arabia in 1974. And I’m going to explain why this is actually about the SURVIVAL of the US dollar itself. Not drugs. Not terrorism. Not “democracy.” This is about the petrodollar system that has kept America the dominant economic power for 50 years. And Venezuela just threatened to end it. Here’s what really just happened: Venezuela has 303 billion barrels of proven oil reserves. The largest on Earth. More than Saudi Arabia. 20% of the entire world’s oil. But here’s the part that matters: Venezuela was actively selling that oil in Chinese yuan. Not dollars. In 2018, Venezuela announced it would “free itself from the dollar.” They started accepting yuan, euros, rubles, anything BUT dollars for oil. They were petitioning to join BRICS. They were building direct payment channels with China that bypass SWIFT entirely. And they were sitting on enough oil to fund de-dollarization for decades. |
The US raid on Venezuela is aimed at paving the way for a next strike against Iran.
2026 begins with a shock: the U.S. raids Venezuela to seize oil, securing a strategic reserve before a planned strike on Iran to destroy BRICS and block China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
| Think BRICS and Xiaoguang Yin Jan 05, 2026 2026 began turbulently. On January 3, the United States launched a surprise attack on Venezuela, striking multiple Venezuelan military bases. Simultaneously, the U.S. dispatched elite Delta Force special forces to raid the Venezuelan presidential palace, capturing President Maduro and his wife. The United States’ rogue actions against Venezuela have shocked the world and drawn strong condemnation from many countries, including Russia and China, which have issued strongly worded statements. Why did the United States suddenly launch a surprise attack on Venezuela? This matter probably has to start with Iran on the other side of the world. Since December 2025, the United States and Israel have comprehensively escalated their multidimensional pressure campaign against Iran, launching a full-scale attack on Iran in economic, military, and political spheres. |
Venezuela: Perimeter of the Emerging Multipolar World and the Anatomy of Regime Change
Maduro’s fall reveals regime change’s brutal gears: CIA links, drug cartels, Israeli cheers, Monroe Doctrine 2.0; Venezuela as the dying empire’s sacrificial edge.
| Think BRICS and Lorenzo Maria Pacini Jan 06, 2026 In the roster of bitter enemies of the old world, the collective West, Venezuela has always occupied a privileged position. Why is this so? The answer is simple: Venezuela represents a bulwark of resistance to Western imperialism, both European and American, it represents a concrete barrier to nationalisms of all typologies (neofascism and neonazism, but not only these), it represents an experiment in practical socialism. Nothing of all this can be pleasing to those who, instead, plan at the drawing board the forms of political power maneuvered by the hegemonic octopus. The socialism of the Bolivarian Revolution has represented one of the most significant attempts, in the twenty-first century, to rethink the relationship between State, people, and resources in Latin America. Born from the historical experience of social exclusion, economic dependence, and oligarchic concentration of wealth, the Bolivarian project has sought to restore centrality to the Venezuelan popular masses, placing at the center of politics social justice, national sovereignty, and inclusion. |
How the US attack on Venezuela, abduction of Maduro unfolded
| After months of planning, US forces, with 150 jets taking off from 20 airbases, took on an operation to abduct Maduro.In a move that stunned the world, the United States bombed Venezuela and abducted President Nicolas Maduro amid condemnation and plaudits. In a news conference on Saturday at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, US President Donald Trump praised the operation to seize Maduro as one of the “most stunning, effective and powerful displays of American military might and competence in American history”. Recommended Stories list 1 of 4Venezuela temporarily closes border with Brazil following US strike list 2 of 4Fact-checking Trump following US ‘capture’ of Venezuela’s Maduro list 3 of 4Trump says US will take Venezuela’s oil list 4 of 4US Republicans back Trump on Venezuela amid faint MAGA dissent |
U.S. Attacks and the Abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro
| U.S. abducts Nicolás Maduro: The U.S. carried out an overnight bombing campaign in Caracas and several Venezuelan states on Friday night into Saturday morning, before officials announced the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. A report on the operation from the head of Drop Site’s Latin America Desk José Luis Granados Ceja is available here. U.S. attacks on Venezuela result in a minimum of 80 casualties, including civilians: At least 80 people, including civilians, Cuban nationals, and members of the Venezuelan military were killed in the U.S. operation that kidnapped Maduro, a senior Venezuelan official told The New York Times. Trump announces Maduro’s capture Friday night; Maduro lands in the U.S. on Saturday, with a court appearance Monday: President Donald Trump announced Friday that the United States “captured” Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, as the U.S. flew them out of the country. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Maduro of leading the “Cartel de los Soles” and labeled the Maduro government a “narco-terror” organization. Maduro and Flores landed at Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York on Saturday and were transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. U.S. authorities transferred Maduro to the federal court in Manhattan, where he is set to appear before U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein at about noon Monday. Federal prosecutors accuse Maduro of “drug trafficking”: U.S. federal prosecutors in New York unsealed a superseding 2020 indictment against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro that accuses Maduro, his family, and senior members of his inner circle of running a “narco-terrorism” operation for decades. Federal prosecutors allege that the regime turned the Venezuelan state into a hub for “cocaine trafficking” to the U.S., according to court filings. Prosecutors also claim that the conspiracy—updated with new claims extending through 2025—involved coordination with armed groups and cartels, use of Venezuelan state infrastructure in the sale of drugs, and diplomatic cover. The charges against the Maduros include conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, cocaine importation conspiracy, and illegal possession of firearms. Trump reportedly approved strikes several days before the operation: President Donald Trump approved U.S. military strikes in Venezuela several days before the operation, according to a report from CBS News. The officials said U.S. planners initially considered carrying out the mission on Christmas Day, but prioritized U.S. airstrikes in northern Nigeria against targets allegedly affiliated with the Islamic State. An extensive covert operation, executed with informants: The U.S. special operations raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro followed months of covert buildup inside Venezuela, and included a network of local operatives installing jammers and airstrike beacons in the country, according to investigative journalist Jack Murphy. Additionally, U.S. Joint Special Operations Command’s Task Force Orange—alongside Delta Force, SEAL Team 6, and Army Rangers—was deployed by U.S. Southern Command to prepare the “battlespace.” Murphy writes that more than 150 aircraft were dispatched from over 20 bases, including helicopters sent to relay the Delta assault force to Caracas. FBI Hostage Rescue Team members reportedly placed Maduro under arrest and sent him to the U.S. Murphy’s full report for High Side can be read here. Involvement of U.S. Special Forces and the CIA: The abduction was assisted by a CIA source inside Maduro’s inner circle and through cooperation from elements of the Venezuelan military, according to Reuters, citing U.S. officials and people briefed on the matter, with one opposition-linked source describing it as an “inside job.” The Washington Post separately reported that a CIA human source inside the Venezuelan government provided real-time intelligence on Maduro’s movements. Trump threatens the Cuban government, a second victim of the attacks on Venezuela: President Donald Trump acknowledged aboard Air Force One that “a lot of Cubans were killed” while “trying to protect” Maduro. The Cuban government reported the deaths of 32 Cuban nationals killed by the U.S. operation. Trump claimed Cuba is “going down for the count” now that Venezuelan oil revenue is cut off, arguing the island “survives because of Venezuela” and suggesting Washington will not need to intervene because “I think it’s just going to fall.” |
“We’re Going to Run the Country:” Preparing an Illegal Occupation in Venezuela
| Michelle Ellner, CODEPINKCODEPINK Jan 04, 2026 I listened to the January 3 press conference with a knot in my stomach. As a Venezuelan American with family, memories, and a living connection to the country being spoken about as if it were a possession, what I heard was very clear. And that clarity was chilling. The president said, plainly, that the United States would “run the country” until a transition it deems “safe” and “judicious.” He spoke about capturing Venezuela’s head of state, about transporting him on a U.S. military vessel, about administering Venezuela temporarily, and about bringing in U.S. oil companies to rebuild the industry. He dismissed concerns about international reaction with a phrase that should alarm everyone: “They understand this is our hemisphere.” For Venezuelans, those words echo a long, painful history. |
Jeffrey Sachs: U.S. Attacks Venezuela & Kidnaps President Maduro
| Glenn Diesen Jan 03, 2026 Prof. Jeffrey Sachs discusses the US invasion of Venezuela and the kidnapping of President Maduro. |
Why China’s Ports in the Caribbean Have the U.S. on Edge
| China is building ports across the Caribbean—quietly, but quickly. From Jamaica to the Bahamas, Chinese-funded infrastructure is showing up just a few hundred miles off the U.S. coast. And Washington is starting to pay attention. |
China BLOCKIERT den Panamakanal! Das Ultimatum, das Washington lähmt | John Mearsheimer
| 09.12.2025 China übernimmt die operative Kontrolle über den Panamakanal und verändert damit das geopolitische Gleichgewicht – während die USA in eine historische Krise geraten. Diese Analyse zeigt, wie Peking durch Infrastruktur, Investitionen und strategische Einflussnahme die jahrzehntelange amerikanische Dominanz bricht – genau wie John Mearsheimer es vorausgesagt hat. Ein unverzichtbares Video, um die neue multipolare Weltordnung zu verstehen. |
Venezuela
Trump might not invade Venezuela yet, but what he is doing is worse.
| CODEPINK Dec 27, 2025 Michelle Ellner, CODEPINK The loudest question in Washington right now is whether Donald Trump is going to invade Venezuela. The quieter, and far more dangerous, reality is this: he probably won’t. Not because he cares about Venezuelan lives, but because he has found a strategy that is cheaper, less politically risky at home, and infinitely more devastating: economic warfare Venezuela has already survived years of economic warfare. Despite two decades of sweeping U.S. sanctions designed to strangle its economy, the country has found ways to adapt: oil has moved through alternative markets; communities have developed survival strategies; people have endured shortages and hardship with creativity and resilience. This endurance is precisely what the Trump administration is trying to break. Rather than launching a military invasion that would provoke public backlash and congressional scrutiny, Trump is doubling down on something more insidious: total economic asphyxiation. By tightening restrictions on Venezuelan oil exports, its primary source of revenue, Trump’s administration is deliberately pushing the country toward a full-scale humanitarian collapse. |
US seizes oil tanker off Venezuela as Caracas condemns ‚act of piracy‘
| 11 December 2025ShareSave Kayla Epsteinand Ione Wells,São Paulo US forces have seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, marking a sharp escalation in Washington’s pressure campaign against Nicolás Maduro’s government. Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said the tanker was „the largest one ever seized“. Footage released by the US government showed armed soldiers boarding the vessel, which Attorney General Pam Bondi said was used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. Caracas swiftly denounced the action, calling it an act of „international piracy“. Earlier, President Nicolás Maduro declared that Venezuela would never become an „oil colony“. |
Economic Strangulation of Venezuela: Final Step before Full-scale US Aggression?
| Michel Chossudovsky Dec 20, 2025 By Drago Bosnic On December 16, American President Donald Trump formally ordered the “total and complete blockade” of Venezuela, claiming that its government is now designated as a “foreign terrorist organization” (FTO). In his signature manner of communicating through the unchecked use of superlatives, Trump also bragged that the US Navy “completely surrounded” Venezuela with “the largest armada ever assembled in the history of South America.” The fiercely independent Latin American country has a coastline only in the north, so the claim that it’s “completely surrounded” is patently incorrect. However, Trump’s lack of knowledge when it comes to basic, primary school geography is hardly surprising, given the fact that, at one point, he boasted about “ending war between Aberbaijan and Albania” (yes, you read that right, it’s a “b” instead of “z” for Trump). “Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America. It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before — Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us. The illegitimate Maduro Regime is using Oil from these stolen Oil Fields to finance themselves, Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping. For the theft of our Assets, and many other reasons, including Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking, the Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION,” he posted on Truth Social, adding: “Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela. The Illegal Aliens and Criminals that the Maduro Regime has sent into the United States during the weak and inept Biden Administration, are being returned to Venezuela at a rapid pace. America will not allow Criminals, Terrorists, or other Countries, to rob, threaten, or harm our Nation and, likewise, will not allow a Hostile Regime to take our Oil, Land, or any other Assets, all of which must be returned to the United States, IMMEDIATELY. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” |
Episode 329: War Economy vs. Peace Economy: Lessons from Venezuela and the Fight for Our Future
| CODEPINK Dec 13, 2025 Episode 329: War Economy vs. Peace Economy: Lessons from Venezuela and the Fight for Our Future: In this episode of CODEPINK Radio, CODEPINK co-founder Jodie Evans breaks down how the U.S. war economy shapes our politics, our culture, and our daily lives while offering a clear path toward building a peace economy rooted in care and community. Later on the show, Michelle Ellner connects these ideas to Venezuela, where communes and social programs have helped restore dignity to people long made invisible. As Washington pushes the region toward another conflict, despite 70% of Americans opposing a war with Venezuela, we explore what it means to resist the war economy and strengthen the movements creating a future based on sovereignty, connection, and collective well-being. |
Trump Pardons a Convicted Drug Dealer While Starting a War Against Venezuela to Fight “Drug Dealers
| By Timothy Alexander Guzman Recently, US President Donald Trump has pardoned Juan Orlando Hernandez, a former president of Honduras and a convicted drug trafficker known as the ‘Narco-Dictator’ who was convicted by a grand jury in New York City for importing 400 tons of cocaine and weapons into the United States. |
Video: War, Oil and Narcotics
| By Prof Michel Chossudovsky and Drago BosnicGlobal Research, November 29, 2025 |
Venezuela gegen Washington – Wird Trump mit Maduro sprechen?
Interview mit PressTV
| Von Peter Koenig und Press TVGlobal Research, 20. November 2025 Hintergrund Während US- Präsident Donald Trump seine Bereitschaft zu Gesprächen mit seinem venezolanischen Amtskollegen signalisiert hat, erklärt Nicolás Maduro , Caracas sei offen für einen direkten Dialog, weise aber „Drohungen oder Gewaltanwendung“ zurück. Maduro fügte hinzu, Venezuela sei zu Gesprächen mit jeder Nation bereit, warnte aber gleichzeitig vor ausländischer Aggression. Diese Äußerungen erfolgten, nachdem Trump gegenüber Reportern erklärt hatte, seine Regierung werde möglicherweise zu einem bestimmten Zeitpunkt mit Maduro sprechen, um die zunehmenden Spannungen zu erörtern. Trump schloss jedoch einen Einsatz amerikanischer Bodentruppen in Venezuela nicht aus. Seit Anfang September hat das US-Militär mindestens 20 Angriffe auf Schiffe im Pazifik und der südlichen Karibik durchgeführt. Washington behauptet, ohne Beweise vorzulegen, die Boote seien in Drogenhandel verwickelt gewesen. Caracas weist die Vorwürfe jedoch zurück und erklärt, die Angriffe zielten darauf ab, die venezolanische Regierung zu stürzen. Analysten argumentieren nun, Trumps Behauptung, er sei gesprächsbereit gegenüber Maduro, entspreche Washingtons Zuckerbrot-und-Peitsche-Politik und sei nicht aufrichtig. Read more |
What is really happening in Venezuela? US attacks and economic situation explaine
An analysis of Donald Trump’s attacks on Venezuela, the economic impact of US sanctions, and the similarities and differences with the successful Western regime-change war on Syria.
| Ben Norton Nov 15, 2025 A Chinese journalist interviewed Geopolitical Economy Report editor-in-chief Ben Norton about the situation in Venezuela, and his analysis was translated into Chinese. The following were his original remarks in English: QUESTION: Ben, you have traveled around Latin America extensively, including in Venezuela. I would like to hear your comments on Maduro. Is his government well supported by the Venezuelan people, or may he face a similar fate like Syria’s Bashar al-Assad? As you know, Trump is planning attacks inside Venezuela. So do you think Maduro’s government will fall like Assad’s? MY ANSWER: There are indeed some parallels between Venezuela and Syria, but there are more differences than similarities. Venezuela is very divided politically, but in general, the Bolivarian Revolution initiated by previous President Hugo Chávez and continued by current President Nicolás Maduro still has a lot of support from poor and working-class Venezuelans. Most rich people and elites are pro-US and anti-government. Many of them have left the country, but there are still some in Venezuela (especially in wealthy areas like Chacao). In Venezuela, most people are tired of political conflict and violence, and they simply want stability. The right-wing opposition does not have many active supporters inside the country. Whenever they try to hold a protest, only a few hundred people show up. However, while they are small in number, they still have a lot of power concentrated in private companies, media outlets, and Western government-funded “NGOs”. Maduro will not be overthrown by people inside Venezuela. The only possible way I think the Venezuelan government will fall is if the US military invades Venezuela and/or wages a direct war inside Venezuelan territory, bombing Caracas — like what the US did to Iraq, Libya, Yugoslavia, Panama, Grenada, etc. (although the tactics used were different in each of those wars). Trump has already ordered the US military to kill dozens of Venezuelans in illegal, extrajudicial executions in international waters. Thus far, he has not launched direct attacks inside Venezuela, although he confirmed that he authorized the CIA to carry out destabilization operations inside the country. Read more |
Polls show that Trump’s war on Venezuela is very unpopular
The U.S. Navy deployment near Venezuela has become even less popular in the past month
| In a new YouGov survey, we find that Americans have become less likely to approve of the U.S. Navy deployment around Venezuela since September. Americans are more likely to oppose than to support military strikes on Venezuelan ships and on land targets. Most Americans would oppose a military invasion of Venezuela. More Americans would oppose than support using military force to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro or conducting covert CIA operations in Venezuela. Another recent YouGov survey finds that Americans are divided about whether the U.S. strikes have been legal and whether the government has presented evidence that the targets have been drug smugglers. In September, YouGov surveyed Americans about U.S. military actions around Venezuela, after the U.S. military amassed ships in the Caribbean Sea around Venezuela and began attacks on Venezuelan ships that the administration claimed were shipping drugs. These attacks have killed dozens. Maduro has accused the U.S. of attempting to start a war and mobilized the country’s military in response. The United Nations has urged both countries to de-escalate. |
Migration from Venezuela
Did 7+ million really leave the country to flee socialism?
| The Anti Empire Project and Joe Emersberger Nov 11, 2025 Daniel Coronel, a journalist with the US-based television network Univision, recently interviewed Colombian president Gustavo Petro. At about the 55 minute point of the interview, Coronel said to Petro that “the misery and repression that Venezuela has suffered at the hands of Maduro’s dictatorship has caused millions to flee.” This little quip, this off-hand remark, is actually one of the major remaining regime change talking points about Venezuela. We’ve addressed most of the others – the elections, the constitution, the notion that Venezuela is an “extraordinary threat” to the US – in our book. In a recent substack, we addressed the newest lie: that Venezuela is a meaningful source of drugs to the US. In this one we address the idea that Venezuela should be destroyed because supposedly seven million Venezuelans have fled socialism. We believe that anti-Maduro sources have 1. grossly exaggerated the scale of migration from Venezuela since 2015, 2. ignored that US sanctions have caused such migration as did occur, and 3. also ignored mass migration from U.S. client states like Ecuador. |
| 2015 – 2017 migration from Venezuela begins to take off for real As a result of US sanctions and an oil price collapse, migration from Venezuela did, indeed, begin to explode in 2015. A few months before Hugo Chavez died of cancer in 2013, he urged his supporters to vote for Nicolas Maduro as his successor. They did. Maduro won the snap election that was held in April 2013. But Maduro was immediately hit with violent US-backed protests that year – and then again in 2014 and 2017. Adding to Maduro’s difficulties, in the last quarter of 2014, the high oil prices on which Venezuela’s economy depended collapsed by half, and remained very low for years. Early in 2015, Obama added to the pressure by imposing broad economic sanctions on Venezuela. Obama’s apologists deny the significance of the sanctions by saying they merely outlawed dealing with seven Venezuelan government officials that the US accused of human rights abuses. But this ignores the problem of “over compliance” with US sanctions, built into their design: scaring investors away from dealing with Venezuela at all. In addition to the sanctions, Obama officials successfully pressured banks not to make low risk loans to Venezuela’s government. Read more |
Colombia
Washington Targets Colombia’s Progressive President in Unprecedented Sanctions Move
Human rights attorney and legal counsel for Gustavo Petro in the United States, Dan Kovalik, calls U.S. sanctions against the Colombian President “a threat to democracy.”
| In a dramatic escalation of U.S.-Colombian tensions, President Gustavo Petro of Colombia has been sanctioned by the United States over allegations of drug trafficking, a move his legal counsel calls politically motivated and potentially destabilizing for the region. The sanctions, announced on Friday, October 24, mark a rare confrontation between Washington and a sitting Colombian leader, a country historically regarded as a steadfast U.S. ally in Latin America. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor attorney, political activist, and author, recently accepted the role of representing President Petro in the United States. Kovalik, who previously taught international human rights at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and served as in-house counsel for the United Steel Workers, has a long history of litigating cases involving human rights violations in Colombia. His work has included lawsuits under the Alien Tort Claims Act against major corporations implicated in egregious abuses, including Coca-Cola, Drummond and Occidental Petroleum, highlighting systemic violence and exploitation against labor organizers and social movements in the region. Speaking from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in a special edition of WTF is Going On in Latin America and the Caribbean, Kovalik described the sanctions as “not just a personal threat to President Petro and his family, but a significant risk to Colombia’s economic stability and political sovereignty.” Read more |
Honduras
Honduras ruling party alleges Trump-backed ‘electoral coup’
| The ruling leftist Libre party in Honduras has slammed what it called an “electoral coup” backed by Donald Trump and called for the annulment of last month’s vote amid allegations of irregularities in the counting process. Nasry Asfura, the conservative National Party candidate championed by the US president, is fractionally ahead of his Liberal Party rival Salvador Nasralla, according to partial results issued in a stop-start count plagued by technical glitches. Libre’s candidate Rixi Moncada trails in third place, but the party has disputed the results and on Sunday called for marches, protests and strikes, fuelling fears that discontent could spill over into the streets in a repeat of fatal protests following a contested election in 2017. “Libre does not recognise the elections held under the interference and coercion of US President Donald Trump and the allied oligarchy that have foisted an ongoing electoral coup on the people of Honduras,” the party said in a statement. The Department of Justice published a Press Release on June 6, 2024, titled, ‘Juan Orlando Hernández, Former President of Honduras, sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute More Than 400 Tons of Cocaine and Related Firearms Offenses.’ The following statement explains in a nutshell what Hernandez was clearly involved in: As President of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández abused his power to support one of the largest and most violent drug trafficking conspiracies in the world, and the people of Honduras and the United States bore the consequences,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Thanks to the diligent work of the Justice Department’s agents and prosecutors, Hernández will now spend more than four decades in prison. The Justice Department will hold accountable all those who engage in violent drug trafficking, regardless of how powerful they are or what position they hold |
Puertorico
Puerto Rico “INDEPENDENCIA Plan B”: Build a Productive Economy Beyond US Neoliberal Constraints
This is a shift from a rentier-based model to an industrial capitalist model, where profit is derived from building up the island’s productive forces, not from stripping them.
| By Miguel Santos García Global Research, December 23, 2025 |
Bolivia
Secretary of State Marc Rubio Celebrates Return of Neoliberalism in Bolivia. “Prosperity will Benefit Private Foreign Investors”
Trump’s corollary to the Monroe Doctrine is focused on continued exploitation of Latin America’s natural resources
| By Kurt Nimmo Global Research, December 23, 2025 “We applaud President [Rodrigo] Paz’s historic efforts to open Bolivia to the world by committing to meaningful reforms to attract international investment,” Rubio said in a statement. “U.S. government officials are currently in Bolivia seeking to facilitate investments that will foster prosperity for both our nations.” The “prosperity” envisioned by Rubio will benefit private foreign investors. The land-locked Andean country is rich in natural resources. Bolivia has the world’s largest identified lithium reserves, primarily in the Salar de Uyuni salt flat. Rare earth mineral deposits, namely anthanum and neodymium, are located in the Cochabamba and Santa Cruz regions. Other minerals include silver, gold, tungsten, copper, iron ore, bismuth, gypsum, zinc, antimony, and gemstones. Natural gas represents the country’s most valuable export, concentrated in the eastern departments of Tarija and Santa Cruz. In 2024, the State Department warned investors to “remain cautious about investing in Bolivia” due to the Movement Towards Socialism (Movimiento al Socialismo) government of President Luis Arce and its desire to nationalize Bolivia’s natural resources. “There is no significant foreign direct investment from the United States in Bolivia, and there are no specific incentives to encourage U.S. Investment,” according to the 2024 State Department Investment Climate Statement. This changed when Rodrigo Paz, the candidate for president of the Christian Democratic Party (Partido Demócrata Cristiano), won a run-off election against former president Jorge Quiroga in October. Rodrigo Paz is the son of former president Jaime Paz Zamora. He promised to institute “free-market reforms” and restoration of ties with the United States and other “trading partners,” particularly in regard to Bolivia’s lithium and rare earth reserves. In a move that undoubtedly pleases the United States, the Paz government plans to move away from its previous relationship with China. |
