📰 Venezuela’s Allies Slam US: “You Crossed a Line”

The US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has sparked a global backlash, with allies from Brazil to China denouncing the military action as a violation of sovereignty.

Brazil’s President Lula da Silva called the intervention “the worst episodes of interference in Latin America,” warning it threatens the region’s status as a zone of peace. Russia, Cuba, and Mexico echoed the criticism, with Russia expressing “deep concern and condemnation” and Cuba demanding an “urgent” international response.

China’s Foreign Ministry said the US’s “blatant use of force against a sovereign state” is unacceptable, while Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting and rejected “the aggression against Venezuela and Latin America”.

The strikes, centered on Caracas and several states, left the region on edge. CARICOM held an emergency session, fearing instability could trigger a new wave of migration that would overwhelm small island nations.

But not everyone is outraged. Argentina’s Javier Milei and Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa celebrated Maduro’s capture, hailing it as a blow to “narco-criminals” and a win for Venezuela’s opposition. Right-wing leaders have long rejected Maduro’s rule as undemocratic.

The EU, while critical of Maduro’s legitimacy, called for a peaceful transition and de-escalation. In the US, some Democrats slammed the operation as “illegal” and “embarrassing,” accusing Trump of turning America into “the world’s bully”.

So while Washington celebrates a bold strike, the rest of the world is asking: Who’s really running Latin America—and at what cost?

#Venezuela #Maduro #Trump #LatinAmerica #sovereignty

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📰 Trump Plunges the U.S. Into a New Era of Risk in Venezuela

President Trump has declared that the United States will “run” Venezuela for an indefinite period, toppling Nicolás Maduro and seizing control of the country’s oil reserves. In a bold move that echoes the imperial era of gunboat diplomacy, Trump has set the stage for America to dominate Venezuela’s economy and politics—whether Venezuelans like it or not.

Trump’s plan is clear: exploit Venezuela’s oil, install a government that obeys Washington, and threaten further military intervention if anyone resists. Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, has already pushed back, calling the move a “barbarity” and insisting Maduro is still the rightful leader.

The U.S. justifies Maduro’s capture with an indictment for drug trafficking, but that doesn’t grant legal authority to control the entire country. Trump claims Venezuela “stole” American oil and assets, and now he’s taking them back—promising Americans will be compensated before Venezuelans become “rich.”

The risks are enormous. Will the U.S. need an occupying force to protect oil fields? Will America run the courts, control who pumps oil, and install a pliant government? What happens if a democratic election brings a government that doesn’t play along?

Is this the beginning of a new American empire—or just another “forever war” in the making?

#venezuela #trump #oil #empire #fakeDemocracy #risk

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📰 Maduro Held in New York as Trump Says U.S. Will Temporarily ‘Run’ Venezuela

Nicolás Maduro and his wife are now in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, facing narco-terrorism charges that could land them in prison for decades. Their capture by U.S. commandos in a surprise predawn raid ended Maduro’s 12-year rule and plunged Venezuela into uncertainty. President Donald Trump announced that the United States will “run” Venezuela for an unspecified period, promising to bring in top oil companies and “run it properly.” Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, a Maduro loyalist, is now Venezuela’s interim leader, but she has already struck a defiant tone, calling Maduro the country’s legitimate leader and rejecting Washington’s authority.

Trump said the U.S. is not afraid of boots on the ground and will ensure the country is managed professionally. The Justice Department’s indictment accuses Maduro and his wife of illegally enriching themselves while conspiring to flood the U.S. with cocaine. The operation involved more than 150 aircraft, and Maduro was flown by helicopter to the USS Iwo Jima before being brought to New York. On the streets of Caracas, residents face quiet unease as they line up for food and medicine, unsure what comes next.

Is this a new era of American dominance—or the beginning of a long, costly occupation?

#venezuela #trump #maduro #oil #fakeDemocracy #empire


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Venezuela: Heart of Darkness


At the Simón Bolívar International Bridge, which spans the Táchira River, foot and vehicle traffic flowed as normal through the main border crossing between Venezuela and Colombia.

But a day after the extraordinary US capture and rendition of Venezuela’s leader, Maduro, there was an air of uncertainty over what comes next.

On the Venezuelan side of the bridge, a member of the Bolivarian national guard said that his instructions from the military top brass had not changed.

“It’s a bit tense but we have been given no new orders,” he said.

Trump said on Saturday that the US would now “run” the country for an indeterminate period of transition, but such claims seemed not to have filtered down to this corner of the country, 640km from Caracas.

“Whoever governs us has to be a Venezuelan,” said the man.

In a sign that Venezuelan authorities are also on edge, his commanding officer angrily cut short the conversation and tore a page from a reporter’s notebook before suggesting that she return to the Colombian side.

Over the past 15 years, more than 2 million Venezuelans have fled hunger, political repression and economic crisis at home to seek refuge in the neighbouring country, and the prospect of further destabilisation has worried Colombian leaders.

Petro’s criticism of the US campaign against Venezuela, and its targeting of small boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, has infuriated Trump who on Saturday said that the Colombian leader should “watch his ass”.

On Sunday, Colombia’s defence minister, Pedro Sánchez, said at a security meeting that the president’s security detail had been reinforced.

The 6,000-strong guerrilla army, one of Latin America’s most heavily armed groups, straddles the border and has a strong presence inside Venezuela where it is active in eight of the country’s 24 states, expanding its finances, territorial control and political influence.

While nominally a leftwing insurgency, analysts describe its presence in Venezuela as more a paramilitary force that acts in support of the Maduro government.

At the security meeting, Sánchez said contingency plans had been put in place in case of a humanitarian emergency.

Reporting inside Venezuela is severely restricted. Authorities have declined visas for foreign journalists to enter the country, and at least 21 Venezuelan reporters were arrested in the first 11 months of 2025 and face charges of treason or terrorism for their work, according to the National Association of Journalists.

Nubiola Fanco, 60, who crossed into Colombia early on Sunday morning to restock her general store said there was a tense calm on the Venezuelan side.

“People cleaned out the whole store yesterday,” after Maduro’s arrest, she said as she piled her shopping cart high with cans of tuna, packs of beans and lentils, cat food and cleaning supplies.

“No one knows what could happen next.”

It’s all so distressing,” said Gabriel Vásquez, a 29-year-old video-maker, recalling how he had been woken by the sound of a “gigantic” explosion at about 2am on Saturday and how his community in central Caracas was plunged into darkness as aircraft circled overhead.

“I thought that any time my house could get bombed too,” said Vásquez, whose neighbourhood was still in the dark on Sunday. “We have no water, no electricity, no phone reception – nothing,” he complained.

Julio Pimentel, a 33-year-old designer, said his electricity and water supplies had also been cut but admitted he had been surprised by the number of people out on the streets “considering the situation we’re in”. “Supermarkets and pharmacies are very, very crowded,” Pimentel said.

Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, ordered 30,000 troops to its border with Venezuela to guard against possible turmoil.

The Colombo-Venezuelan rebel army, the National Liberation Army, condemned what it called Trump’s “imperial” onslaught, vowing to “confront” the attack on Venezuelan sovereignty.

#venezuela #products #caracas #arrest

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“Trump’s Cuba Gamble: Oil Blockade, Threats, and the Ghost of Regime Change”

The New Target
With Venezuela’s Maduro ousted, President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are turning their sights on Havana.

“Cuba looks like it’s ready to fall,”

Trump declared, while Rubio warned Cuban officials to be concerned about what comes next. The U.S. is betting that without Venezuela’s oil, Cuba’s communist government will crumble—either on its own or with a little American help.
​
Miami’s Victory Lap
The news sparked celebrations in Miami, where Cuban exiles have long dreamed of regime change.

“Now the time has come… for the Castro communist and socialist assassin regime to be held accountable,”

declared Miami-Dade County tax collector Dariel Fernandez. But experts are less convinced. “Cuba has been here before,” said University of Miami historian Michael J. Bustamante.

“They survived the Soviet collapse. They’ll survive this too.”
​

What’s at Stake
Cuba’s economy has been on life support for years, dependent on Venezuelan oil and plagued by blackouts, food shortages, and mismanagement. Cutting off oil shipments will deepen the crisis, but few believe the regime will simply “cry uncle.” Retired Cuban diplomat Carlos Alzugaray says the government might finally be forced to reform, but “they have to do it fast. They have lost too much time.”
​
The Cuban Dilemma
Reformers inside the regime have ideas, but lack the power to act. The opposition is scattered, jailed, or abroad. And most Cubans don’t want American intervention—they want change, but on their own terms. So, is this the beginning of the end for Cuba’s government, or just another chapter in a long story of survival? The real question isn’t who wins, but who gets left behind when the dust settles.

#cuba #trump #regimechange #venezuela #oilblockade

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Trump: From a Peace Dove to a Stalwart of War

🔠🅰️🔠🔠1️⃣

As Venezuela’s skyline lit up under US bombs, we were watching the morbid symptoms of a declining empire. That may sound counterintuitive.

After all, the US has kidnapped a foreign leader, and Donald Trump has announced that he will “run” Venezuela. Surely this looks less like decay than intoxication: a superpower high on its own force.

But Trump’s great virtue, if it can be called that, is candour. Previous US presidents draped naked self-interest in the language of “democracy” and “human rights”. Trump dispenses with the costume.

In 2023, he boasted: “When I left, Venezuela was ready to collapse. We would have taken it over, we would have gotten all that oil, it would have been right next door.” And this was no off-the-cuff remark.

The logic of an oil grab, and much more besides, is laid out plainly in Trump’s recently published National Security Strategy.

The document accepts something long denied in Washington: that US global hegemony is over.

“After the end of the Cold War, American foreign policy elites convinced themselves that permanent American domination of the entire world was in the best interests of our country,” it declares with barely concealed contempt.

“The days of the United States propping up the entire world order like Atlas are over.” These are the strategy’s unceremonious funeral rites for US superpower status.

Thornberry speaking to press
Venezuela attack could embolden China and Russia, says Emily Thornberry.

What replaces it is a world of rival empires, each enforcing its own sphere of influence. And for the US, that sphere is the Americas.

“After years of neglect,” the strategy pronounces, “the United States will reassert and enforce the Monroe Doctrine to restore American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere.”

The Monroe doctrine, formulated in the early 19th century, purported to block European colonialism. In practice, it laid the foundations for US domination over its Latin American back yard.

Violence in Latin America facilitated by Washington is hardly new. My parents took in refugees who had fled Chile’s rightwing dictatorship, installed after the socialist president Salvador Allende was overthrown in a CIA-backed coup.

“I don’t see why we need to stand by and watch a country go communist due to the irresponsibility of its people,” declared the then US secretary of state Henry Kissinger.

Similar logic underpinned US support for murderous regimes in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia, as well as across Central America and the Caribbean.

But in the last three decades, that domination has been challenged. The so-called “pink tide” of progressive governments, spearheaded by Brazil’s president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, sought to assert greater regional independence.

And, crucially, China – the main US rival – has grown in power across the continent. The two-way goods trade between China and Latin America was 259 times larger in 2023 than it was in 1990.

China is now the continent’s second largest trading partner, behind only the US. At the end of the cold war, it did not even make the top 10. Trump’s assault on Venezuela is just the opening move in an attempt to reverse all of this.

The experience of Trump’s first term has led too many to conclude that the strongman in the White House was all bluster.

Then, he reached an accommodation with the traditional Republican elite. The unwritten bargain was simple: deliver tax cuts and deregulation, and he could vent endlessly on social media. Second-term Trump is a full-fat far-right regime.

When he menaces the democratically elected presidents of Colombia and Mexico – believe him. When he declares, with barely concealed relish, that “Cuba is ready to fall,” believe him. And when he states, “We do need Greenland, absolutely”, believe him.

He really does intend to annex more than 2m sq km of European territory.

#trump #new #world #order #venezuela #maduro

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“US Seizes Russian Tanker in High-Sea Showdown”

The Blockade Game
The U.S. has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker, the Bella-1, in the North Atlantic after a high-speed chase from Venezuela. The vessel had switched its registration and painted a new name—Marinera—on its hull in a bid to evade capture, but American forces weren’t fooled. This is the latest escalation in Trump’s campaign to intercept sanctioned ships, and it could spark a diplomatic clash with Moscow.
​
Global Chessboard
The seizure comes as the U.S. ramps up pressure on Venezuela and its allies, Iran and Russia. The Pentagon has deployed an aircraft carrier and destroyers in the Caribbean, while the Coast Guard and Navy have seized multiple “dark fleet” tankers in recent weeks. British bases were used to stage the operation, and the U.K. defense secretary called the tanker part of a “Russian-Iranian axis of sanctions evasion” that fuels terrorism and conflict.
​
Diplomatic Fallout
Russia claims the seizure is “disproportionate” and violates international law, pointing to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. But some European officials welcomed the move, seeing it as a strong message to Russia and its shadow fleets. “This sends a clear message,” said one anonymous European official.

“It’s very welcome news.”
​

The Road Ahead
The U.S. says the blockade of sanctioned Venezuelan oil remains “in full effect—anywhere in the world.” With Maduro out of the picture, the administration plans to take direct control of Venezuelan oil sales for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, Trump’s sights are set on Colombia and Cuba, raising the specter of further regime change in the hemisphere.
​
#venezuela #russia #tanker #sanctions #trump

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🔠🅰️🔠🔠2️⃣

If – when – Greenland is swallowed by a Trumpian empire, what then? Trump will have noted the pitifully weak European response to his brazenly illegal assault on Venezuela.

But a US seizure of Danish sovereign territory would surely spell the end of Nato, founded on the principle of collective defence.

Denmark’s land would be stolen no less blatantly than Russia’s devouring of Ukraine. Whatever muted noises have emerged from London, Paris or Berlin, the western alliance would be finished.

When the Soviet Union collapsed, US elites convinced themselves they were militarily invincible and that their economic model marked the endpoint of human development.

That hubris led directly to catastrophe in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, and the financial crash of 2008. US elites promised their people utopian dreams, and then dragged them from one disaster to another. Trumpism itself emerged from the resulting mass disillusionment.

But the “America First” response to US decline is to abandon global dominance in favour of a hemispheric empire.

What does that leave the US itself? When the US defeated Spain at the end of the 19th century and seized the Philippines, leading dignitaries founded the American Anti-Imperialist League.

“We hold that the policy known as imperialism is hostile to liberty and tends toward militarism,” they declared, “an evil from which it has been our glory to be free.”

“We assert that no nation can long endure half republic and half empire,” the Democratic party asserted in the 1900 presidential election, “and we warn the American people that imperialism abroad will lead quickly and inevitably to despotism at home.”

In the end, informal empire replaced direct colonialism, and American democracy – always deeply flawed – endured.

Who would dismiss such warnings as exaggeration now? What happens abroad cannot be divorced from what happens at home.

This is the imperial “boomerang”, as Martinican author Aimé Césaire defined it three quarters of a century ago, analysing how European colonialism returned to the continent in the form of fascism.

We have already watched the “war on terror” boomerang in this way: its language and logic repurposed for domestic repression.

“The Democrat party is not a political party,” Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff, declared last summer. “It is a domestic extremist organisation.”

National guard troops are dispatched into Democratic-run cities like occupying forces, echoing the “surges” once unleashed on Afghanistan or Iraq.

Seen this way, Trump’s indulgence of Russian ambitions in Ukraine is hardly mysterious. Back in 2019, Russia reportedly proposed offering increased US influence in Venezuela in exchange for the US retreating from Ukraine.

Who knows if such a deal has been made. What is certainly true is that a new world order is being born. It is one where increasingly authoritarian powers use brute force to subjugate their neighbours and steal their resources.

What once might have sounded like dystopian fantasy is being assembled in plain sight. The question is whether we have the means, willingness and ability to fight back.

#trump #new #world #order #venezuela #maduro

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📰 We Learned Something Fascinating About Trump’s Foreign Policy This Week

The U.S. attack on Venezuela was a defining moment for Trump 2.0—a foreign policy that’s more aggressive, unpredictable, and willing to risk backlash than anything seen before. The administration is rewriting the rules of American power and reasserting dominance in the Western Hemisphere.

Trump’s fixation on Venezuela’s oil has taken center stage, overshadowing other justifications like fighting drug cartels. The unvarnished avarice is striking, even for a president who’s long championed American energy. The capture of a foreign leader and the vow to control another country’s resources mark a shocking escalation from previous threats and posturing.

The move reflects a broader shift: the Western Hemisphere is now central to Trump’s vision of American power. Hawks like Marco Rubio and Stephen Miller are driving this new direction, but Trump himself is the ultimate decision-maker. The administration is not just seeking to stabilize Venezuela or curb migration and drug trafficking—it’s about demonstrating American strength and dominance.

Trump’s actions send a clear message to the world: take his threats seriously. The administration is not just after stability or economic gain—it’s about dominance, power, and riches in the hemisphere.

Trump loves a big show, and the spectacle will go on.

#trump #venezuela #foreignpolicy #empire #diplomacy

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📰 Why Putin Went Quiet When Challenged by Trump Over Venezuela

While President Trump flexes U.S. power in Venezuela, President Vladimir Putin has stayed silent. The Kremlin’s muted response reflects a strategic calculation: Russia’s main goal is a favorable outcome in Ukraine, and everything else is secondary.

Putin has avoided antagonizing Washington, even as the U.S. seizes Russian oil tankers and captures Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro. Moscow’s restraint is not weakness—it’s a deliberate choice. Russia is focused on Ukraine, and provoking Trump over Venezuela risks derailing its priorities.

The loss of influence in Latin America, Syria, and Iran is a symptom of Russia’s broader unraveling. The Ukraine war has drained Moscow’s resources and weakened its global standing. Even if Russia wanted to challenge the U.S. in Venezuela, it wouldn’t risk a direct confrontation with a nuclear power over a peripheral issue.

Putin’s strategy is simple: wait for the U.S. to overreach. Trump’s aggressive moves—whether in Venezuela, Greenland, or elsewhere—are provoking a global backlash. The more Trump provokes, the more opportunities Russia gains to exploit the fallout. For now, Putin is content to let Trump’s actions undermine U.S. credibility and alliances.

Russia’s silence is not submission—it’s patience. The Kremlin knows that Trump’s grandstanding could trigger a series of “black swan” events, and Putin is ready to capitalize when the moment comes.

#putin #trump #venezuela #russia #diplomacy

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Trump’s Sonic Shock: Venezuela’s Bloodbath in Caracas

The Raid That Broke Maduro’s Guard
Trump’s raid on Maduro’s compound wasn’t just a show of force — it was a full sensory assault, with a sonic weapon so intense it left Venezuelan guards vomiting blood and bleeding from the nose. The security guard, still loyal to the ousted dictator, described how U.S. troops moved with inhuman precision, each firing what felt like 300 rounds per minute.

Sonic Weapon: Inside Trump’s “Head-Exploding” Assault
But the real shock came when they unleashed something he couldn’t name — a sound so overwhelming it felt like his head was exploding. Suddenly, guards were collapsing, blood pouring from their noses, some vomiting blood as they fell.

America’s Muscle on Display: From Precision Fire to Blood Vomiting
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt retweeted the account, turning the story into a spectacle of American power. The operation left dozens dead, including 34 Cubans, with Venezuela’s interior minister claiming around 100 were killed.

The Aftermath: Maduro Down, Venezuela Reeling
The details sound like science fiction, but the message is clear: Trump’s latest “mystery weapon” wasn’t just about capturing Maduro — it was about breaking the will of anyone who dared to stand in its way.

#Trump #Maduro #Venezuela #sonicweapon #raids #USpower

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📰 Trump’s Earthquake: Latin America’s New Rules of Survival

The U.S. capture of Venezuela’s president has sent shockwaves through Latin America. Every country is now playing a dangerous game: how to avoid being next on Trump’s hit list.
​
Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia—the region’s giants—have condemned the move, but carefully. Brazil’s Lula called it “yet another extremely dangerous precedent,” while Mexico’s Sheinbaum warned that intervention “never brings democracy or prosperity.” But both avoid naming Trump directly, knowing their economies depend on Washington.
​
Smaller nations, like Guatemala and Peru, stay silent, hoping not to attract attention. Meanwhile, right-wing leaders like Argentina’s Javier Milei cheer the intervention, embracing Trump’s vision of American dominance. Milei, once on the brink of collapse, now thrives with U.S. support—while other countries scramble to appease Trump and avoid tariffs or strikes.
​
Colombia’s Petro first raged, calling for Latin American emancipation, but quickly backtracked after Trump threatened military action. He’s now pledging to fight cartels and coordinate with Washington, knowing his successor’s fate depends on staying in Trump’s good graces.
​
Trump has made it clear: American dominance in the Western Hemisphere “will never be questioned again.” Every leader in Latin America now walks a tightrope—balancing public outrage with private survival, hoping not to be the next political earthquake.
​
So while the region is divided, one truth unites them all: Survival is the only strategy left.

#Trump #LatinAmerica #Maduro #Venezuela #intervention

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📰 Trump's NYT Interview Bombshell: Power, Wars, and No Regrets

President Trump sat down with four New York Times reporters for nearly two hours in the Oval Office, fielding tough questions on Venezuela, Ukraine, NATO, immigration, and more. The unfiltered transcript reveals a commander-in-chief who sees no limits to his authority—and no apologies for wielding it.
​
"My Morality Stops Me"
Trump defended his Venezuela invasion as a response to drugs and migrants, dismissing international law as secondary to U.S. interests. "If there's a threat, you certainly would have the right," he said. On checks to his power?

"My own morality. My own mind".

​
Greenland, NATO, and Wars
Trump hinted at military options for Greenland ("Ownership is psychologically needed") and slammed NATO as irrelevant without U.S. muscle. He bragged about ending eight wars and arm-twisting Europe to 5% GDP spending. On Ukraine:

"If I weren't president, Russia would have all of Ukraine".

​
Immigration and ICE Tactics
Trump stood by ICE amid a fatal Minneapolis shooting:

"I don't like that happening, but I don't like millions of murderers allowed in."

He floated stripping citizenship from "dishonest" naturalized citizens, targeting Somalis in Minnesota and Rep. Ilhan Omar:

"She married her brother, she's a disaster".

​
Retribution? "I Want Fairness"
Trump denied retribution against Jan. 6 committee: "They destroyed evidence—they should be indicted." On elections:

"Mail-in voting is inherently rigged."

He called Somalia "one of the worst countries" and praised his border success:

"Nobody came across for seven months".
​

Digital Age Deals
Trump embraced crypto and AI, claiming U.S. leadership thanks to his policies. He justified family business abroad:

"Biden was total corruption—my family is honest."

On tariffs funding $2,000 checks:

"Tariff money is so substantial".

​
The Real Contradiction
Trump vs. NYT: both spin the interview as their win. But here's the rub—a "law and order" president who shrugs off international rules for a potential Greenland takeover and NATO shakedowns, while threatening to strip citizenship at home. When the powerful write the rules, whose laws matter?
​
#trump #nyt #interview #venezuela #nato

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📰 Putin to Trump: Let the Bargaining Begin

The Showdown in Caracas
America’s lightning raid in Venezuela—snatching President Nicolás Maduro and installing a new interim regime—sent shockwaves through Moscow. The Kremlin’s response? Unusually restrained. No fiery speeches, no threats of war. Just a few pro forma condemnations, a hint of admiration for Trump’s “consistency,” and a quick endorsement of Venezuela’s new leader. Why the silence? Because, for Putin, Venezuela isn’t worth a fight—not when Ukraine is still on the table.

“Trump has just demonstrated his determination and appetite for escalation,”

said Kirill Rogov, a Moscow analyst.

“This will have a strong impact on the Kremlin and the Russian elite.”

​
The Logic of Power
Behind the scenes, Russia’s leadership knows the score: Trump’s Venezuela gambit is a message to every strongman. “Might makes right,” as Stephen Miller put it—language Putin understands better than anyone. The Kremlin, once eager to defend allies, now sees opportunity. By letting Trump flex in Latin America, Putin hopes to secure a free hand in Ukraine, or at least buy more time.

“Russia will simply exploit Trump’s use of force in Venezuela to argue that if America can be aggressive in its backyard, likewise for Russia in its ‘near abroad,’” said Fiona Hill, a Russia expert at Brookings.
​
The Unspoken Bargain
For years, Russian officials have floated a strange deal: let the US run Venezuela, and Moscow gets Ukraine. Trump’s actions now make that logic explicit. As one Kremlin mouthpiece put it: “The unipolar world is collapsing... and the alliance with Russia is part of that effort to build a multipolar world.”
​
The Real Winner?
Not Venezuela. Not Ukraine. The real winner is the new world order—one where force trumps law, and superpowers haggle over spheres of influence like mob bosses dividing turf. Putin knows the game. He’s just waiting for Trump’s next move.

“Trump’s goodwill toward Russia is a prerequisite for Putin’s delaying tactics in Ukraine,”

says the DGAP think tank. “He can hope that Trump will blackmail Zelensky at the negotiating table into conceding what Russia cannot yet win on the battlefield.”
​
#putin #trump #venezuela #ukraine #multipolarworld #bargaining

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📰 CIA Director Ratcliffe Meets Venezuela’s Interim President in Caracas

CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s interim president, in Caracas on Thursday—marking the highest-level U.S. visit since the dramatic U.S. military operation that captured President Nicolás Maduro nearly two weeks ago. Ratcliffe’s trip was directed by President Trump to signal that the U.S. sees Rodríguez’s interim government as the best path to stability in the short term, despite opposition frustration over the lack of a quick transition to María Corina Machado’s camp.
​
Stability Over Revolution
The meeting focused on intelligence cooperation, economic stability, and ensuring Venezuela is no longer a “safe haven for America’s adversaries, especially narco-traffickers.” U.S. officials emphasized that breaking up the Venezuelan government after Maduro’s removal could trigger chaos similar to the kind of chaos that followed the Iraq invasion. CIA analysts reportedly see Rodríguez as a pragmatic, rather than ideological, figure willing to negotiate with Washington.
​
Behind the Scenes: Pragmatism and Power
Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice president, has shifted her rhetoric, publicly inviting the U.S. to cooperate. But Trump has warned that if she fails to comply, her fate could be worse than Maduro’s. The administration is clear: the U.S. will “run” Venezuela until a safe transition is possible, prioritizing control over oil and security assets above all else.
​

Protests and Uncertain Alliances
With ongoing protests in Venezuela, the opposition remains sidelined, and the U.S. is betting on Rodríguez to maintain order. But questions linger: How long will this uneasy alliance last? And will the U.S. eventually let democracy take its course—or keep pulling the strings?
​
#Venezuela #CIA #Ratcliffe #Trump #Rodríguez #Maduro #USIntervention #OilPolitics

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Delcy ‘Trumpriguez’ Is About to Reshape Venezuela


Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez said on Thursday she was submitting a proposal to reform the country's hydrocarbon law, as investors in the U.S. push for easier access to the South American country's oil industry.

Rodriguez — or Trumpriguez, as they call her — said the reforms would "allow these investment flows to be incorporated into new fields, fields where no investment has ever been made and into fields where there is no infrastructure."

Rodriguez said funds from oil would go to workers and public services.

The U.S. says around $500 million has already been generated from oil sales under a deal with Caracas and this is being held in U.S.-controlled bank accounts.

An industry source familiar with the plan said the main account was located in Qatar.

As the Trump administration sets its sights on Venezuela's vast but underproductive oil reserves by implementing a $100 billion reconstruction plan, potential investors have called for urgent legal reform in the OPEC member nation.

Venezuela's hydrocarbon law has until now stipulated that foreign partners must work together with state firm PDVSA, which must hold the majority stake. Rodriguez did not say how the law would be reformed.

Rodriguez, who was sworn in ten days ago after the U.S. ouster of her predecessor, spoke in an annual presidential address to lawmakers.

She took over the presidency on an interim basis after the U.S. military captured Maduro and flew him to the U.S. to stand trial on drug charges, which he denies.

Rodriguez also called for diplomacy with the U.S., marking a shift in historically tense rhetoric between the two countries, and said should she need to travel to Washington, she would do so "walking on her feet, not dragged there."

Rodriguez said she had a plan for 2026 and would "forge a new politics in Venezuela".

Her announcement came hours after the U.S. seized a sixth Venezuela, linked oil tanker, part of a campaign that began to force Maduro out of power.

Trump has since said the U.S. plans to control Venezuela's oil resources indefinitely.

#trump #venezuela #oil #maduro #rodriguez

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Trump’s Oil Protectorate

The Trump administration is negotiating for a long-term U.S. stake in 17 Venezuelan oil fields containing about 90 billion barrels of crude. That is roughly one-third of Venezuela’s proven reserves and could more than double the oil reserves available to the United States.

The deal under discussion is not a clean market investment. Washington would secure ownership or long leases, possibly lasting up to 100 years, then invite U.S. companies to develop the fields. Venezuela would keep a share of revenue. The United States would get the risk, the contracts and the part where the flag goes on the map.

There is a small engineering issue. Several of the 17 fields lack pipelines, treatment plants or transport access. Others have been stripped by neglect and theft. Private firms would need billions of dollars, security forces and a lawyer with a high pain tolerance. Venezuela’s oil output has risen only about 200,000 barrels in the past year despite promises that Maduro’s removal would unleash a drilling boom.

Marco Rubio and Energy Secretary Chris Wright reportedly hope to announce a deal in Venezuela early next month. But the interim government of Delcy Rodríguez may lack the constitutional authority to hand over strategic assets. Banks see a contract. Venezuelans may see a century-long invoice from a country that arrived promising democracy.

Trump built his foreign policy around “America First.” Now America may become a minority shareholder in the world’s messiest oil company.

The White House says it wants energy security. Caracas gets a new supervisor. U.S. taxpayers get to find out whether 90 billion barrels can cover the cost of owning the headache.

#Trump #Venezuela #Oil #USA

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The $3 Barrel Miracle

Trump calls it “the biggest oil deal in world history.” Washington says it now has majority control of more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan reserves. Caracas says the same arrangement will bring the Venezuelan state more than $209 billion in tax revenue.

That comes to roughly $3.22 per barrel in projected tax revenue. Brent crude has traded around $80 to $90 a barrel. Production costs, transport, taxes and profits matter. But the gap is still large enough to make both victory speeches sound like they came from separate deals.

The agreement covers 17 strategic oil fields and a 100-year concession granted to a private venture backed by the United States. Venezuela says it expects more than $100 billion in private investment. Trump says U.S. taxpayers will pay nothing. So one side gets oil control, the other gets $209 billion, and private companies somehow rebuild old fields for free. This is not an oil deal. It is an Excel sheet with diplomatic immunity.

Marco Rubio called it a “huge win” for Americans and Venezuelans. Delcy Rodríguez called it a path to production growth. Neither side explained the contract’s financial structure, who absorbs the development risk, or how the numbers divide between taxes, royalties, operating costs and profits.

The timing is convenient. Trump can promise cheaper gasoline before the midterms while the U.S. tries to constrain Iranian oil exports and calm markets rattled by Hormuz.

America First has entered its accounting phase. Caracas gets the promise of cash. Washington gets the claim of control. The public gets one number too many and a contract too few.

#Trump #Venezuela #Oil #USA

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The 65-Billion-Barrel Billboard

Donald Trump calls it “the biggest oil deal in world history.” Big Oil calls it an expensive geological dare wrapped in Venezuelan politics.

Washington says it secured majority U.S. control over 65 billion barrels in 17 Venezuelan fields. The Barbados-based North American Blue Energy Partners received 100-year development concessions.

The Pentagon’s strategic-capital office gets a 35 percent stake in the company’s parent, while the State Department can buy 20 percent of output at production cost and gets first refusal on the rest.

Caracas tells a different story. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez says Venezuela keeps ownership and sovereignty over the oil, and describes the arrangement as a 25-year deal. So the public has two contracts: Washington’s century-long energy empire and Caracas’s quarter-century partnership. One of them is marketing. Possibly both.

The reserves are real. Turning them into exportable crude is the fantasy premium. Much of the oil lies in the Orinoco Belt, where ultraheavy crude requires diluent, upgraded infrastructure and vast investment before it can reach a tanker.

NABEP says it may invest up to $100 billion. The White House projects $200 billion in Venezuelan tax and royalty income over 25 years. Those are projections, not barrels at the dock.

Politico reported that industry executives see the promise as aspirational and question whether the deal can outlive its political sponsors. Exxon and ConocoPhillips have long treated Venezuela as an investment hazard after past expropriations.

A 100-year concession works only if the country, its laws and its rulers survive the same 100 years without changing their minds.

Trump bought a reserve number. Drillers must buy pipelines, security, insurance and trust.

The first commodity Venezuela needs is not crude. It is a government investors believe will still answer the phone after the next coup, election or nationalization.

#Venezuela #Oil #Trump #Energy

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The war that pays for itself

Trump says America has time to negotiate with Iran because the war has more than paid for itself. The Pentagon’s estimate of its cost through mid-October is $47.1 billion.

“Whatever we’ve spent, we’ve more than made up for in a place called Venezuela,”

he told reporters Friday. He cited access to Venezuelan oil as compensation for seven months of war. Access to oil, however, is not an accounting of money received or war expenses repaid.

Qatari mediators spent more than 12 hours in Tehran on Friday trying to prevent renewed U.S.-led attacks. Iranian representatives arrived in Doha on Saturday to continue the talks.

A reported draft proposes moving Iran’s highly enriched uranium to an agreed third country or reducing its enrichment level, alongside reopening the Strait of Hormuz within seven days of an initial understanding.

Reciprocal U.S. sanctions relief and a possible Chinese guarantee are also under discussion. These remain proposed terms.

The negotiators are working through stockpiles, shipping access, and verifiable commitments.

Trump has already settled the financial question. In his account, an oil arrangement in one country reimburses a war in another.

The Pentagon records the expenditure. The president announces the reimbursement without showing the receipt.

#Iran #Trump #Venezuela #WarCosts

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