Mafia Diplomacy
In the early morning hours on Jan. 3, we ran an article suggesting that war had been declared on Venezuela. Here is everything we know so far.
On Jan 3, I wrote and ran an article suggesting that the events in Venezuela were an act of war. They were. This is the truth. Although the American Empire has not formally declared war, I won’t kowtow to mainstream media or liberal politicians implying that “war” is an inappropriate description for the events of the early hours of Jan. 3.
The American Empire invaded a sovereign nation with a small force, which exchanged gunfire with the military of another country. The US Navy carried out missile attacks and bombings to cover the retreat of its extraction team as it abducted the Venezuelan Head of State and First Lady in the dead of night. Over 40 civilians have been confirmed to be killed in the bombardment, with Venezuelan officials claiming upwards of 80 dead. The Cuban government reports that an additional 32 Cuban military officers lost their lives trying to defend their ally. The American military reports that some of its forces were wounded.
While Venezuela has not yet formally declared war, Venezuelan Minister of Defense Vladimir Padrino López vowed retribution and demanded the immediate release of Nicolas Maduro.
Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Adela Flores de Maduro were captured in an early-morning raid by the U.S. military and are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. The couple’s three children are alive. In the aftermath of what critics described as a smash-and-grab operation, President Donald Trump said the U.S. objective for the B.R.V. is regime change.
After being brought to New York to face charges filed by the Trump administration, Maduro was transported through city streets in a white van with its doors open to public view. The display was described as a humiliation ritual, likened by observers to a small-scale Roman triumph. Venezuela’s current president is Delcy Eloína Rodríguez Gómez, the country’s former vice president.
Several leaders across the Latine world, including Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Cuban First Secretary Miguel Díaz-Canel, Chilean President Gabriel Boric and Colombian President Gustavo Petro, spoke from their respective countries on Jan. 3. They condemned the U.S. military action, calling it a violation of Venezuelan sovereignty and international law.
Trump addressed the nation on Jan. 3, the morning of the attack.
Trump did not mention Venezuelan casualties, despite announcing that no American soldiers were killed. While American estimates place the report at 40 civilians killed in American strikes, Venezuelan sources report upwards of 80 civilians dead, as well as casualties to Maduro’s personal guards and to Cuban military officers who, according to the Cuban government, were in the country to advise and train Venezuelan militias.
Trump spoke at length about the importance of Venezuelan oil to U.S. interests in the region, declaring that the American Empire would “run the country for as long as necessary,” to allow U.S. companies to rebuild infrastructure and begin exporting Venezuelan crude to the U.S. mainland.
Following Maduro’s capture by U.S. forces, Venezuela’s Supreme Court ordered Delcy Rodríguez, then vice president, to assume the interim presidency to ensure “administrative continuity.” She was formally sworn in by the National Assembly on Tuesday. The Trump administration has indicated it may work with Rodríguez to maintain stability, reportedly citing a CIA assessment that Maduro loyalists are best positioned to prevent chaos. Trump has warned, however, that Rodríguez must comply with U.S. priorities or face severe consequences.
Trump said that “justice is what we’re all about.” Hours later, Grand Rapids, Michigan, police arrested a protester immediately after an interview with ABC 13 News in which she condemned U.S. imperialism in South America.
Maduro and his wife, along with other defendants, have been indicted by the U.S. government on charges including drug trafficking and narco-terrorism.
The full indictment was released by the U.S. Department of Justice. Its introduction uses broad and charged language, including the phrases “MADURO MOROS moved loads of cocaine” and “MADURO MOROS allows cocaine-fueled corruption to flourish.” The indictment alleges that Maduro, Flores and members of their family worked with the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, or FARC, a Colombian Marxist-Leninist guerrilla organization that formally disbanded following peace agreements with the Colombian government in 2016. While some successor groups remain active, the primary FARC organization disarmed, demobilized and reintegrated into civilian life, later forming a legal political party known as Comunes.
Trump has also threatened other sovereign nations with occupation or annexation, including Cuba, Colombia and Greenland.
Those threats, along with the U.S. operation in Venezuela, prompted an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday. Member states sharply criticized U.S. actions, raising concerns about the military operation in Venezuela and Trump’s remarks regarding Cuba and Greenland.
In Venezuela, there were unconfirmed reports of minor skirmishes between unidentified groups and the military. Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets to express anger and opposition to what they described as the U.S. abduction of Maduro. As a new president is sworn in and the continuity of Venezuela’s government appears relatively stable for now, the world is watching closely, wary of further U.S. overreach and renewed gunboat diplomacy.
Thank you