Untitled Document

[00:00:00] It is a monumental act of war. After [00:00:03] being kidnapped and flown to the US, [00:00:05] President Nicholas Maduro has pled not [00:00:08] guilty to spirious drug charges in New [00:00:10] York City. Even as US government [00:00:12] documents admit that Venezuela is not a [00:00:15] major drugs producer, and prosecutors [00:00:18] concede that Maduro's supposed cartel of [00:00:21] the Suns never even existed. The [00:00:24] Empire's macity knows no bound, and they [00:00:28] will likely not stop there. Joining us [00:00:30] to discuss Trump, Venezuela, and the US [00:00:33] Empire is Diego Sequera. Diego is a [00:00:36] journalist and academic based in Karakas [00:00:39] Venezuela. You can find his work in [00:00:41] Spanish and English at investigative [00:00:43] news website, Mission Verdad. Diego, [00:00:46] welcome to the show. [00:00:49] >> Hey, man. Thank you. Thank you for [00:00:50] having me. Diego, I know this must be uh [00:00:54] quite a difficult time for people like [00:00:57] yourself who are from Venezuela watching [00:01:00] um your president, your elected [00:01:03] president being kidnapped by the US [00:01:06] empire, the very nation that has waged a [00:01:09] maximum pressure campaign and uh so much [00:01:12] propaganda and aggression against your [00:01:15] independent country. And right now, [00:01:18] Western corporate media is trying to [00:01:22] justify and whitewash what Donald Trump [00:01:25] has done to Nicholas Madura and the [00:01:27] Venezuelan people by, you know, putting [00:01:31] out the same messaging that they've been [00:01:32] doing for such a long time, you know, [00:01:34] dictatorship, human rights abuses, and [00:01:37] so forth, as if these drug charges were [00:01:41] not really, you know, don't have a solid [00:01:43] base. And so, you know, I I I want to [00:01:46] start by talking to you um about this [00:01:51] and what has been your reaction and the [00:01:53] reaction of the people in Venezuela. [00:01:57] So you get to grasp the with a feeling [00:01:59] that what was actually hit and who are [00:02:04] the victims and what more time can be [00:02:09] coined under the very malicious name of [00:02:13] collateral damage you know which is a [00:02:15] very which explains something that I [00:02:17] think is important getting getting back [00:02:20] to your your comment and your question [00:02:22] is how this is the outcome [00:02:26] of so many years of vilification, [00:02:29] character assassination, obuscation [00:02:32] and um the creation of this [00:02:35] dehumanization of us in particular and [00:02:39] the president specifically and uh yeah [00:02:42] society in general in order to make this [00:02:46] at some point more palatable for western [00:02:49] audiences or for western institutions to [00:02:52] you know erh justify by this kind of [00:02:57] actions. Funny enough, [00:03:00] it has been so blatant as you said that [00:03:02] even [00:03:04] especially the liberals fear have are [00:03:08] now like you know alarmed of with what [00:03:11] happened without realizing how much it's [00:03:15] also on them precisely to enforce this [00:03:19] kind of baseless [00:03:21] uh deformed [00:03:23] uh ways and means of representing [00:03:26] Maduro President Maduro himself, the [00:03:29] body violence revolution in Venezuela [00:03:32] overall. And I think this is this should [00:03:36] be a lesson in that sense because now [00:03:37] you see people who were actually just [00:03:40] weeks ago or months or years, doesn't [00:03:43] matter. I mean, like I said, attacking [00:03:46] Venezuela, condemning Venezuela, [00:03:49] especially not understanding the [00:03:51] complexities Venezuela was going [00:03:52] through. And now suddenly you see them [00:03:56] scared and scared and alarmed and I [00:04:00] don't know how much coming into terms [00:04:01] that this was also on them precisely for [00:04:06] not [00:04:08] go beyond the usual talking points and [00:04:12] the usual feel-good [00:04:14] fear of knowledge and with something [00:04:16] that goes beyond that and is as brutal [00:04:18] as it gets. Which also [00:04:22] proves [00:04:24] how one more time the whole narrative [00:04:28] just fell immediately about the drugs, [00:04:31] about dictatorship and whatnot and how [00:04:34] basically resumes [00:04:37] on a first level exclusively on what [00:04:40] they already have been stating all this [00:04:42] time which is oil. Of course, the oil [00:04:45] resources, [00:04:47] Venezuelan reserves as a form of a m a [00:04:52] very important resource, a key resource [00:04:53] for leverage uh worldwide within the [00:04:57] energy market and [00:05:00] as a tool for go further in other other [00:05:04] areas as well. not only focusing on [00:05:06] what's basically regional change [00:05:10] that that according to that rationale it [00:05:12] seems it just starts with Venezuela but [00:05:13] it's going to go further and um but also [00:05:17] like many people have been saying and I [00:05:19] think it really makes sense for example [00:05:21] that this way like relying on Venezuelan [00:05:24] reserves in order to do something in [00:05:26] Iran in the case of the closing of the [00:05:29] Hormus trade for example you know as a [00:05:33] as a way to not get that harmed in in a [00:05:37] in a hypothetical [00:05:40] situation in which something happens [00:05:41] there. So this also in a way al brings [00:05:46] closer [00:05:48] and justifies and confirms the this [00:05:52] nonlinear contact line between [00:05:56] kind the countries that are actually [00:05:58] resisting [00:06:00] and are betting on a different kind of [00:06:02] world order and the urgency of the [00:06:07] United States to do something before [00:06:09] decline finishes taking it all over and [00:06:12] bring them well you know to different [00:06:15] stages of collapse themselves. [00:06:20] >> And right now we are being bombarded [00:06:23] also with um AI footage that is being [00:06:27] shared by you know MAGA influencers like [00:06:31] Nick Shirley and even um Elon Musk [00:06:34] himself. They're sharing uh fake AI [00:06:36] videos of Venezuelans supposedly [00:06:39] celebrating their president being [00:06:42] kidnapped and abducted by uh President [00:06:45] Trump and they're crying. I mean, all [00:06:47] these are fake videos, of course. But [00:06:49] what's so interesting, um, Diego, is [00:06:52] that even though they've been verified [00:06:54] as fake AI videos, Grock, the AI, uh, [00:06:59] you know, uh, machine inside of X, says [00:07:03] that they're real and they're being [00:07:05] shared. And so, we're seeing this really [00:07:07] new way of manufacturing consent for [00:07:10] this regime change. But the reality on [00:07:12] the ground, I'm cur I mean I think a lot [00:07:14] of people are curious to know are people [00:07:16] celebrating Maduro's kidnapping on the [00:07:18] ground in Venezuela or are there mass [00:07:20] protests like I'm seeing uh to show that [00:07:24] people are upset and they're demanding [00:07:26] their president be returned uh to [00:07:28] Venezuela? Can you tell us about the [00:07:31] reactions on the ground and the [00:07:32] protests? [00:07:34] >> Of course. Mind you, one thing it's if [00:07:37] they're inside Venezuela, it's [00:07:38] definitely an AI in this case. If it [00:07:40] sounds like Venezuela, it is real. It is [00:07:43] like parts of the diaspora in, you know, [00:07:47] United States and Spain and and other [00:07:49] places. And and I mean they're saying [00:07:51] such cynical stuff like this is the [00:07:53] price that needs to be paid, but of [00:07:55] course it's easy when you're outside, [00:07:57] you know. There's a saying here that a [00:07:58] stab doesn't hurt another body, you [00:08:00] know, and this is one of those cases [00:08:05] precisely because of how erh shameful [00:08:09] this is. There are also on social media. [00:08:11] I was able to finally, you know, go [00:08:14] through some scroll some social media [00:08:17] last night when I got here about, yeah, [00:08:20] the different very common [00:08:22] non-politicized Venezuelan's reactions, [00:08:24] people that don't necessarily support [00:08:27] Nicolas Maduro and are [00:08:30] addressing all these diaspora types, be [00:08:33] it artists, influencers, or whatever, [00:08:36] and just calling them out for what they [00:08:38] are, you know, and telling them [snorts] [00:08:41] come over and and and endure this with [00:08:43] us if you're that tough and you're going [00:08:45] to if if you're going to do that hard [00:08:46] talk. So that's what level to it. Then [00:08:49] you got yes there are currently today [00:08:52] it's another day that there are rallying [00:08:55] throughout the country I mean to [00:08:59] different extents and then you got the [00:09:02] other and also a lot of mourning and [00:09:05] then you got the people who are [00:09:06] basically calm but what I'm trying to [00:09:09] say here is that yeah there are no [00:09:11] street celebrations erh [00:09:14] you know celebrating precisely Nicolas [00:09:17] Maduro's kidnapping [00:09:19] that's not happening inside Venezuela [00:09:21] and I think that's important to take [00:09:23] into into account up to this point. [00:09:27] um also which is I think it's normal [00:09:31] that happens now we're starting to see [00:09:34] more footage of victims people that [00:09:37] didn't die but their homes got destroyed [00:09:39] got wrecked [00:09:41] just because they are now collateral dam [00:09:44] people damaged people who died civilians [00:09:48] that died in Laguaya in Karakas [00:09:51] because of yeah because of the targets [00:09:54] they chose and the impact that they that [00:09:58] for example they attacked in Laguaya [00:10:01] which is as you know it's a coastal city [00:10:03] it's a coastal city next to to Karakas [00:10:05] and where one of not the main port but [00:10:08] one of the most important port the port [00:10:09] of Karakas was also bombed they bombed a [00:10:14] a medicine storage facility for kidney [00:10:18] treatment for dialysis [00:10:21] for example [00:10:23] and um they also bombed the [00:10:26] math center of the Venezuelan Institute [00:10:29] for Scientific Studies. [00:10:32] So that also tells you that this is all [00:10:36] the surgical [00:10:37] BS. One more time, it's not the case. Of [00:10:40] course, yes, at this point it's not that [00:10:42] to be accurate. It's not that as [00:10:43] indiscriminate as other it's not back [00:10:46] that 2003 in that sense but it's it has [00:10:49] had an impact and there are very many [00:10:52] reactions [00:10:54] in the street in conversation and on [00:10:57] social media precisely condemning this [00:11:00] and addressing the fact that this is not [00:11:02] what we want and this goes one more time [00:11:05] I I always have to stress this because [00:11:08] people think this is just a chabista [00:11:10] thing and it's [00:11:12] And it's not at any at any level. I [00:11:14] mean, but many Venezuelans just [00:11:15] basically never agreed with with this [00:11:18] kind of pressure, this kind of US [00:11:20] meddling and this kind of, you know, [00:11:22] ways and means to [00:11:25] resolve the situation. And funny enough, [00:11:28] not even if they were supporters of [00:11:31] Morina Machal or those factions, not [00:11:33] even them are being pleased. the US has [00:11:37] and they said they basically said we are [00:11:40] now running the show not them and we [00:11:42] rather run the show according to this [00:11:46] unstable moment in we we're at with the [00:11:48] Chavista government so that's a de facto [00:11:51] acknowledgement of where the power the [00:11:54] center of gravity still is and how much [00:11:57] weight does the actual extremist US [00:11:59] supported and funded opposition actually [00:12:03] stands [00:12:05] because there's also opposition now [00:12:06] within parliament at least yesterday [00:12:08] also condemned the attacks but it's a [00:12:11] moderate legal opposition the one that [00:12:13] acknowledged Venezuela's government [00:12:16] Venezuela's constitution and Venezuela's [00:12:18] political processes [00:12:21] so this proves even further that [00:12:24] chabismo is still anonyy here not only [00:12:28] on an institutional level [00:12:30] especially on a parliament that started [00:12:32] just two days ago with with a yeah [00:12:35] overwhelming majority of seats uh taken [00:12:39] by Chavismo by the PSUV or allied [00:12:42] parties. [00:12:44] So indirectly this confirms [00:12:49] the opposite of everything they have [00:12:51] been slandered about Venezuela. [00:12:55] >> Well, and I'm I'm really curious to know [00:12:57] I mean the Trump administration and [00:12:59] Trump himself have said, you know, we [00:13:01] are now in control of the oil. We are [00:13:03] now in control of Venezuela. And I mean, [00:13:07] like you just said, you guys are having [00:13:08] parliamentary meetings. People are [00:13:11] protesting on the streets demanding [00:13:13] their president be uh, you know, brought [00:13:16] back home. And so when Trump says that [00:13:20] he's in charge and they've taken over [00:13:22] the oil and he's ready to to seize 30 to [00:13:25] 50 million barrels and to sell that and [00:13:28] to use that money, he's going to be in [00:13:29] charge of that money. He said those [00:13:31] profits and those sales. I mean, what is [00:13:34] going on here? Like, can he actually and [00:13:37] can the US be actually in charge right [00:13:39] now? And how would they even do that? [00:13:43] >> Yeah. I mean, [00:13:45] nothing that happens with oil trade is [00:13:48] something that's going inside Venezuela [00:13:50] properly right now. So, this is [00:13:53] something that goes beyond Venezuela's [00:13:55] borders. First of all, you know, [00:13:57] especially in markets that were already [00:14:00] closed and [00:14:02] withheld from Venezuelan oil [00:14:04] participation over a decade anyway. So [00:14:08] in that sense there's I mean this it has [00:14:10] a lot a lot of noise to it and in [00:14:13] another sense this actually helps to [00:14:16] ease the deposits of oil of Venezuelan [00:14:19] oil production in a way I mean on a very [00:14:22] specific and technical aspect. [00:14:25] and currently yes that's what we are [00:14:27] seeing and I think this is a situation [00:14:30] that basically has to be managed and it [00:14:32] has to be wisefully managed from [00:14:33] Venezuela I don't have details I don't [00:14:36] have exact details on how this actually [00:14:39] working right now other than the [00:14:41] statesman that we have seen and other [00:14:43] than from my own personal [00:14:47] conclusions that you have to manage yes [00:14:50] the situation in a way smart enough this [00:14:53] is not and when I say smart enough. I'm [00:14:55] I'm thinking about [00:14:58] what other ways [00:15:01] have to be implemented to face an [00:15:06] overwhelming military superpower on mad [00:15:10] dog mode [00:15:13] and not a very smart one, you know, and [00:15:16] especially because this is really a [00:15:18] shortterm thing. This is I was telling [00:15:21] Katie H helper yesterday. This is a [00:15:24] sugar high win. This is all short term. [00:15:28] According to many western media, [00:15:31] they say there's no actual plan of what [00:15:34] they're actually going to do the United [00:15:36] States regarding Venezuela and [00:15:39] regardless of course of what they've [00:15:41] been saying. If if you see there's a lot [00:15:43] of gibberish going on. You see, you saw [00:15:45] Stephen Miller unable to say anything [00:15:48] coherent to Jake Tapper for example. [00:15:52] So this is descriptive of of [00:15:56] I don't know if it's if it's if it is a [00:15:58] level of improvisation [00:16:01] uh relying of course on the tools they [00:16:03] already have in hand. Uh I don't know if [00:16:05] it's method within the madness. [00:16:08] I don't know if it's just chaos and and [00:16:10] just a dayby-day [00:16:13] thing. [00:16:14] We have to see more. We have to see the [00:16:18] coming days how this many of these [00:16:20] things actually take shape. [00:16:23] But for one, I do believe that in order [00:16:26] to face this [00:16:29] kind of overwhelming moment, you have to [00:16:32] play and we're able to play it smarter [00:16:34] than they do. [00:16:37] And one of the major profiteers of this [00:16:41] seizure of Venezuela's oil is going to [00:16:44] be a pro-Zionist, a pro-Zionist uh mega [00:16:50] donor who's donated to Trump and to many [00:16:52] pro-Israel causes and think tanks that [00:16:55] have been promoting uh regime change [00:16:57] inside of Venezuela. And his name is [00:16:59] Paul Singer. Um he just bought Yeah, he [00:17:02] just bought uh SITGO. Like he just [00:17:04] bought SITGO. So talk to me more about [00:17:06] Sitgo and Paul Singer and how they plan [00:17:09] to seize and profit off of Venezuela's [00:17:11] oil. [00:17:13] >> Well, you know, Singer is famous in this [00:17:16] side of the world for being one of the [00:17:22] you know, one of the managers of vulture [00:17:24] funds. [00:17:26] You know, they they bought they did fire [00:17:29] sales purchases of many assets in [00:17:32] Argentina back in the day and trying to [00:17:33] buy the debt and extort Argentina during [00:17:35] the Christina Ken's years. I mean, this [00:17:38] is the kind of economic hitman that [00:17:39] you're going to find. But mind you, [00:17:41] something that is very important here [00:17:44] and it's not so obvious yet and you [00:17:49] already described part of the character [00:17:50] but I don't know if you're aware how [00:17:52] close he is to Marco Rubio and he has [00:17:54] been close to Marco Rubio for years. [00:17:56] He's one of the one of the biggest [00:17:57] funders of his packs just like Exon [00:18:01] Mobile is. So when and this is something [00:18:05] I'm also repeating but I think it has to [00:18:06] be repeated one more time. [00:18:10] When you when Trump and Wright or [00:18:13] whoever deals with the energy markets [00:18:16] talks about oil companies [00:18:19] for me basically transliting to one of [00:18:21] them which is Exom Mobile the only one [00:18:24] that didn't got any kind of agreement [00:18:28] compensation or terms to or accept the [00:18:30] terms of Venezuela back in 2000 2007 and [00:18:35] who left the country and sued Venezuela [00:18:37] on international courts. And by the way, [00:18:40] I don't know if you are aware that one [00:18:43] of the lawyers of Exor Mobile in [00:18:46] Venezuela was Carlos Beeko. Carlos [00:18:49] Beechio as you know is the [snorts] [00:18:53] was the fake US Venezuela ambassador [00:18:55] from the fake U. Venezuelan government [00:18:57] of imaginary government of one white do [00:19:00] back in the day. So if you actually go [00:19:03] further into detail, you see Exxon a lot [00:19:06] appearing especially because for example [00:19:10] up to this point at least up to last [00:19:11] week before the attacks, Chevron was [00:19:14] operating in Venezuela. It was operating [00:19:16] by under licenses of the USG [00:19:21] and um of treasury of OFAC and um and [00:19:25] they've been and they were working with [00:19:27] Venezuela. they have been in Venezuela [00:19:29] for 100 years. I mean, so they then they [00:19:33] didn't stopped all these days. So what [00:19:36] does that tells us from my point of [00:19:39] view? [00:19:41] I think we have to take into account and [00:19:44] go and and realize how big Exom [00:19:46] Mobileio's stakes and participation is [00:19:50] inside this besides of course Singer [00:19:54] which I'll jump back to that in a minute [00:19:57] but but put yourself in the place of [00:19:59] Exom Mobilei that already is extracting [00:20:02] il illegally oil from the from offshore [00:20:06] uh wells and disputed waters between [00:20:11] Venezuela and Guyana [00:20:13] and actually unrestricted, [00:20:17] unchecked, [00:20:21] um, you know, frantically [snorts] and [00:20:24] basically controlling each and every [00:20:26] nook and cranny of Guana. [00:20:28] So just put yourself in in their in [00:20:30] their mind for a moment and think about [00:20:32] having all these large reserves of light [00:20:35] crude from upshore Venezuela's shores [00:20:39] because this is less [00:20:41] and um also Venezuela's largest reserves [00:20:45] in the Orinoco belt [00:20:48] and then walk back to Marco Ruvio one of [00:20:51] the helping hands of Apac inside the US [00:20:54] government according to a APAC official. [00:20:58] So all this comes you know falls into [00:21:00] place quite easily especially when [00:21:04] Israel just like Exxon [00:21:06] had uh [00:21:09] they wanted to settle some accounts with [00:21:11] Venezuela from a long time ago [00:21:14] and yeah and Israel by itself doesn't [00:21:18] have such much of a vocal [snorts] erh [00:21:23] participation that you can you're that [00:21:26] you can [00:21:27] But boy, they're there. And boy, do you [00:21:30] have reasons, especially for with a [00:21:31] country that actually has no diplomatic [00:21:34] relationship with the entity since 2009 [00:21:38] during Operation Castle up to this [00:21:41] point, people forget about this. I mean, [00:21:43] and and it's commendable that many [00:21:45] countries this last two two Yeah. two [00:21:48] years. Erh, also joined the lawsuit by [00:21:53] South Africa and you know in the the IC [00:21:59] yeah in the international court [00:22:02] but at the same time [00:22:06] we already did it more than a decade [00:22:08] ago. [00:22:10] You could have done it. I mean you know [00:22:12] it's it's a matter of will. if you [00:22:14] actually are going to do something to [00:22:17] the extent you're you're able to support [00:22:19] Palestine. So that's of course that's [00:22:22] also part of the of the interest and the [00:22:26] procedures. [00:22:29] All the AI and all this it's of course [00:22:32] run by Uber scientists [00:22:34] and they also had a a role here. I mean, [00:22:38] it's hard not to imagine that one more [00:22:40] time, at least in part of the new way of [00:22:45] war slash political economy that stems [00:22:48] from Gaza wasn't operating here, you [00:22:51] know, especially for a section of of [00:22:55] this new cloud robber barons which [00:22:58] really need to rely on cheap energy to [00:23:02] make their, you know, their venues [00:23:06] actually viable. [00:23:07] in a midterm thing. So yes, all of this [00:23:11] is crossed together and singer it's a [00:23:13] very descriptive crossing point of all [00:23:15] of this because it touches that like you [00:23:17] already see it touches the scionists it [00:23:20] also [00:23:22] established context with with Marco Ruio [00:23:27] with vulture funds with the kind of you [00:23:30] know [00:23:32] the kind of [00:23:35] bookering finance kind of things and Um [00:23:39] and yes and also his own interest here. [00:23:41] So that that I mean I think it's very [00:23:44] that's a very good pick to you know pin [00:23:47] up a lot of uh factors and actors that [00:23:50] are also around the the current moment [00:23:54] against Venezuela [00:23:57] >> and you know Venezuela has historically [00:23:59] through the Chavez administration put [00:24:02] Palestine as a national cause. Um, you [00:24:05] know, Chavez even formed an alliance [00:24:08] with former Iranian president uh, [00:24:10] Ahmedina Jad to say that Venezuela is [00:24:13] part of the access of resistance. Um, [00:24:16] and has said that, you know, all of [00:24:18] Venezuela is Palestine and all of [00:24:20] Palestine is Venezuela. Like, we are [00:24:22] brothers and sisters in the same [00:24:25] struggle. And I don't think people [00:24:28] realize how much this was a thorn in [00:24:31] Israel's uh, back. And so for decades, [00:24:34] for decades, Israel has written about [00:24:37] and has spoken about how not only does [00:24:40] Iran need to be overthrown, the [00:24:43] government of Iran needs to be [00:24:44] overthrown, but also the Venezuelan [00:24:46] government needs to be overthrown for [00:24:48] its support for Palestine, for its [00:24:50] alliance with Iran, which is another [00:24:52] sanctioned country. And so talk to me [00:24:55] more about this and how Israel [00:24:58] um apart from the pro-Zionist actors may [00:25:01] have played a role in the kidnapping of [00:25:04] Maduro. [00:25:07] Yeah, I have no exact [00:25:10] knowledge of something directly, but I [00:25:13] think that this one of the one of the [00:25:16] things that explains this is basically [00:25:18] because uh I think they have been not [00:25:21] only now but all these years they have [00:25:24] been playing more in stealth mode [00:25:27] regarding Venezuela but they always pop [00:25:29] up at some point. I don't know if you [00:25:31] remember this was n now nine years ago [00:25:34] here in Venezuela in 2017 [00:25:37] there was this erh color-coded [00:25:40] unconventional warfare kind of [00:25:42] demonstration that were extremely [00:25:44] violent far more violent than the ones [00:25:46] from 2014 [00:25:48] h in which even you know stars of David [00:25:52] appeared painted in the streets and [00:25:57] yeah even in the highway in in in [00:25:59] southeastern Karakas for example, and [00:26:01] they and they people who were detained [00:26:03] and interrogated also admitted to this [00:26:06] and then many other I remember one of [00:26:08] the numerous [00:26:11] uh plots to kill Maduro to overthrow the [00:26:15] government and so on [00:26:18] had the mention this is a son of a [00:26:19] general who was involved in this [00:26:21] mentioned I have the and they were [00:26:23] actually infighting between them and [00:26:25] saying I have the contact I'm the one [00:26:27] with the with the Israeli context here [00:26:29] so you have would listen to me what I'm [00:26:31] going to do. And this actually was one [00:26:34] of the stra of the strains that at some [00:26:36] point ended up in the previous [00:26:39] operations before operation Gideon, you [00:26:42] know, back in 2020 [00:26:45] May. Uh so this actually shows that in [00:26:49] some ways or others they're there [00:26:51] especially also you have the logistics [00:26:52] you have the AI you have the sigent you [00:26:55] have all those resources that are [00:26:56] actually ran by people if they're not [00:26:58] embedded they're outside but close to [00:27:01] unit 8 82000 you know [00:27:05] so in that sense it is clear that they [00:27:08] have a take but they're playing second [00:27:12] line here from my point of view And it [00:27:17] pops up on different ways. I think [00:27:19] everybody saw Marorina Machado calling [00:27:23] I mean recently my you know our double [00:27:26] peace [00:27:27] peace Nobel peace prize laurate Marakina [00:27:30] Machado calling herself calling [00:27:33] Netanyahu after she won the prize and [00:27:37] talking to him so and and supporting [00:27:39] this quote unquote strong commitment in [00:27:42] Gaza and so on and how in 2018 her party [00:27:46] which is not by by the way a legal [00:27:49] registered party Venezuela actually sent [00:27:52] the communication to the liquoot [00:27:55] and directed to Netanyahu [00:27:59] asking for political and military [00:28:01] support in the efforts of bringing [00:28:04] freedom into Venezuela and also in 2024 [00:28:10] before the presidential elections Marina [00:28:14] Machado gave a [00:28:16] interview to one of the Israeli the TV [00:28:18] channels. I don't remember which. And [00:28:21] but she said quite clearly that when we [00:28:24] win, we're going to resume relations [00:28:26] with Israel and Venezuela will move its [00:28:30] embassy to Jerusalem under the frame of [00:28:34] the Abraham Accords. [00:28:36] But if you also want to see how [00:28:39] candid and how explicit on the other [00:28:43] side of things Israel is playing in the [00:28:46] region, just go and see Argentina [00:28:49] and just go see the now looming ISAC [00:28:53] Accords that basically it's like a low [00:28:55] tier replica of the Abraham Accords that [00:28:59] has been already subscribed by [00:29:01] Argentina, Costa Rica, Panama and if I'm [00:29:04] not mistaken the new Lolivia. [00:29:08] which basically yeah it's a it's a [00:29:10] replica and it focuses on what matters [00:29:13] and the most for the current scientist [00:29:17] regime which is the narrative which is [00:29:20] the means of [00:29:23] to control the speech the freedom of [00:29:25] speech of course now and and and of [00:29:28] course they call it the fight against [00:29:29] anti-semitism as you extensively know [00:29:33] but to bring all that chap chapter into [00:29:36] Latin America. So at the current moment [00:29:40] other than I don't know some [00:29:41] congratulations and and that kind of [00:29:42] stuff and some Freudian slips from some [00:29:47] US officials and an executive I remember [00:29:51] there was this interview this guy saying [00:29:53] how how much go this is going to bring [00:29:54] to the and he says to Israel and then he [00:29:57] corrects you know to the United States. [00:30:00] I mean that kind of Freud and slips also [00:30:02] confirms how deep this goes and how much [00:30:05] active he is. And this has been a long [00:30:08] while. [00:30:10] This has been a long while. I mean I [00:30:12] remember yeah something like six years [00:30:14] seven years ago some declassified files [00:30:18] proved that for example Israel had a [00:30:20] important role in communications [00:30:23] uh between inside the whole structure of [00:30:27] the of the condor operation and they [00:30:29] were based in Panama. It was like a hub [00:30:32] for communications between all this [00:30:34] military and secret services from the [00:30:36] southern cone and other places in order [00:30:38] to help the effort of disappearing and [00:30:41] exterminating people. So there you go. I [00:30:44] mean it's not as obvious as in of course [00:30:48] in Western Asia but of but definitely [00:30:51] they're there and they're doing them [00:30:53] what they are good at in [snorts] that [00:30:56] sense. And we'll have to wait and see. [00:30:59] And I'm sure that's that we won't take [00:31:01] too long to see more evidence of their [00:31:05] participation [00:31:07] during I mean before and during the [00:31:10] recent events. [00:31:12] >> Thank you for explaining that. Um you [00:31:14] know one of the I want to talk more [00:31:16] about the sham court case that's [00:31:20] happening right now. This court hearing [00:31:21] against President Maduro in New York [00:31:24] City. You know, it's so horrible to have [00:31:27] seen all of those images and video of [00:31:30] our corporate mainstream media from CNN [00:31:32] to Fox News showing how Madura was being [00:31:35] paraded in the streets of New York. Um, [00:31:38] as if like they had caught this prize, [00:31:40] right? And they're like showing him off [00:31:41] and you can hear people in the streets [00:31:43] yelling USA, USA. [00:31:46] It was so disgusting. And to top all of [00:31:49] this off, the star witness in the DOJ's [00:31:52] drug trafficking court hearing against [00:31:54] Maduro is actually a US asset. His name [00:31:57] is Hugo Carvajel. Um he defected and [00:32:00] colluded with the Bush administration [00:32:02] during the um Chavez government. Tell us [00:32:05] more about his history and why this is [00:32:08] problematic for this case that um the [00:32:13] DOJ's key witness is a US asset. [00:32:18] Yeah, you know, I want I would like to [00:32:21] address the first part of your of your [00:32:23] of your question, which was yeah, the [00:32:27] parading the Roman parading of Nicolas [00:32:30] Maduro [00:32:33] and Celia Flores, the first lady of [00:32:35] course was wounded as you can as was [00:32:38] also clear to see for anyone who wanted [00:32:40] to [00:32:42] and how actually [00:32:44] there was I think it's a very important [00:32:47] symbolic defeat there for the United [00:32:48] States [00:32:50] because of how he actually first the [00:32:53] opportunity he had in front of cameras [00:32:56] and what he did first of all just saying [00:32:59] good night and smiling and just keeping [00:33:01] you know keeping it up looking straight [00:33:03] to the to the world and also sending us [00:33:06] this sign I don't know if you realize [00:33:07] but he did this he was in in handcuff [00:33:09] and he did just like this [00:33:12] tuck his he touched his hands and did [00:33:14] the V sign basically saying in Spanish, [00:33:19] we will prevail. So that has become now [00:33:22] a symbol for us. And um also if you look [00:33:26] at the takes of his presence in court [00:33:30] and the way he behaved there and what he [00:33:32] said and how he was [00:33:36] well standing firm that made a strong [00:33:40] impression on all the correspondents who [00:33:42] were inside the court that day a couple [00:33:44] of days ago. So for that and so in that [00:33:47] part I think that's important. Now [00:33:49] regarding U Poo Carvajal who was a [00:33:52] former military intelligence chief for [00:33:56] Chaveis and there also were colluded in [00:33:58] to was to to an extent with Tisami the [00:34:02] you know the one of the of the traders [00:34:04] of of the project of the revolution who [00:34:07] actually had very high-profile [00:34:13] positions that was basically conspiring [00:34:15] and was and was leading one of the [00:34:17] biggest frauds on in the oil field and [00:34:20] others in our history which was [00:34:23] devastating at that moment in the sense [00:34:24] of of how [00:34:27] to the extent of how treasonous it was [00:34:29] and WA was part of that scheme and um so [00:34:35] and I even have to think about this [00:34:39] follows a pattern that wasn't that [00:34:42] successful back then and it's not being [00:34:45] successful now either if you if you ask [00:34:47] me [00:34:49] because yes, they're they're trying to [00:34:50] turn me into a a star witness, but this [00:34:54] is also a coerc witness, something where [00:34:57] was actually actually asking for [00:34:59] benefits in order to reduce his own [00:35:01] sentence. So he's actually [00:35:05] declaring [00:35:06] under the rest regardless of how willful [00:35:09] he is to lie and deceive but he has his [00:35:13] own erh [00:35:15] fate at play here. And if he doesn't [00:35:18] play ball [00:35:20] it will be far worse for him. So he's [00:35:22] going to say anything the US wants them [00:35:24] to say. And as you already saw the [00:35:26] indictment, basically there's no mention [00:35:30] of fentanil and and they just like the [00:35:35] media has been covering. The whole [00:35:37] cartel deos thing was dropped. [00:35:41] So this proves how flimsy and how [00:35:44] opportunistic and how fake the whole uh [00:35:48] drug thing was and how it was used as a [00:35:52] procedure. We were warning this a lot [00:35:55] before [00:35:56] before January the 3 in which they [00:36:01] the whole thing about calling uh our [00:36:04] president and the government narco [00:36:06] terrorist and a and a narco state and [00:36:10] leading this [00:36:12] the fake cartel de loses the cartel of [00:36:15] the sons which is a CIA creation of the [00:36:17] 90s it's mostly a procedural thing you [00:36:20] have of course the narrative to you know [00:36:22] further the criminalization and the [00:36:24] character assassination of Nikoras [00:36:26] Maluro, the first lady, the government, [00:36:29] the society and the country as a whole. [00:36:33] But it was also a convenient way to just [00:36:37] say this is not a military operation. [00:36:40] This is not a state declaring war to [00:36:43] another state. This is police work. This [00:36:46] is domestic security kind of erh [00:36:49] operations. This is this has nothing to [00:36:52] do with uh dictatorship or freedom. This [00:36:56] is only about uh [00:37:00] yeah about a criminal in a criminal [00:37:02] procedure in this sense. And they've [00:37:05] been calling it even a police operation. [00:37:08] It's it's far more easier legally and [00:37:10] institutionally to do it this way, you [00:37:12] know, than going through the whole [00:37:17] massive construct. That was the EDAG [00:37:21] 2003 WMDs. [00:37:24] This was a highway for this and [00:37:26] throughout the the whole process [00:37:29] not showing the goods, not showing [00:37:30] evidence and actually getting push back [00:37:33] even from their own institutions like [00:37:35] the you know the the top judicial [00:37:39] authority inside the Pentagon [00:37:40] acknowledging the Jack acknowledging [00:37:42] these were war crimes for example. [00:37:46] So it proves one more time that this was [00:37:49] just this is just lawfare and and and [00:37:52] it's and and it's even sloppier than [00:37:54] that if you think if you ask me it's [00:37:56] even sloppier they just don't care [00:37:58] anymore. [00:38:00] >> This never a matter [00:38:02] >> matter of truth. Yeah. Go on. Well, no, [00:38:04] I was just going to say, I mean, if if [00:38:06] you know, the Trump administration [00:38:09] really cared about um, you know, drug [00:38:11] trafficking. I mean, the CIA itself, [00:38:13] just the CIA is one of the largest narot [00:38:16] terrorists in the world responsible for [00:38:19] uh, trafficking so many different drugs. [00:38:21] I mean, look at the war in Afghanistan. [00:38:23] It was US troops guarding the poppy [00:38:24] seeds. We can't forget that those [00:38:26] images. [00:38:27] >> Um, and that list, of course, uh, [00:38:29] >> US troops and and CIA contractors. [00:38:32] >> Yeah, it was the CIA. Exactly. Exactly. [00:38:34] And of course, we can't forget that, you [00:38:36] know, I mean, at this point, [00:38:38] >> the mask is off. Trump just pulled that [00:38:41] mask off. And like, yeah, we're talking [00:38:43] about drug trafficking and so on, but [00:38:45] like he has said this is about oil. We [00:38:47] were we're going there to take the oil. [00:38:49] We're there to take over the vast [00:38:52] mineral wealth. This is a, you know, the [00:38:55] Monroe Doctrine and now the Donroe [00:38:57] doctrine to make sure that the Western [00:38:59] Hemisphere in its entirety is in US [00:39:03] control. I mean, this could very much be [00:39:07] a cover up, of course, from the uh from [00:39:10] Trump's role in the Epstein files. You [00:39:13] know, he was mentioned what over 600 [00:39:16] times and implicated in like the rape [00:39:20] and murder of young girls. It's really [00:39:24] disturbing stuff. So, not only are we [00:39:25] ruled by criminals, but we're ruled by [00:39:27] pedophiles as well. And we're just like [00:39:29] given this show. I mean, like you said, [00:39:32] it's like a they're we're having the US [00:39:34] is having a sugar high right now. And [00:39:36] they're putting up a big show of [00:39:38] strength, you know, parading Maduro in [00:39:40] the streets, putting him on trial, [00:39:43] kidnapping him with like Hapachi [00:39:45] helicopters [00:39:46] and um you know, threatening to take [00:39:48] over the oil industry. Like like this is [00:39:50] like this what has just happened is a [00:39:55] representation of US imperialism. It [00:39:58] never died. And if anybody ever thought [00:40:02] that the US cared about human rights, [00:40:04] let this be yet another reminder in case [00:40:06] you're confused. I don't know how you [00:40:07] can be confused at this point [00:40:09] >> considering we just watch we just [00:40:11] watched a [00:40:12] >> Yeah, we just watched a genocide in Gaza [00:40:15] and it was presided over by the Trump [00:40:18] administration, the Biden administration [00:40:19] by US imperialism funded and armed. So [00:40:24] there's no question at this point that [00:40:26] the US does not give a damn about human [00:40:28] rights. Otherwise Netanyahu right now [00:40:31] would be on trial, right? He would have [00:40:34] been captured. He would have been the [00:40:35] first person that the United States [00:40:36] would have kidnapped. Um and so this is [00:40:39] obviously a sham case, but you know, we [00:40:43] haven't. This is not the first time [00:40:44] we've seen stuff like this before. But [00:40:46] before we go into other examples of the [00:40:48] US kidnapping um other state leaders um [00:40:52] you know Deli Rodriguez who is the vice [00:40:56] president [00:40:57] >> um in the government has now been sworn [00:40:59] in as the interim president of [00:41:02] Venezuela. And so what is that going to [00:41:05] look like considering she has openly [00:41:08] stated and invited the United States for [00:41:11] dialogue? [00:41:12] You know, I mean I what what can we take [00:41:15] from that? [00:41:16] >> Yeah, I understand. [00:41:16] >> Yeah. [00:41:18] >> Sure. But first, I mean, she doesn't she [00:41:21] didn't say anything new. This has been [00:41:24] government position ever since. [00:41:27] I mean, Venezuela will always be [00:41:29] available and willful to talk as equals, [00:41:33] as normal actors with the United States, [00:41:37] just like any other country in the [00:41:39] world. I mean, this is not about [00:41:41] privilege. relationship. This is about a [00:41:44] conversation among states, among [00:41:46] rational states. That's the premise in [00:41:49] which this is based and and that has [00:41:52] been I mean Nicolaras Maduro was saying [00:41:53] the same thing probably one two weeks [00:41:55] before all of this and mind [snorts] you [00:41:58] that at at least until 20 [00:42:02] yeah 134 [00:42:04] the US was one of the main buyers of [00:42:06] Venezuelan oil. There's a whole refining [00:42:09] circuit in southern US that relies on [00:42:12] Venezuelan's heavy crude that has [00:42:15] suffered a lot by the way because of all [00:42:17] this [00:42:19] uh militancy of of people who are [00:42:21] actually opposing ideology to energy [00:42:24] markets. [00:42:26] But at the same time she said that she [00:42:27] also said the other part of this which [00:42:30] is as important because that yeah that's [00:42:32] official. I mean that's no there's no [00:42:34] there's nothing new there. But she also [00:42:36] said, "I am the interim president and [00:42:39] I'm waiting and we are all waiting for [00:42:41] the return of the legitimate elected [00:42:43] president of the Bolivian Republic of [00:42:45] Venezuela, which is Nicolas Maduro and [00:42:47] the first lady Celia Flores." [00:42:49] >> And do you think and and do you think um [00:42:52] Diego that the United States will return [00:42:55] Maduro? Like what do you think lies [00:42:57] ahead for Nicholas Maduro now that he's [00:42:59] in captivity by the US government? [00:43:02] Yeah, it's really hard to tell at this [00:43:04] point and it's too too soon for at least [00:43:07] for me to make a more a more informed [00:43:11] analysis or opinion about this. I don't [00:43:14] rule that out. [00:43:16] I mean, I don't know how or when, [00:43:19] but I don't rule that out necessarily up [00:43:22] to this point. Depends what happens [00:43:24] next. Depends what happen in next uh [00:43:28] audience, which is in March. [00:43:31] uh March the 17th depends on a lot of [00:43:34] things that are going on right now. But [00:43:36] uh but I don't think it's impossible. [00:43:40] Venezuela was able to bring back for [00:43:41] example Alexa which also seemed [00:43:43] impossible back then. Alex, as you know, [00:43:45] it's a it's a now he's a ministry of [00:43:49] industries [00:43:51] and he was an entrepreneur and who had a [00:43:54] diplomatic support for [00:43:58] bringing food into Venezuela from other [00:44:01] places and this was his crime. [00:44:05] Very different kind of leader from some [00:44:06] people who are used to, you know, the [00:44:08] usual 20th century kind of [00:44:09] revolutionary, but a leader [00:44:11] nevertheless, a hero nevertheless. I [00:44:14] mean, in that sense, someone who puts [00:44:16] his life in the line to bring food to [00:44:19] Venezuela in order not to not to allow [00:44:23] well a famine [00:44:26] or even worse [00:44:29] for what it was back then, bringing food [00:44:31] from important food from throughout the [00:44:33] world and circumventing sanctions. So, I [00:44:36] don't think it's at all it's impossible. [00:44:40] I don't think I think that should could [00:44:41] happen at some point but I don't have [00:44:43] like any valuable point in which to rely [00:44:48] other than this kind of precedence. He [00:44:50] has also a very good lawyer in this case [00:44:52] who was able to manage to finally [00:44:55] release Assange [00:44:58] which because it that's his lawyer [00:45:00] Pollock Jeffrey Pollock I think is his [00:45:02] name that's that's Maduro's lawyer here. [00:45:04] >> Yeah. Yeah. [00:45:04] >> And I think that's also significant. [00:45:07] >> And um so it's it's it's a matter of [00:45:11] waiting and see. But jumping back to the [00:45:13] other question where you asked how would [00:45:15] that look like with with our inurren [00:45:17] interim president [00:45:20] Rodriguez. First you have to take into [00:45:22] account that this was ruled by the [00:45:24] Supreme Court based on two articles of [00:45:26] our own constitution. So it's a pro it's [00:45:29] a [00:45:30] legally it's very it's it's a solid move [00:45:33] and it's important and it's based on our [00:45:36] domestic laws and if you see the cabinet [00:45:39] nothing has changed either and this [00:45:42] happens because timing it's never easy [00:45:45] to hide a couple of days before the new [00:45:48] national assembly was installed. [00:45:51] So they so this tells you how they [00:45:54] wanted to disrupt state function and [00:45:56] administrative continuity and they [00:45:58] weren't able to achieve that and now [00:46:00] they have to rely on this government [00:46:02] because they they know that any other [00:46:03] it's incapable to keep stability. [00:46:07] I mean this is uncharted waters manar in [00:46:10] many ways and this is one of them but it [00:46:13] shows you how no state collapse means a [00:46:16] lot in this kind of situation and [00:46:18] describes a lot the situation. [00:46:21] >> Yeah and I and I was going to actually [00:46:23] bring up Alex Saab. I mean, the fact [00:46:25] that he was an ambassador to bring aid [00:46:29] um and food and he was even on his way [00:46:32] from getting aid um when he was [00:46:35] kidnapped by the US government and he [00:46:38] was put on trial in US courts and he was [00:46:41] in fact let go and freed and brought [00:46:43] back to Venezuela. And so it definitely [00:46:47] we're living in interesting times. I [00:46:49] think that the president um is a little [00:46:52] bit different because of just how much [00:46:54] the United States has been trying to [00:46:56] take over the oil and mineral uh wealth [00:47:00] of Venezuela. Then again, you know, we [00:47:02] have examples of, you know, Ugo Chavez [00:47:04] uh there was a coup and he was [00:47:06] kidnapped. I don't think he made it all [00:47:07] the way to the United States, but it was [00:47:10] the will of thei of the people of [00:47:12] Venezuela and them demanding that their [00:47:15] president be returned that Hugo Chavez, [00:47:18] they actually ended up overthrowing the [00:47:19] coup government, the people and the [00:47:21] military and then [00:47:22] >> yeah, it was a counter coup a counter [00:47:25] coup and then um you know he was [00:47:27] returned he was returned to Venezuela. [00:47:30] So [00:47:30] >> I really think again it really signifies [00:47:33] just the power of the people and you [00:47:36] know it's so horrible what they've said [00:47:39] about Maduro being a dictator because I [00:47:41] don't know of any other dictator that [00:47:42] would be handing out rifles to the [00:47:45] people of their country. He armed his [00:47:48] country to the tea whereas here in the [00:47:50] United States you know the second [00:47:52] amendment is being disarmed and people [00:47:55] could argue that that's a form of you [00:47:57] know authoritarianism. And I'm not one [00:47:59] to support, you know, guns or anything [00:48:02] like that, but it is our second [00:48:04] amendment right. And [clears throat] the [00:48:06] people of Venezuela are being armed. [00:48:08] They're not having their guns taken [00:48:10] away. They're being armed. That's how [00:48:11] much trust trust there is between Maduro [00:48:13] and the people. [snorts] [00:48:15] >> Yeah. And also part of the charges [00:48:17] against Maduro, it's is having [00:48:20] >> guns at his home, having weapons. [00:48:22] >> That's part of the indictment based on a [00:48:24] 1934 law. I mean, domestic US law that [00:48:27] it has nothing to do with Venezuela [00:48:29] legal system at all. So, yeah. I mean, [00:48:32] it it is true. Um, [00:48:37] >> yeah. Well, [00:48:38] >> like I've said, I mean, it's it's [00:48:40] >> Yeah. Go on. Go on. Sorry. [00:48:42] >> No, no. I I was just gonna, you know, [00:48:43] we're going to try to wrap it up now, [00:48:45] but um I want to talk about um you know, [00:48:49] January 3rd marks a very historic day in [00:48:52] US history because that was the day that [00:48:54] Nicholas Maduro was kidnapped. January [00:48:57] 3rd in 2020 was also the date that the [00:48:59] United States under the Trump [00:49:01] administration carried out an [00:49:02] assassination against Kasamsle Mani. And [00:49:05] also on January 3rd, 36 years ago to the [00:49:09] day that the US abducted sitting [00:49:12] Panameanian President Manuel Noriega, [00:49:15] also on drug charges. So it seems like [00:49:17] there's something going on with this uh [00:49:20] date where the United States, you know, [00:49:22] they they celebrate New Year's with a [00:49:24] new war plan. And so um [clears throat] [00:49:29] how do you think this [00:49:32] >> Go on. No, I was just going to say like [00:49:33] how do you think this signals a new era [00:49:36] with uh Latin American countries with [00:49:38] the US? I mean the [clears throat] US [00:49:41] has openly now the Trump administration [00:49:43] has said, "Oh, Cuba, you're next. [00:49:45] Nicaragua, you're next. Colombia, you're [00:49:47] next." Do you think that will actually [00:49:50] happen or what do you what do you what's [00:49:52] your response to this? M [00:49:54] >> [clears throat] [00:49:54] >> uh you know it it was already happening [00:49:56] during the first stage of what we could [00:49:59] what could call what we could call in [00:50:00] hindsight now the first stage of this uh [00:50:03] aggression [00:50:05] uh you know striking the speed boats the [00:50:08] the fish fisherman boat in some cases uh [00:50:12] near our shores and throughout the [00:50:15] southern Caribbean bassin [00:50:19] victims were Colombians and Italians not [00:50:22] only Venezuelans [00:50:24] So it it is already happening in that [00:50:26] sense and this fits into the Trump [00:50:30] corollary of the national security [00:50:32] strategy uh that was released early in [00:50:34] early December of last year [00:50:38] and um [00:50:40] and you have to also pair this up with [00:50:43] how they are also engaging with other [00:50:45] countries. If it is the case of [00:50:46] Argentina for example, they offered a [00:50:48] massive bailout to MLE that actually [00:50:51] allowed him to win Congress back then. [00:50:55] Then you got the case for example of [00:50:57] Honduras the way it was basically also [00:51:02] the true social posts erh threatening on [00:51:06] Honduras that actually you know tipped [00:51:08] the balance and allowed also and [00:51:10] protected fraud that was [00:51:13] yeah electoral fraud that was going on [00:51:15] allowing to for for the opposing [00:51:18] candidate of the Liberal party to [00:51:20] actually reach office the same moment by [00:51:23] the way men the They released Juan [00:51:25] Orlando Ernnandez. As you know, [00:51:28] >> Juan, former president Juan Orlando was [00:51:31] convicted [00:51:32] for like 45 years for for being guilty [00:51:36] of pushing along with his brother 400 [00:51:40] tons of cocaine into the United States. [00:51:42] There's there is footage of him saying, [00:51:45] "We're going to stuff the US [00:51:48] population's noses up to, you know, it [00:51:51] was allowed a bad word there." And um [00:51:54] and also you see Marco Rubio [00:51:58] involved in all of this including the [00:52:00] lobby effort, the lobby agency that [00:52:02] actually pushed for Trump to talk about [00:52:05] Juan Orlando in the first place. Juan [00:52:08] Orlando who actually shaped Honduras as [00:52:10] a narco state and a full-fledged narco [00:52:13] state just like Ecuador is now one. and [00:52:16] and al it's so surprising to see how [00:52:19] close Daniel Noa the current narco [00:52:23] president of Ecuador is so close [00:52:25] extremely close to Marco Rubio. So this [00:52:29] tells you a lot and and we all know [00:52:31] about Marco Rubio and Netor Cecilia's [00:52:34] p early days in Florida and we all know [00:52:39] also about Miami being a narco city in [00:52:42] and of itself. [00:52:44] So this is quite descriptive. I mean a [00:52:47] friend of mine said that uh if actually [00:52:51] Venezuela if actually and this is the [00:52:53] the main difference with Noriega if [00:52:55] Venezuela was a narco state it would [00:52:57] have been a US partner not a US enemy. [00:53:01] >> That's a very very accurate statement [00:53:03] and I think many people would agree with [00:53:05] that. [00:53:06] >> Yeah. And uh [00:53:07] >> but that but this shows you what they [00:53:09] want for the region in the sense that [00:53:11] it's not only about destroying and [00:53:13] threatening and trying to impose this [00:53:17] kind of vice royal thing going on here [00:53:19] in Venezuela but also uh shows you which [00:53:23] are their actual preferences in the [00:53:26] vassal friend vassel governments in in [00:53:28] other countries the friendly governments [00:53:31] in other countries they're a different [00:53:33] nature now Minar this is even worse than [00:53:36] the ones from 2015 who were actually [00:53:39] yeah neoliberal nut cases [00:53:42] not so bright bulbs that actually did a [00:53:45] lot of harm to their own societies and [00:53:46] then lost power. These are actually [00:53:49] turbocharged vessels far more [00:53:54] dumb and crazy [00:53:56] and able to do whatever and or or dirty [00:53:59] in the case of Noa and able to do [00:54:02] whatever the US wants them to do. [00:54:04] >> Yeah. in spite of anything uh in spite [00:54:08] of how harmful it could be to their own [00:54:11] countries and to the societies they are [00:54:13] supposed to govern and protect. So this [00:54:15] tells you a lot of what's in store for [00:54:19] the region what how how does the Trump [00:54:22] corollary of the mandro doctrine now [00:54:25] looks like and but also it shows you how [00:54:29] desperate this is. It shows you how this [00:54:31] is within the decline and it shows you [00:54:35] how these are not precisely [00:54:38] manifestations of strength. They're [00:54:40] actually demonstration of desperation [00:54:42] because all this you were already [00:54:45] mentioned a lot of the the the resource [00:54:48] factor this all amounts to keeping the [00:54:50] pro dollar alive. [00:54:52] >> Yeah. [00:54:54] >> In a very bad moment. Well, and that's [00:54:55] what I was going to say is if we can [00:54:57] conclude on any uh sort of note about [00:55:00] this is that you know it's not just [00:55:02] about resources of course it's about US [00:55:03] hijgemony and keeping the US dollar [00:55:05] alive since right now with the rise of [00:55:08] bricks the rise of China the rise of the [00:55:10] global south and resistance to US uh [00:55:15] hegemony the United States is trying to [00:55:17] basically get control of the situation [00:55:19] and it it looks desperate you know when [00:55:21] when a big bully like when you think [00:55:24] about like a bully the way they they [00:55:26] act, they don't get this aggressive and [00:55:28] this crazy unless they get extremely [00:55:30] desperate and they're kind of on their [00:55:32] last their last uh whim of what they're [00:55:36] capable of. So, [00:55:37] >> um it's an unfortunate turn of events [00:55:39] that we've seen under the Trump [00:55:41] administration, but I always say like, [00:55:42] you know, the Republicans and [00:55:44] specifically Trump, this is like the [00:55:47] emper the empire without its clothes on. [00:55:49] The mask is off. This is the true [00:55:51] intentions and what the United States [00:55:52] has always wanted. and he's there to [00:55:55] fulfill uh those ambitions. And I think [00:55:58] that um you know with the genocide in [00:56:00] Gaza, what we've really learned and [00:56:02] people around the world have learned is [00:56:03] that pro-Zionist actors um are there [00:56:08] pushing the US to fulfill these war [00:56:11] ambitions. So it's, you know, they've [00:56:13] become like vessels of each other where [00:56:15] they're they're pushing um the same [00:56:17] agenda. So um Diego, [00:56:21] >> absolutely. Diego, we are out of time, [00:56:23] but it's been such a pleasure to have [00:56:25] you here to learn, you know, from a [00:56:27] Venezuelan on the ground who can give us [00:56:29] the perspective of Venezuelans in [00:56:32] Venezuela, uh, about what has happened [00:56:34] with the abduction and kidnapping of [00:56:38] their president, Nicholas Maduro. And of [00:56:40] course, we don't know what's going to [00:56:41] happen next. We don't know if the US is [00:56:43] going to send more boots to the ground, [00:56:44] boots on the ground in Venezuela, how [00:56:46] exactly they're going to take over the [00:56:48] oil industry or the government. we have, [00:56:51] you know, yet to see what this is going [00:56:53] to look like. And so hopefully we'll [00:56:54] continue this conversation, but um we [00:56:57] thank you and everyone who's watching [00:56:59] can find more of Diego's work at Mission [00:57:01] Verdad. Thank you so much. [00:57:04] >> Thank you, man. This is not over. This [00:57:06] last thing I'm going to say, this is [00:57:08] just the first act.