Also this: “Despite what interveners hope, regime change implemented by outsiders is not a force for stability. More than 40 percent of states that experience foreign-imposed regime change have a civil war within the next ten years.” www.bostonreview.net/forum/downes...

As I was saying, nobody serious thinks there’s quick money to be made on Venezuelan oil. And even in the most optimistic scenarios, it would take years to increase oil production there.

Fascinating 1. Admin may not have informed Congress but has been talking regime change w US oil industry 2. Oil at $60, US firms not excited about major capex to get VZ heavy sour crude 3. Sounds like WH wants to prod oil firms to make their vision happen, more than WH doing US oil's bidding

Did someone mention Nigeria? “A Peter Thiel–Backed Startup City Wants to Be Africa’s Delaware ***Nigeria’s Itana partnered with Binance and the Charter Cities Institute to build a physical tech hub near Lagos, but the plan has sparked controversy.” 4/18/23… 1/ www.wired.com/story/itana-...

"In preparation for regime change, there had been engagement [with the oil industry]. But it's been sporadic and relatively flatly received by the industry," this person said. "It feels very much a shoot-ready-aim exercise." www.politico.com/news/2026/01...

Rodriguez's main messages were that Maduro is still President of Venezuela, and that the government will not yield to the US' attempt to take over its oil resources. Again, no indication at all that she's collaborating with Washington, which Trump indicated was the case earlier today.

It's not a bad article, but I find the idea that Russia or China are deterred by norms to be risible. The issue is in coalition-building to defend norms. That's why this is a poor choice.

Very important signal here. You can say it's abt oil. And part of it is. But the White House is actually being forced to strongarm the oil companies to get involved. www.politico.com/news/2026/01...

For months, the U.S. sold its pressure campaign against Venezuela as a way to curtail drug trafficking. Now, it’s about getting American energy companies access to one of the world’s largest oil bounties.

look at some point you gotta face the fact that not everything is a distraction from everything else and there’s just a lot of bad stuff going on all the time

The only anti-American countries that don't want Venezuelan oil to reach global markets are Russia and Iran. The other oil exporters depend on the U.S. for security (Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, UAE, etc.). Thus, I don't expect much opposition from China, India, Brazil, and South Africa too (what BRICS?).

As bad as we protesters feel about the US-Venezuela War, a lot of Iraq War I & II military veterans are even more disgusted. Iraq veteran Lt. Gen (Ret) Mark Hertling. www.thebulwark.com/p/what-regim...

Trump's promise to "run" Venezuela suggests a huge task for the State Department — which he + Rubio have decimated. Personnel at State, particularly the key Western Hemisphere Affairs bureau, are already stunned, anxious and saying they are badly under-prepared, a former State official tells me.

APNewsAlert: CARACAS, #Venezuela (AP) — No visible signs yet that US is running Venezuela after Trump claims, as country's security forces control key sites.

Trump posts footage of the Maduro raid set to "Fortunate Son" -- a protest song about the Vietnam War draft

Trump said a helicopter was hit during the operation in Venezuela and a few U.S. members were injured, but he believed none were killed. Follow AP's live updates.

🎯

Venezuela vice president Rodriguez in Russia, four sources say www.reuters.com/world/americ...

So for months they have tried to blame the entire fentanyl crisis on Venezuela and the indictment only mentions cocaine, which they pardoned a different guy for weeks ago

Update: This will be at 10:25am ET 👇

BREAKING NEWS: Trump says Nicolás Maduro and his wife are aboard a U.S. warship and will face prosecution in New York. Follow AP's live updates.

Trump: "They emptied out, if you think about it, they emptied out all of their mental institutions into our country." (Trump doesn't understand the difference between insane asylums and political asylum claims.)

🤔

History rhymes: Nicolas Maduro was captured on the 26th anniversary of Manuel Noriega's surrender to US forces. But that's where the similarity ends. In my latest column, I explain why Venezuela is a very different proposition from Panama time.com/7342906/vene...

The Epstein files must be worse than any of us imagined

My latest: Venezuela Isn’t Panama—No Matter How Much Trump Wishes It Were time.com/7342906/vene...

This is how I see it foreignpolicy.com/2025/06/24/t...

Under the banner of America First, President Trump is attacking countries all over the world. American interventionism is back, in Trumpian technicolor.

Timeline: how Trump’s threats against Venezuela unfolded ft.trib.al/gZDC1FD

The capture and deposal of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro by the U.S. does not mean a regime transition because his Vice President Delcy Rodriguez is now acting as President and the entire regime apparatus remains intact.

We’re doing “Mission Accomplished” again, declaring that forced removal of a foreign leader means problem solved? Except with Venezuela, assuming regime change will work on its own, without an occupation/stabilization force or plan for a new government?

Celebrate all the works that have moved into the public domain at our virtual party on January 21! 🎟️ www.eventbrite.com/e/1977502652...

Interesting how much weight he’s placing on a federal indictment given that his own boss was under federal indictment.

Curious to see what if anything Erdoğan says about the capture of Maduro Normally, this is the sort of thing Erdoğan would vociferously denounce, both for idealistic and practical reasons. The extent that he stays silent will be a good measure of how much he continues to count on relations w Trump

The streets of Caracas are empty as people await clarity about who is now running Venezuela, says Rosal Hernandez, live on Sky News.

Don’t let the objectively incredible capabilities of the U.S. military to pull this off distract from the fact that it’s an utterly insane move. Just because we can do things doesn’t mean we should!

Venezuela’s vice-president Delcy Rodríguez has said the whereabouts of President Nicolás Maduro are not known and demanded Donald Trump to provide 'proof of life'. Follow live updates: ft.trib.al/tzRgB32

I wonder what Tulsi “no regime change wars” Gabbard would have to say about this

Iran supreme leader says will not yield as protests simmer and US threatens reut.rs/4svnXkn

How Trump’s strikes shocked Venezuela’s capital ft.trib.al/XWAGR3l

The precedent here is obviously Panama, and while that was certainly illegal under international law, the US had a military base in the Canal Zone, there was a legitimate arrest warrant for Noriega, and there was at least the pretext of an American servicemember killed at a Panamanian checkpoint.

Trump will want his ‘Mission Accomplished’ photo-op and move on, but it’s never that simple. Plus, there are others in the administration (Rubio, et al) who want more… not only in Venezuela, but also in Cuba.

APNewsAlert: DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — #Iran's supreme leader, addressing the protests rattling his nation, says that 'rioters must be put in their place.'

I’ll be on @velshimsnow.bsky.social at the top of the 10pm ET hour, to discuss the latest news from Venezuela, with @velshi.com

Maduro is a thief, dictator and criminal, but this is an act of war with no approval of the international community. Trump just amnestied a convicted drug dealer, so this is not about drugs either. Waiting for the European reactions...

It’s exhausting and boring, but because the wilful misunderstanders will be out in force some of us are going to have to spend a lot of time saying: No, we do not like or support Maduro. We like and support the rule of law.

Just 48 hours in, and all the “Here’s hoping 2026…” wishful thinking is out the window.

Reddit overtakes TikTok in UK thanks to search algorithms and gen z