The mainstream media covered Venezuela non-stop yesterday. They many times mentioned Delcy Rodríguez, Vice President, because Trump stated she is now in charge. They never mentioned that 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the torture to death of her father, socialist activist Jorge Rodríguez, by the CIA-backed security services of the US-aligned Pérez regime in Venezuela.
That would of course spoil the evil communists versus nice democrats narrative that is being forced down everybody’s throats.
Nor did they mention that the elected governments of Hugo Chávez reduced extreme poverty by over 70%, reduced poverty by 50%, halved unemployment, quadrupled the number receiving a state pension and achieved 100% literacy. Chávez took Venezuela from the most unequal society for wealth distribution in Latin America to the most equal.
Nor have they mentioned that María Corina Machado is from one of Venezuela’s wealthiest families, which dominated the electricity and steel industries before nationalisation, and that her backers are the very families that were behind those CIA-controlled murderous regimes.
Economic sanctions imposed by the West – and another thing they have not mentioned is that the UK has confiscated over £2 billion of the Venezuelan government’s assets – have made it difficult for the Maduro government to do much more than shore up the gains of the Chávez years.
But that Venezuela is a major production or trafficking point for narcotics entering the USA is simply a nonsense. Nicolás Maduro has his faults, but he is not a drug trafficking kingpin. The claim is utter garbage.
The willingness of the West to accept the opposition’s dodgy vote tallies from the 2024 Presidential elections does not legitimise invasion and kidnap.
Yesterday almost every Western government came up with a statement that managed to endorse Trump’s bombing and kidnap – plainly grossly illegal in international law – and simultaneously claim to support international law. The hypocrisy is truly off the scale. It is also precisely the Western powers that support the genocide in Gaza that support the attack on Venezuela.
The genocide in Gaza demonstrated the end of hopes – which were extremely important to my own worldview – for the rule of international law to outweigh the brutal use of force in international relations. The kidnap of Maduro, the rush of Western powers to accept it, and the inability of the rest of the world to do anything about it, have underlined that international law is simply dead.
In the long list of appalling awards of the Nobel peace prize, none can be worse than the latest to the Venezuelan traitor María Corina Machado, intended actively to promote and bring forward the imperialist attack on Venezuela by the United States.
It takes a great deal of effort to come up with a worse decision than to award Kissinger immediately after the massive bombing of Laos and Cambodia. It was a dreadful award, but it was intended to recognise the putative Paris peace deal and prod the United States towards honouring the peace process. Initially it was a joint award with Vietnamese negotiator Lê Đức Thọ (who sensibly declined).
The Kissinger award was a terrible mistake, but the Committee were seeking to end a war, starting from a willingness to cooperate with unprincipled realpolitik. In the award to Machado, they are deliberately seeking to endorse and promote the start of a war. That is a very different thing.
Similarly the award to Obama was a crazed moment of hope after the despair of the invasion of Iraq. It was a combined mistaken belief that Obama would be better, with a mistaken idea it would encourage him to be so.
I accept that the line I am drawing is a thin one; rewarding the perpetrators of Western aggression is only a short step away from actually encouraging Western aggression. But nevertheless a line has been crossed.
The gross hypocrisy of the morally bankrupt Committee chairman, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, in claiming that the prize is for non-violent action on Venezuela, at the very moment that Trump gathered the largest invasion force since Iraq off Venezuela makes me feel thoughts towards Frydnes that ought not qualify me for any peace prize at all. I feel similarly towards Guterres and all those others abandoning their supposed international role to lick Trump’s boot today.
So what now for Venezuela? Well, on the most optimistic reading Trump’s action was performative. He had to do something to avoid the Grand Old Duke of York jibes after that immense concentration of forces off Venezuela, and he has produced a spectacular that actually changes little.
On this reading, the Americans may be making the same mistake they made in Iran, in believing that decapitation strategy and bombing will spark internal revolution. In Iran, they actually strengthened support for the Government.
As of yesterday afternoon, the Bolivarian government in Caracas genuinely did not yet know what had happened, how far there was collusion in the armed forces in Maduro’s kidnap, and whether they still had the control of the army.
Trump’s plain signal that the US views Rodríguez as in charge, and Trump’s contemptuous dismissal of Machado – the only bright point in an appalling day – might give pause to any in Venezuela expecting active US support for a coup.
To those who claim Maduro was a tyrant, I refer you to the comic opera Guaidó coup of 30 April 2019. Guaidó had been declared President of Venezuela by the western powers despite never even having been a candidate. He attempted a coup and wandered around Caracas with heavily armed henchmen, declaring himself President but just being laughed at by the army, police and population.
In any country in the world Guaidó would have been jailed for life for attempting an armed coup, and I expect in the majority he would have been executed. Maduro just patted him on the head and put him back on a plane.
So much for the evil dictatorship.
By pure chance, on Friday I had texted Delcy Rodríguez about arrangements for travel and accreditation so I could go and report from Venezuela and bring you more of the truth from that country that the media is hiding from you. I made plain I was not asking for financial support. Things are obviously fluid at the moment, but it is still my intention to get there.
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Trump’s been on the phone, he’s plotting a regime-change operation against Rockall next.
Rockall?
A possible storyline:
* Trump tells Denmark “Give me Greenland. Never mind that it’s technically yours. I don’t GAF.” (Note: he has practically said as much already)
* Denmark tells Trump he can do one.
* Trump tells Denmark: “You talking to me? Give me the Faroes too.”
* Compradore government in Britain observes that Denmark has no right to the Faroes, because the said Faroes, which were “helped” by British forces during WW2 and which still consume lots of British-style fish and chips, voted in favour of independence but the Danish government told them to shove it. (Note: this is true)
* A few inveterate troublemakers who detest the British ruling scum publicise the logical point that by claiming the Faroes, Trump must be claiming Rockall too, given that Denmark has asserted a claim to Rockall by dint of sovereignty over the Faroes (Note: this is also true)
* Trump issues an online micromessage saying he wants Rockall as well as Greenland and the Faroes, and if Denmark and Britain don’t hand them over he’s going to
sh*t his pants in furysend the US Navy to take them.In the next episode, Nappy Boy says he wants the Isle of Lewis in Scotland, because it’s where his rather strange mother was born.
Canadian butts must be going sixpence half a crown in the light of the takeover of Venezeula. They are on the list for annexation. And ditto Greenland that’s for the taking too.
This is what uncontrolled military power does. It takes.
And oh how the mighty Great British flush must be looking on. A bit player on the sidelines with all pretence of a special relationship gone. The Donald will certainly have not forgotten how mughty Great Britain’s treacherous sitting prime minister Sir Queer Starmer so avidly sought to sink Trump’s election.
Wouldn’t be surprised if the Donald John, in memory of his Gaidhlig speaking mother Mary Macleod, and his Scottish roots might as an aside of world politics play a little game or two with the Great Coloniser. 2026 is after all the 250th anniversary of the US declaration of independence.
Watch this space Mr Starmer. The Donald may well have plans afoot and you did after all only recently interfered in US elections and he may well interfere in Scotland.
It seems that there was some collateral damage in the US kidnapping drama, the website https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/new-york-times-reports-at-least-40-people-were-killed-in-us-strike-on-venezuela/ar-AA1TwwbM
“The New York Times reported “at least 40 people were killed” in U.S. military strikes on Venezuela as part of President Donald Trump’s operation to capture dictator Nicolás Maduro. Journalist Mariana Martinez reported “military personnel and civilians” were killed in the early morning attack on Saturday, based on a “senior Venezuelan official who spoke on condition of anonymity.” The official’s figure was based on “preliminary reports,” she added.”
FIFA need to recall their peace prize, looks like a bigly error, and who at the NT times think Maduro is more of a dictator than Trump?
The facts are hard to fit into a simplistic narrative of socialist goodies versus imperialist baddies, or vice versa. All can be true at once:
– Trump wants Venezuela’s oil
– Some of the Venezuelas economic collapse has been due to US sanctions, but much of it due to mismanagement and corruption.
– US is a gangster state
– Maduro is hated by swathes of Venezuelans, even those who previously supported Chavez, and a large chunk of the population has left in the past 10 years as they don’t see any hope for change.
Hopefully Craig gets out there and can speak with normal Venezuelans, and not be on a propaganda mission for anyone, as tempting as it is to paint a compelling narrative.
“Maduro is hated by swathes of Venezuelans” in the same ways that I hate Starmer, Badenoch, Farage and the rest of the political charlatans that make up the UK governing classes. I hate Macron, Merz, Von Leyen and Kallas likewise for their traducing of European values. But, I am only an ordinary citizen who can express my political hate once every so often at the ballot box (and not in the case of the EU).
Many of those who “hate” Maduro are not ordinary Venezuelans but belong to a political elite which is paid by the USA to express their hatred in other ways than through the ballot box. Some “Chaveznistas” might have deserted Maduro but mainly because they have been pressured into doing so as a result of USA actions.
There have been pictures of some Venezuelans waving USA flags in the street to approve the USA military action. I don’t know whether they are genuine. If they are genuine, said Venezuelans are not worthy of respect – to put it mildly.
Problem is that people utterly disenchanted with the political landscape misplace their support elsewhere – ergo the waving by some of US flags.
And nearer to Home in Scotland where independence support sits at over fifty percent the SNP votes slide to around 30% with Labour and the Tories both on the low teens.
But then there is Reform. An anathema to most Scots but in the widespread disdain for the mainstream parties they are actually picking up votes from Labour and the Tories and desperately from the SNP.
When the system is broken this is the result. But, in the case of Scotland, the desire for indepence has not gone. Quite the reverse.
This illustrates the perils of Europe marching lock-step with U.S. foreign policy, as the EU certainly did during the Biden administration. It’s largely why they don’t know how to get off the treadmill on Ukraine now, they’re simply in too deep. Back to Venezuela. Apparently, in January 2020, Pedro Sánchez’s govt in Spain courted controversy and EU ire, by welcoming Delcy Rodriguez as she landed at the Barajas airport in Madrid(link below). The EU had earlier imposed a travel ban on entry into the EU. No doubt under pressure from the U.S. This is clearly why the U.S.values the EU over having to deal with individual European governments.The way the EU Commission exercises power has certainly changed my mind about the EU. In its current form I wouldn’t want to rejoin.
https://elpais.com/internacional/2026-01-04/delcy-rodriguez-tiene-vetada-la-entrada-a-la-ue-por-violaciones-graves-de-los-derechos-humanos.html
It’s also been reported there was a mole within Maduro’s administration who facilitated his capture; by revealing things like location information – his itinerary; clothing worn etc. Whether that is true or deliberate mischief making by the U.S.is an open question, as it’s the kind of thing that could be aimed at further destabilizing the government in Caracas.
With regard to yr suggestion that there was a mole in Nicolas Maduro’s administration: I have seen some online reports that the chief of security or the chief of Maduro’s bodyguard had been bribed (apparently to the tune of US$50 million) to betray Maduro’s whereabouts by the Americans.
After Maduro’s kidnapping, the role of the chief of his security was exposed and he has now been executed. No $50 million reward for him, I’m afraid.
I find Venezuela Analysis https://venezuelanalysis.com a good source of information and study of its many articles and accounts particularly of the electoral processes in Venezuela and UN Special Rapporteur Reports show convincing evidence that that USA, its acolytes and collective west media have been conducting a Big Lie, economic and other forms of dirty warfare since Hugo Chavez dared to offer an alternative to USA dominated neo – liberalism. USA has never forgiven His success in reducing poverty and inequality and raising educational standards that in the tradition of Paola Freire gives power and offers hope to the oppressed of society.
Trump. in his approach is just being more brazen than his predecessors Obama and Biden and in doing so reveals the stark criminality behind their actions. Only the completely deluded and psychopaths could seek to justify Trump’s and his acolytes egregiously criminal behaviour.
True to nature, Starmer has sat on the fence and despite his legal background failed to recognise the bleeding obvious criminal nature of the conduct of Trump et al.
But, then stating that he won’t be mourning the passing of a democratically elected and conducted socialist state he reveals his true right wing colours equivalent to those of Machado and Gonzales. He easily forgets that the undemocratic vagaries of the UK electoral system has given him more dictatorial powers on a 34 % vote than Maduro has ever had in Venezuela.
Very interesting comments. Thank you.
While the US has been wanting regime change in Venezuela for decades, this is part of a bigger picture. America largely failed in its pivot to Asia and is now focusing on the Americas.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-National-Security-Strategy.pdf
They have realised that they can’t face China directly and the US’s main weakness is their supply chain dependency on China. So now they plan to bring supply chains to the Americas under their control, be that Argentina or Greenland. Any American country which does not offer its economic resources to US business will face trouble. Brazil a BRICs member has a general election this year, Cuba is communist and Greenland is big with an interesting position by the North West passage. Expect more heavy handed diplomacy and illegal meddling.
Craig, thank you so much for this. I woke up yesterday to the Washington Post calling this outrage “A Bold Strike.” I so appreciate your offering context to this event, and especially some background on the Chavez and Maduro governments, that are unceasingly maligned here.
Danny Haiphong interviews Diego Sequera live from Venezuela, Danny quotes a speech from the new President Delcy Rodríguez who contradicts Trump, who asserted wrongly that she would work with Rubio to achieve US aims. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPHeoMRsrUw
On a more philosophical level, I wonder why it is the U.S., as the richest, militarily most powerful country on Earth, struggles to have anything resembling an ethical foreign policy, as opposed to always acting with naked self-interest? Is it because the political system produces bad people; or maybe because unethical people are the ones being promoted within the civil service? The U.S. leadership, as seen by writers of U.S. TV series and movies is invariably an idealised version; portrayed as ultra ethical; moral to the point of fault. Watch Star Trek’s Federation’s high standards, or countless other TV shows and movies.
What would an ethical stance to Venezuela be : Lifting all sanctions and normalising diplomatic relations, in return for UN monitored free and fair elections. Fat chance.
The US has always been a colonial settler state. Its international actions now are historically consistent with two centuries of domestic behaviour. If you seek a role model for Trump, let’s remember that The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was signed by president Andrew Jackson on May 28, 1830, leading to the internal genocide of the Trail of Tears. When it came to killing native people like the Seminoles for their land and resources, Jackson was a popular hero. So illegal, violent war is just in the country’s blood, Even Vietnam couldn’t turn a tradition of animalistic bullying into peaceful coexistence. The Wolfowitz Doctrine is dead? Long live the Wolfowitz Doctrine. And a major war seems increasingly unavoidable unless Russia and China are willing to prostrate themselves before the Great Hegemon, an alternative outcome almost as disasterous as WW III judging by the state of American society itself.
I wonder whether Gianni Infantino will have the bollocks to ask for the return of the shonky FIFA peace prize?
The willingness of the West to accept the opposition’s dodgy vote tallies from the 2024 Presidential elections does not legitimise invasion and kidnap.
Interesting, how all the carefully worded statements released by western leaders, use the same formula of words; talking about a ‘transition of power’, not a re-run of the elections under strict international monitoring (a test I doubt U.S. elections would pass), no, a transition of power. Doesn’t this betray their own lack of confidence in the opposition’s claims? Trump, in a moment of brutal honesty claimed Machado simply isn’t popular enough for the U.S. to push forward as Maduro’s replacement. Some polls show up to 90% of Venezuelans have a negative opinion of her. How could they not, when she gleefully supports the idea of the U.S. using military force against her own country and people. The Nobel Committee has a lot to answer for as well.
Ironic, isn’t it, how in the first post-Assad elections in Syria, the public were excluded altogether from voting, Regional electoral committees selected 140 seats out of Syria’s 210-seat parliament. The committees had been appointed by the Supreme Election Committee. The other 70 MPs were selected personally by Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, the former Al-Qaeda chief known previously as Abu Mohammad al-Julani.
Women have, unsurprisingly given the system, won just six seats in the new 210-member parliament.
Democracy test passed? And the West insisted Assad had to be removed for this?