Venezuela? What’s up with that?

[Ron in Regina]

Well, here we are. President Trump said that his decision to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro stemmed from a two-century policy of U.S. leadership in the Western Hemisphere known as the “Monroe Doctrine.”

“We have superseded it by a lot,” he said during a press conference on Saturday. “They now call it the ‘Donroe Doctrine.’ American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again.”

Phew! Well, this’ll do something about the Monroe Doctrine Narco-Terrorism.

President Trump said U.S. oil companies will spend billions of dollars in Venezuela to fix the oil infrastructure there after the U.S. military operation to extract Nicolas Maduro.

“The oil business in Venezuela has been a bust, a total bust, for a long period of time,” Trump said during a press conference Saturday. “They were pumping almost nothing, by comparison to what they could have been pumping.”

Trump said large U.S. oil companies will “go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure–the oil infrastructure–and start making money for the country” because Narco-Terrorism.

Venezuela's Maduro Declares Innocence in NY Court Hearing; Trump Reiterates the U.S. Is 'In Charge' — The Wall Street Journal

The ousted Venezuelan president and his wife pleaded not guilty while President Trump signaled enthusiasm for actions against other countries.

apple.news

America will be selling “large amounts of oil to other countries because they’re in the oil business.” Who’s oil? America’s oil.

 

[Ron in Regina]

In case you're wondering. . .

Democrats, Europeans, and others will strongly deplore this violation of international law.

Republicans will cautiously suggest that it's "disturbing."

The mouth-flapping will increase global warming incrementally.

Nobody will do Jack shit about any of it.

Nobody will do Jack shit about any of it.

Pretty much.

Transition to what though?

 

[Ron in Regina]

But…Narco Terrorism.

Now everyone is safe from Cocaine and Fentanyl.




The legal authority for the strike, which was announced by U.S. President Donald Trump in a social media post early in the morning, was not immediately clear.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, would face charges after an indictment in New York. Bondi vowed in a social media post that the couple would “soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.”

(Maduro and other Venezuelan officials were indicted in 2020 on “narco-terrorism” conspiracy charges, but it was not previously known his wife had been and it wasn’t clear if Bondi was referring to a new indictment)

Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said "Canada calls on all parties to respect international law," and that the government stands by Venezuelans and their desire to live "in a peaceful and democratic society," in statement Saturday morning.

She said Canada is closely monitoring the situation with its international partners?

Democrats, Europeans, and others will strongly deplore this violation of international law.

Republicans will cautiously suggest that it's "disturbing."

The mouth-flapping will increase global warming incrementally.

Nobody will do Jack shit about any of it.

Global Affairs Canada has updated its travel advisory for Venezuela, saying the situation after the U.S. strikes "is tense and could escalate quickly." It advises people to avoid all travel to the country.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, along with the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "strongly condemned" the U.S. military operation in Venezuela, according to an online statement.

Sheinbaum and the government highlighted that the strike was a "clear violation" of Article 2 of the United Nations (UN) Charter, and urged the UN to work toward an immediate de-escalation.

In a series of social media posts, the president of Colombia, which shares a border with Venezuela, has condemned the U.S. bombing of Caracas.

"Alert to the whole world, they have attacked Venezuela," President Gustavo Petro posted on X.

He called for an immediate U.N. meeting on the matter, while his own country held a national security meeting that concluded at 3 a.m. local time, he said…

Nobody will do Jack shit about any of it.

The country will deploy public forces at the border, Petro said, for available support in the event of a refugee influx.

In a separate post, Petro said, "The Republic of Colombia reiterates its conviction that peace, respect for international law, and the protection of life and human dignity must prevail over any form of armed confrontation."

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez said on X: "Cuba denounces and urgently demands the reaction of the international community against the criminal attack by the U.S. on Venezuela."

Ecuador's president, Daniel Noboa, on the other hand, seemingly expressed his support for the outcome of the operation.

"To María Corina Machado, Edmundo González (Venezuelan opposition leaders) and the Venezuelan people: it's time to reclaim your country. You have an ally in Ecuador," Noboa wrote in a post on X…but Trump might’ve already vetoed that.

http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/trump-says-nobel-laureate-machado-doesnt-have-support-or-respect-to-run-venezuela-10257224

In Chile, outgoing President Gabriel Boric Font expressed "concern and condemnation," of the American strikes in Venezuela.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said that European Union is monitoring the situation closely and they "stand by the people of Venezuela," in a peaceful and democratic transition?

The head of the EU's executive body called for a respect for "international law and the UN Charter?”

The European Union's top diplomat of foreign policy Kaja Kallas called for restraint and respect for international law following the U.S. strikes?

Spanish President Pedro Sánchez and the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs echoed the EU, calling for "de-escalation" and a respect for international law in a statement?

In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer said the U.K. was not "involved in any way" in the U.S. operation, and that he was seeking more information before making a comment.

Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro captured: Mark Carney, world leaders react to U.S. military operation — Toronto Star

Prime Minster Mark Carney said "Canada has long supported a peaceful, negotiated, and Venezuelan-led transition process that respects the democratic will of the Venezuelan people."

apple.news

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Yep, that's what I said.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

So. . . what are the predictions for Maduro? Kill him, or just lock him up forever? Trial, or just "Maduro who?"

 

[Ron in Regina]

So. . . what are the predictions for Maduro? Kill him, or just lock him up forever? Trial, or just "Maduro who?"

Tomorrow he will be yesterday’s news. Show trial, done deal, onto other crazy distracting shit rapid fire that will just drown him out of the news cycle. There’s enough current and future chaos to just make him background noise.

 

[Blackleaf]

'We shed no tears' about end of Maduro's regime, says Starmer​

Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the UK has "long supported a transition of power in Venezuela".

Starmer says in a post on X: "We regarded Maduro as an illegitimate President and we shed no tears about the end of his regime. I reiterated my support for international law this morning."

He adds that the UK government will discuss the "evolving situation with US counterparts" in the coming days and "seek a safe and peaceful transition to a legitimate government that reflects the will of the Venezuelan people".

Earlier, when asked if he would condemn the US operation in Venezuela, as a number of UK MPs have, Starmer said: "I want to establish the facts first. I want to speak to President Trump. I want to speak to allies. As I say, I can be absolutely clear we were not involved in that."

Venezuelans in Florida gather to celebrate Maduro's ousting​

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from Doral, Florida

I'm in Doral, the heart of south Florida's Venezuelan expatriate population – affectionately known among many as "Doralzuela".

The mood here is, for lack of a better word, ecstatic. For about a mile, I was caught in a huge traffic jam behind a line of cars waving Venezuelan flags and Trump signs.

There is very little love for Maduro among many of these Venezuelan expats, some of whom fled Venezuela, either during Maduro's regime or that of his predecessor, Hugo Chavez.

The hub of the celebrations is a much beloved restaurant called El Arepazo, where since 05:00 this morning crowds have gathered after hearing the news.

There are currently several hundred people here – and many more trying to find parking – and it's extremely loud, with horns honking, music blaring and people chanting.

Rubio says US not at war with Venezuela, as Maduro set to appear in New York court on Monday

The secretary of state says the US will retain "multiple levers of leverage" if Venezuela's leaders don't "make the right decisions".

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Ron in Regina]

Maduro and his wife arrived at Stewart airport in New York Saturday evening, before being led off the aircraft by U.S. officials. The couple had been captured in Caracas and extracted from Venezuela on the USS Iwo Jima in a military operation carried out in conjunction with U.S. law enforcement, according to Trump.


American oil refiners stand to be big beneficiaries if Venezuela's vast crude reserves eventually flow more freely into the world market.

Refineries along the Gulf and West coasts were generally designed before the U.S. shale-drilling boom to turn heavy, sour grades of crude imported from Venezuela and Mexico into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other products. These facilities aren’t equipped to process light, sweet crude with which U.S. frackers have swamped the market.

That is a big reason that many U.S. refiners have struggled despite the drilling boom that has pushed domestic oil output to records and depressed benchmark crude prices.

It also explains why the U.S. imports about 6 million barrels a day (The United States imports roughly 4 to 4.7 million barrels of crude oil per day from Canada) as it simultaneously exports more than 4 million barrels a day of crude. U.S. oil futures ended Friday at $57.32 a barrel. Prices dropped 20% in 2025 to around five-year lows thanks to swelling supplies. That dynamic is about to change in the immediate future.

“Soaring U.S. crude production is great, but due to its light quality, U.S. crude has never been able to be fully leveraged by its domestic refinery system,” said Jaime Brito, executive director of refining and oil products at OPIS, which like The Wall Street Journal, is a Dow Jones company.

“Being able to ‘access’the reserves—the largest in the world, by the way—of the most important heavy crude producer will be a game changer for U.S. Gulf Coast and West Coast refiners in terms of profitability,” Brito said. Phew!!

(Venezuela’s viscous, high-sulfur oil is also important to refineries in India and China, he said, if Canada had its poop in a group enough to have already had an expansion plan in place for its oil to get to the Pacific)

Venezuela's Maduro Declares Innocence in NY Court Hearing; Trump Reiterates the U.S. Is 'In Charge' — The Wall Street Journal

The ousted Venezuelan president and his wife pleaded not guilty while President Trump signaled enthusiasm for actions against other countries.

apple.news

 

[Ron in Regina]

So…at a press conference, Trump blamed Venezuela for stealing U.S. oil interests and said Washington would take them back and planned to run Venezuela for a period of time, without offering specifics.

Experts in international law said the Trump administration had muddled the legal issues by claiming the operation was both a targeted law enforcement mission and the potential prelude to long-term control of Venezuela by the U.S.

Since September, U.S. forces had killed more than 100 people in at least 30 strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats from Venezuela in the Caribbean and Pacific, which legal experts said likely violated U.S. and international law.

"You cannot say this was a law enforcement operation and then turn around and say now we need to run the country," said Jeremy Paul, a professor at Northeastern University specializing in constitutional law. "It just doesn't make any sense."

http://www.reuters.com/world/us/was-us-capture-venezuelas-president-legal-2026-01-03/

(YouTube & Expert discusses legal authority, precedent after Maduro captured and brought to US)

Trump's Chief of Staff Susie Wiles told Vanity Fair magazine in an interview published late last year that if Trump were to authorize "some activity on land" in Venezuela he would need approval from Congress.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Congress was not notified before Saturday's operation.

International law prohibits the use of force in international relations except for narrow exceptions such as authorization by the U.N. Security Council or in self-defense.

Drug trafficking and gang violence are considered criminal activity and do not rise to the accepted international standard of an armed conflict that would justify a military response, according to legal experts.

"A criminal indictment alone doesn't provide authority to use military force to depose a foreign government, and the administration will probably hang this also on a theory of self-defense," said Matthew Waxman, a law professor at Columbia University specializing in national security law.

Legal experts were skeptical that the United States would face any meaningful accountability for its actions in Venezuela, even if they were unlawful given the lack of enforcement mechanisms in international law.

"It's hard to see how any legal body could impose practical consequences on the administration," said Paul, of Northeastern.

Yep, that's what I said.

 

[Ron in Regina]

…And here we are, less than two days later, & less than 24hrs after Trumps news conference from White House Two in West Palm Beach Adjacent, Florida…

(YouTube & US Issues Warning To More Latin America Nations)

“We have superseded it by a lot,” he said during a press conference on Saturday. “They now call it the ‘Donroe Doctrine.’ American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again.”

The Venezuela court ruling said that Rodríguez would assume "the office of President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in order to guarantee administrative continuity and the comprehensive defense of the Nation."

The ruling added that the court will debate the matter in order to "determine the applicable legal framework to guarantee the continuity of the State, the administration of government, and the defense of sovereignty in the face of the forced absence of the President of the Republic."

Venezuela's Supreme Court orders Delcy Rodriguez become interim president — Reuters

The Constitutional Chamber of Venezuela's Supreme Court ordered on Saturday that Vice President Delcy Rodríguez assume the role of acting president of the country in the absence of Nicolás Maduro, who was detained early Saturday morning in an operation by U.S. forces.

apple.news

Under Venezuela's constitution, Rodriguez becomes acting president in Maduro's absence and the country's top court ordered her to assume the role late Saturday night.

But shortly after Trump's remarks, Rodriguez appeared on state television flanked by her brother, the head of the national assembly Jorge Rodriguez, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez and said that Maduro remained Venezuela's only president.

Maduro is out but his top allies still hold power in Venezuela — Reuters

The U.S. capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro - praised by President Donald Trump as stunning and powerful - leaves behind uncertainty about who is running the oil-rich country.

apple.news

Trump is gonna run Venezuela until such time…etc…

Trump publicly closed the door Saturday on working with opposition leader and Nobel Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, widely seen as Maduro's most credible opponent, saying she doesn't have support inside the country.

After Machado was barred from running in Venezuela's 2024 elections, international observers say her stand-in candidate won the vote in a landslide, despite Maduro's government claiming victory.
President Donald Trump said the United States will “run” Venezuela for an unspecified period, and Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, a Maduro loyalist, was sworn in as interim president.

Trump says U.S. is ‘in charge’ in Venezuela after Maduro’s capture — The Washington Post

President Donald Trump warned Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodríguez to “do what’s right” or “pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro.”

apple.news

Trump said the United States will “run” Venezuela for an unspecified period after Saturday’s raid. “We’ll run it properly. We’ll run it professionally. We’ll have the greatest oil companies in the world go in and invest billions,” he said, adding: “We’re not afraid of boots on the ground.” Phew?!

 

[petros]

…And here we are, less than two days later, & less than 24hrs after Trumps news conference from White House Two in West Palm Beach Adjacent, Florida…
View attachment 32634
View attachment 32635
View attachment 32636
View attachment 32637

(YouTube & US Issues Warning To More Latin America Nations)

The Constitutional Chamber of Venezuela's Supreme Court ordered on Saturday that Vice President Delcy Rodríguez assume the role of acting president of the country in the absence of Nicolás Maduro, who was detained early Saturday morning in an operation by U.S. forces.

The court ruling said that Rodríguez would assume "the office of President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in order to guarantee administrative continuity and the comprehensive defense of the Nation."

The ruling added that the court will debate the matter in order to "determine the applicable legal framework to guarantee the continuity of the State, the administration of government, and the defense of sovereignty in the face of the forced absence of the President of the Republic."

Venezuela's Supreme Court orders Delcy Rodriguez become interim president — Reuters

The Constitutional Chamber of Venezuela's Supreme Court ordered on Saturday that Vice President Delcy Rodríguez assume the role of acting president of the country in the absence of Nicolás Maduro, who was detained early Saturday morning in an operation by U.S. forces.

apple.news

Under Venezuela's constitution, Rodriguez becomes acting president in Maduro's absence and the country's top court ordered her to assume the role late Saturday night.

But shortly after Trump's remarks, Rodriguez appeared on state television flanked by her brother, the head of the national assembly Jorge Rodriguez, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez and said that Maduro remained Venezuela's only president.

Maduro is out but his top allies still hold power in Venezuela — Reuters

The U.S. capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro - praised by President Donald Trump as stunning and powerful - leaves behind uncertainty about who is running the oil-rich country.

apple.news

Trump publicly closed the door Saturday on working with opposition leader and Nobel Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, widely seen as Maduro's most credible opponent, saying she doesn't have support inside the country.

After Machado was barred from running in Venezuela's 2024 elections, international observers say her stand-in candidate won the vote in a landslide, despite Maduro's government claiming victory.
View attachment 32638President Donald Trump said the United States will “run” Venezuela for an unspecified period, and Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, a Maduro loyalist, was sworn in as interim president.

Trump says U.S. is ‘in charge’ in Venezuela after Maduro’s capture — The Washington Post

President Donald Trump warned Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodríguez to “do what’s right” or “pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro.”

apple.news

Trump said the United States will “run” Venezuela for an unspecified period after Saturday’s raid. “We’ll run it properly. We’ll run it professionally. We’ll have the greatest oil companies in the world go in and invest billions,” he said, adding: “We’re not afraid of boots on the ground.” Phew?!
View attachment 32639
View attachment 32640

Summation...."Don't get into bed with the Chinamen".

 

[Ron in Regina]

Summation...."Don't get into bed with the Chinamen".

Summation….”Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

 

[Dixie Cup]

In case you're wondering. . .

Democrats, Europeans, and others will strongly deplore this violation of international law.

Republicans will cautiously suggest that it's "disturbing."

The mouth-flapping will increase global warming incrementally.

Nobody will do Jack shit about any of it.

Because behind closed doors, everyone agrees with Trump but will NEVER admit it due to TDS.

 

[Ron in Regina]

Because behind closed doors, everyone agrees with Trump but will NEVER admit it.

Everyone?

 

[petros]

Summation….”Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

Oil keeps being repeated.

Remind me which country dominates the world in mining.

 

[Ron in Regina]

Oil keeps being repeated.

Remind me which country dominates the world in mining.

China. Not in the sphere of the Monroe Donroe Doctrine. Canada dominates North America (not globally) in mining.

 

[petros]

China. Not in the sphere of the Monroe Donroe Doctrine. Canada dominates North America (not globally) in mining.

Nope. Canada. It's not about tonnage but control.

 

[Ron in Regina]

Nope. Canada. It's not about tonnage but control.

Ok…sure. What does your AI say about that? Is China 1/9th the population of its only (physically connected) neighbour which also happens to be the largest military presence on the planet?

Apples and oranges.

 

[petros]

Ok…sure. What does your AI say about that? Is China 1/9th the population of its only (physically connected) neighbour which also happens to be the largest military presence on the planet?

Apples and oranges.

I don't need AI to tell me Canada dominates mining but perhaps you do so here it is:

Canada has the most mining companies primarily due to its robust financial ecosystem, historical resource abundance, and supportive regulatory environment, which together make it an attractive hub for both domestic and international firms. The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V) are central to this, listing around 43-58% of the world's public mining companies and raising a significant portion (up to 40%) of global mining equity capital, drawing in exploration and junior mining firms from around the world.fadcb0bd90cb6c6c85 This concentration stems from Canada's expertise in mining finance and law, built on a legacy of major discoveries like gold rushes, nickel in Sudbury, and other vast deposits of over 60 minerals and metals, including critical ones like copper, nickel, cobalt, uranium, and rare earths.d40c72f43f8090fe17a0aa1e Additionally, lax listing and disclosure requirements, along with government policies that foster partnerships and don't heavily scrutinize overseas tax practices, encourage companies (even non-Canadian ones) to base operations here without needing local directors or shareholders.cbdb36d8580c0c1f8f This has led to over 1,300 Canadian-headquartered firms investing globally, particularly in Africa, Asia, and South America, solidifying Canada's role as a mining powerhouse despite not leading in raw production volume.84ffb2fdf7c4

 

[Ron in Regina]

Oil keeps being repeated.

Remind me which country dominates the world in mining.

Garbage in, garbage out. Why don’t I just take your exact words from above and throw them into an AI without qualifiers? Just plug in something like:

which country dominates the world in mining

Depending on the qualifiers fed into an AI will determine the outcome to the question asked. I just put in your exact words.

If I had qualifiers, I can make Chile come out as the AI’s answer to “which country dominates the world in mining” I’m sure.

Anyway, that’s neither here nor there. Back in North America, with three significant countries making up North America, & many others making up Central and South America…there’s the 800lb gorilla in the room flexing the Monroe Doctrine and threatening its neighbours simultaneously. China is a global player, but it’s not in the neighbourhood directly as a resident of the ‘Western Hemisphere.’

Monroe Doctrine - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org