No One Could Have Anticipated, Venezuelan Edition
The scenic Venezuela Refinery in Puerto Cabello, ready to welcome the legions of American oil company employees
No one could have anticipated . . .
The United States has urged its citizens to leave Venezuela immediately amid reports that armed paramilitaries are trying to track down US citizens, one week after the capture of the South American country’s president, Nicolás Maduro.
In a security alert sent out on Saturday, the state department said there were reports of armed members of pro-regime militias, known as colectivos, setting up roadblocks and searching vehicles for evidence that the occupants were US citizens or supporters of the country.
“US citizens in Venezuela should remain vigilant and exercise caution when traveling by road,” the alert added, urging citizens to depart immediately now that some international flights from Venezuela have restarted.
You don’t say.
The US closed its embassy in Venezuela back in 2019, so it’s not like this kind of warning is entirely new. But this ought to be a flashing red light and blaring siren to all who think that after the abduction of Maduro, everything is just peachy-keen for American oil companies to send hundreds of civilian employees into the country to start extracting oil.
I await Trump’s triumphant visit to Venezuela to receive the accolades of a grateful Central American nation.
He should take Miller with him. Or send Vance and Miller. Maybe Noem can go and cosplay with them.
I’m sure anyone sent would receive a very warm welcome.
Like the flowers being thrown at them in Iraq?
Might I suggest Hegi be sent along, he is after all in charge of war or some such thing. I’d even pay for his ticket, if financial hardship were a problem.
Don’t fly commercial. Isn’t that 747 ready yet? Or do they need to wait until the glue hardens.
Crazy part is he would get a rapturous kind of reception if he showed up in Iran to support the people. But that has no graft attached
Minor point, but Venezuela is a South American nation.
Minor response, but Venezuela has a lot in common with their neighbors to the near north.
Culturally and historically, sure. But geographically, the country remains on the South American continent. I offered the comment in the same spirit that others on this site suggest correcting typos. Sorry if it didn’t come across to you that way. I enjoy your posts.
There has been speculation that the administration (Trump; Miller) would not be able even to say which countries border Venezuela—a country which they have, with the abduction of Maduro, now destabilized. Thank you Anhedonia for your comment. It prompted me to better acquaint myself with the geography of Central and South America.
@ Anhedonia
How examples of Trump turning everything he touches to crap do we need, before we come to know ahead of time, that Trump turning a thing to crap will be true once again?
Thanks. That caught out in my brain too. Established atlas matters. Otherwise, ‘Gulf of America?’
And, for those keeping score, Mexico is in North America.
In this epic 12/23/25 article in the Prospect, “Mo” Tkacik points to a comparison of Venezuela to Panama. [I forget who shared this link recently, but thanks, it’s a stunning recap of of secret wars and narco-Deep State alliances throughout Latin America during the GWOC (Global War On Communism)].
https://prospect.org/2025/12/23/narco-terrorist-elite-rubio-south-america-iran-contra/
I’m not familiar with the aftermath of the invasion of Panama or the lessons, if any, learned.
Also, this reminds me that the Panama Canal is also something that Trump has threatened to take.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/02/americas/panama-china-belt-and-road-initiative-rubio-visits-intl-latam
Sending Miller, Vance, and Noem in gets my vote!
Maybe they can even parachute in…
No doubt they would get an enthusiastic reaction on the ground.
What could go wrong?
And maybe Hegseth too!
#te
Noem’s parachute could be shaped like a giant cowboy hat. Vance’s could be a big blonde wig B-52’s style. Miller’s would be a thick gaseous cloud of hate and ego. Hegseth’s could be a giant cosmetic’s compact.
Bat wings for Miller.
Navigating the monetary influencers
https://thegrayzone.com/2025/12/27/story-venezuela-coup-cia-officials/
It did sort of cross my mind that sending in oil co. workers would not be a great idea given some in Venezuela might not be happy about it. With such things as drones being used these days, it would be ever so easy to send in drones as they do in Ukraine/Russia.
Colonialism is generally not well-received anywhere in the world these days, but Central and South America are particularly sensitive to pasty-faced gringos telling them what to do. Trump must have watched a Fox special about the grandeur of the Gilded Age and now the pathetic dementia patient is fixated on building a bridge to the 19th Century. Such a buffoon.
Or he’s had Cuban exiles longing for the days of Batista talking to him, possibly via Rubio.
“I await Trump’s triumphant visit to Venezuela to receive the accolades of a grateful Central American nation.”
Ahem.
Snarky Lutheran –
leave Venezuela right now?
Who woulda thunk it?
“You don’t say”
Glad to get that out of the way. But this entire shit show does raise an obvious question for me: both Maduro and The Felon Guy are as corrupt as can be and the Maduro machine is still (mostly?) in place.
What version of ‘Let’s Make A Deal’ is up next?
Because from where I sit it looks an awful lot like some twisted version of mano a mano with the Orange Felon stacking the deck – trying to leverage Maduro into lining his family coffers – calling in ‘favors’ from the oil Companies to foot the bill – and dangling a ‘Pardon’ if Maduro plays ball.
Am I being a bit too cynical here?
re: The Felon Guy
What came first for Trump, the corruption, or the greed / money grubbing?
Probably the greed – toddlers aren’t usually into corruption.
When Trump runs down to Venezuela like a middle school boy to claim his share the Nobel Peace prize with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado as said she would do, they can meet at the US embassy in Caracas. Oh wait! There isn’t one.
This sharing of the peace prize is for naught, anyway….
Nobel Institute says Peace Prize cannot be transferred after Machado suggestion
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/nobel-institute-says-peacçe-prize-cannot-be-transferred-after-machado-suggestion-2026-01-10/
This adventure by greedy pig Trump sounds to be for naught as well…
Trump seeks $100bn for Venezuela oil, but Exxon boss says country ‘uninvestable’
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c205dx61x76o
When the CATO Institute is against Trump’a asinine ideas…
Trump’s “I’ll Control the Money” Venezuela Oil Claim
https://www.cato.org/blog/trumps-ill-control-money-venezuela-oil-claim
It’s only 11 days into the new year – and the fresh hell that Trump has brought already is exhausting. I can only imagine what “Do Not Invite” Tulsi is thinking about her boss.
Tulsi Gabbard booted from Venezuela plans with aides joking DNI stands for ‘do not invite’
https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/tulsi-gabbard-venezuela-dni-jd-vance-b2897184.html
I wouldn’t want to be the aide obligated to explain The Miscellaneous Receipts Act to Trump.
“It’s only 11 days into the new year – and the fresh hell that Trump has brought already is exhausting. ”
Trump is digging deep to try to keep his “Epstein Problem” off the front pages.
The WaPo today has some opinion (idiot) person writing that the Trump plan (if you can call it that) is to “go slow towards democracy.”
That is, take out the leader and hope that over time things will magically transform into a heaven on earth.
It even goes so far as to state: “But insofar as that establishment would prefer a more extensive military deployment to safeguard democracy in Venezuela, Trump’s approach seems sober and judicious.”
Talk about a strawman with no brain.
See (at your own peril): https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/01/11/trump-maduro-venezuela-democracy/
We can’t even figure out how to run a free and fair election in this country. All the redistricting battles are proof of that. So now we’re going to make it happen in a hostile foreign country? Further proof of the sheer collective idiocy reigning supreme in the West Wing.
MAGA: Morons Are Governing America
Being from a place full of morons I have to take a stand and defend them here.
A moron is not a good thing, but they aren’t necessarily pedophiles, rapists, traitors, etc.
It’s like when they call Trump a pig. Also not fair to the pigs.
We may need a new word….
It’s not uncommon for a word to have multiple meanings. This can rile purists, understandably.
That new word….dynamite or mozzarella or…?
I say trump.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPUqyw2dry0
@Sandor Raven:
“There has been speculation that the administration (Trump; Miller) would not be able even to say which countries border Venezuela”
According to Miller, Venezuela borders no countries- he has repeatedly described it as an island. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NiBuqtG0D8
Realpolitik in Bizzaroworld.
“Trump is liberating Venezuelan resources.”
–Jarred Agen of Trump’s National Energy Dominance Council
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAm6AEz9s64
H.R.2926 – National Energy Dominance Council Act of 2025
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-conHegress/house-bill/2926/text/ih
“National” doesn’t mean Venezuela. Also, there’s nothing under “Duties” about stealing another country’s oil. But I realize this is MAGA World where words can mean whatever you want them to mean.
You might think that Interior as in US Department of the Interior doesn’t include Venezuela, either, but I give you last week’s “Inside Interior” emailed to all DOI employees:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gJuKj9Qlmw which is all about celebrating Trump’s “decisive action” to capture Maduro.
No one could have anticipated . . .In the meeting with oil execs, gets a bit distracted to look out the door windows at the non-existent ballroom with laughter in the background.
First 40 seconds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdK88Z3znJY
When the host has the attention span of a flea, randomness happens.
It would be interesting to know when the invite went out to hold this oil industry meeting. Days, weeks, or months ago?
My take on Trump’s ballroom gaze action is his highly reported ‘mob boss’ way of asking without speaking the words. Meaning— ‘give me money for my ballroom and I’ll scratch your backs in Venezuela.’
Spot on, Joe. Naked, shameless mob boss ask.
It is so ironic as to be almost breath-taking, that none of the oil guys appear to be slavering for Venezuelan oil.
Saw a Medias ? clip this morning, in which Oil executives, meeting with Trump, remind him they were doing fine with Venezuela’s oil until his 2019 tariffs drove them out!
In line with Susie Wiles’ assessment that he has an alcoholic’s personality, it might be time to admit that Trump has entered a Boris Yeltsin stage of life. It’s time to pack him off to his dementia dacha.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnbhoQqtjKw
“Boris Yeltsin Got Drunk in D.C. and Almost Caused an International Incident”
Another fun moment was when Rubio tried to bring him back on topic. He slipped Trump a note to go back to Chevron. Trump’s struggle to read it to the group, and his struggle to understand it were priceless.
Great post and of course comments – as usual. Attempting a comment in order to try and figure out how I might comment in the future. I think I signed up once when a password was required but I can’t remember (old age) . . .
[Welcome to emptywheel. We have never had logins for community members. Our only requirements are a unique username with a minimum of 8 letters, which your username meets, along with an email address. We do not require a valid/working email address, only that you use the same one each time you comment. Using the same username each time you comment allows community members get to know you. Please leave the URL field blank if you did not enter one with your first comment. /~Rayne]
Speaking of things no one anticipates in the Seraglio of the Potomac, LGM has an interesting article today on just how thin the US military is getting spread to humor Convict-1’s whims. As Cheryl Rofer notes in her article on logistics (and as also noted earlier in other LGM posts) there are only so many shiny toys to go around, and FWIW I also have seen that the military-industrial complex is lagging a bit on replenishment. That point has been mentioned in the discussion about Ukraine, and while our weapons are indeed capable, they are also limited in number. It doesn’t help that there are sales as well to our fair-weather friends (like KSA) further depleting inventories.
In short, if Miller wants his wars, he has to plan for it and IMHO, even a Greenland adventure would fail mightily, because everything would have to be transported around the Canada gauntlet and as Peterr noted in his post above, we’re not exactly welcome in many places where asymmetric warfare can be done easily.
ICYWW, if I post links it seems to trigger moderation. It’s probably my system, though.
Apparently, nobody with a somewhat normal psychology, or a bit of empathy for their own freakin’ kids and grandkids (let alone anyone else’s), or someone who does not have the viewpoint of a demented, dying man, can get a word in Trump’s ear. And then there’s the logistics for all of his plans.
But I would think that many of these kicked out of the services are thanking their lucky stars about now.
There is more than a small part of me believing that the acceleration of the past few weeks is due to Trump’s deterioration and the need to have him as a figurehead/unifying figure to keep the factions together. Once he or his arteries blow, his coterie believe the collapse of the enterprise will be dangerously swift.
Yes, we are now in the phase where he MUST cause an outrage of ever bigger effects each day.
We are only a few days into 2026 and already he has invaded VZ, proclaimed himself G-d on earth, made more ominous threats against several countries, gotten his SS troops to increase their kill counts, and now going after the Fed Chair (BTW, futures are not responding well to this). We still have not seen the full impact of his tariffs on our economy, including prices and retirement accounts, but that will show up bigly soon.
This week he could invade Cuba, Columbia, Iran, or Greenland and no one should be surprised.
I doubt he will live through 2026 given his fast decline, but the real question is what damages he will do to the country and the world before he passes?
The QAA Podcast’s recent Venezuela episode has a lot of information about Venezuela that is different from what is reported by mainstream sources.
Episode 354 Black Bag, Inc. feat. Abby Martin
1) AI/disinformation on Maduro capture
2) interview with Abby Martin of The Empire Files about her on-the-ground reporting from Caracas.
This interview was eye-opening, including criticism of NGOs like Amnesty International.
They discussed currency problems that predate Chavez including a Black Friday in 1983 that wiped out half the wealth of non upper class Venezuelans and oil companies who were tipped off. They discuss civilian massacres that led to the rise of Chavez.
They discuss the “opposition” to Maduro, which owns more newspapers than the official side, and has been freely allowed to protest. The opposition is responsible for more deaths at protests than Maduro’s side. The opposition is heavily armed and shoots journalists, including colleagues of the interviewee Abby Martin. They discuss one of the QAA co-hosts own perspective, who lived in Venezuela in the late 90’s as a teenager.