2025 U.S. - Venezuela conflict

[dapaterson]

This is a mistake. He should STFU.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2007461129308565875

His wife and her family came from Venezuela.

 

[brihard]

Listen, if a cop just walked up and shot a drug dealer,rapist and child molester in the head, nobody would cry for said drug dealer, rapist, and child molestor.

But it would not make it legal. That cop would go to jail.

What the USA did today was the nation state equivelant of walking up to a drug dealer and abducting them. And it opens the door to other nations doing the exact same thing. Key among them, China.

None of the metaphors are super useful. Let’s just call it exactly what it was: on a pretextual basis of their own domestic criminal law, the U.S. has bombed and invaded another country, even if briefly (remains to be seen), to kidnap their head of state and his wife. That the U.S. would do something so manifestly illegal on a pretextual basis of enforcing their own criminal law will be one of history’s hilarities.

Once we move past the pretext, we find ourselves where we are at this moment: the U.S. has given several clear signals of a continued intent to violate Venezuelan political and economic sovereignty, but we don’t know what that will look like. Sycophants are already trumpeting past election results and trying to wrap this in the guise of Venezuelan democracy, but an actual sovereign Venezuelan democracy would run counter to what the U.S. has already said it intends.

And the regime remains largely in the way. It may be a few days to see who flees and who sticks around.

In the next couple hours we could see everything from renewed U.S. attacks on regime targets, to regime versus populace street battles, to jubilant crowds facing no resistance as they storm and roam the residential palace and halls of government.

We’re too few hours in yet to see what options will be open to the Venezuelan people to see a government formed through the expression of their own free political will.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Sure, you can condemn all day long… convene even…

Well, then, I look forward to a quote from these fora showing a simultaneous “Trump bad, Maduro great” statement - or do you mean “they say” or “those people“?

 

[lenaitch]

I’m as agnostic on this as I was on Libya.

If the analysis’ here could be done without the tinge of anti-Americanism, it might be even more interesting.

Anything I see on here from you is anything that is anti-MAGA/anti-Trump is anti-American.

 

[Altair]

None of the metaphors are super useful. Let’s just call it exactly what it was: on a pretextual basis of their own domestic criminal law, the U.S. has bombed and invaded another country, even if briefly (remains to be seen), to kidnap their head of state and his wife. That the U.S. would do something so manifestly illegal on a pretextual basis of enforcing their own criminal law will be one of history’s hilarities.

Once we move past the pretext, we find ourselves where we are at this moment: the U.S. has given several clear signals of a continued intent to violate Venezuelan political and economic sovereignty, but we don’t know what that will look like. Sycophants are already trumpeting past election results and trying to wrap this in the guise of Venezuelan democracy, but an actual sovereign Venezuelan democracy would run counter to what the U.S. has already said it intends.

And the regime remains largely in the way. It may be a few days to see who flees and who sticks around.

In the next couple hours we could see everything from renewed U.S. attacks on regime targets, to regime versus populace street battles, to jubilant crowds facing no resistance as they storm and roam the residential palace and halls of government.

We’re too few hours in yet to see what options will be open to the Venezuelan people to see a government formed through the expression of their own free political will.

The metaphors work in the sense of, do you break the law to bring down a criminal?

The USA has clearly done something that is illegal in the eyes of international law, in order to brind down a noted horrible person, Maduro.

So if breaking international law isn't a big deal, and a precedent is set, who is next? I've heard a lot about the USA NEEDING to have Greenland.

 

[Halifax Tar]

His wife and her family came from Venezuela.

Interesting, thank you for that info.

 

[Halifax Tar]

More to come ?

https://x.com/i/trending/2007468788594487643

 

[QV]

Well, then, I look forward to a quote from these fora showing a simultaneous “Trump bad, Maduro great” statement - or do you mean “they say” or “those people“?

It’s more like this: “Maduro is bad”

Trump removes him.

“Trump shouldn't have done that!”

All the whole time complaining he hasn't removed Putin.

 

[Altair]

It’s more like this: “Maduro is bad”

Trump removes him.

“Trump shouldn't have done that!”

All the whole time complaining he hasn't removed Putin.

Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General - on Venezuela

The Secretary-General is deeply alarmed by the recent escalation in Venezuela, culminating with today’s United States military action in the country, which has potential worrying implications for the region.

www.un.org

The Secretary-General is deeply alarmed by the recent escalation in Venezuela, culminating with today’s United States military action in the country, which has potential worrying implications for the region.

Independently of the situation in Venezuela, these developments constitute a dangerous precedent. The Secretary-General continues to emphasize the importance of full respect - by all - of international law, including the UN Charter. He’s deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected.

The Secretary-General calls on all actors in Venezuela to engage in inclusive dialogue, in full respect of human rights and the rule of law.

Seem like the UN believes international law has not been followed. So yes, maybe, not like that.

 

[Remius]

Interesting, thank you for that info.

Would have been better if his wife had posted that rather than him though.

 

[Navy_Pete]

More to come ?

https://x.com/i/trending/2007468788594487643

Maybe not; Trump just said the US is going to be very involved in Venezualan oil, so the entire drug cartel angle may have been a convenient smoke screen to seize and plunder their oil reserves.

Also terrible news for Alberta and their hopes for a pipeline to the US if that happens, as now means US refineries would have access to cheap Venezuala heavy crude with US military backing and wouldn't need to mess around with Canada.

 

[Altair]

Maybe not; Trump just said the US is going to be very involved in Venezualan oil, so the entire drug cartel angle may have been a convenient smoke screen to seize and plunder their oil reserves.

Also terrible news for Alberta and their hopes for a pipeline to the US if that happens, as now means US refineries would have access to cheap Venezuala heavy crude with US military backing and wouldn't need to mess around with Canada.

That "we don't need their oil" hits differently today.

 

[QV]

Maybe not; Trump just said the US is going to be very involved in Venezualan oil, so the entire drug cartel angle may have been a convenient smoke screen to seize and plunder their oil reserves.

Also terrible news for Alberta and their hopes for a pipeline to the US if that happens, as now means US refineries would have access to cheap Venezuala heavy crude with US military backing and wouldn't need to mess around with Canada.

Terrible news for Canada, you mean. Kind of demonstrates the dithering of the federal government and antagonistic anti oil provincial governments might have lasting negative impacts hey?

 

[brihard]

More to come ?

https://x.com/i/trending/2007468788594487643

Almost certainly..

Lots of literal and figurative smoke this morning. I’ve seen a report that the Minister of Defense’s house was bombed. If in fact some of the regime cabinet were taken out, that will greatly amplify the power vacuum.

If Maduro was ‘Tier 1’, and his cabinet and senior military leadership ‘Tier 2’, I think we’ll see over the course of the day that Tier 2 is disrupted, maybe some dead, and it will be the Race of the Colonels to arrest generals as chips to hand over to the population for their own professional survival. The top levels of non-political military will be siding with ‘the people’ even if it’s not yet clear what that means.

No idea if some units or formations remain loyal to the regime. They’re probably all trying to figure that out this morning.

 

[Remius]

Terrible news for Canada, you mean. Kind of demonstrates the dithering of the federal government and antagonistic anti oil provincial governments might have lasting negative impacts hey?

So they attack Venezuela because of anti oil provincial governments?

Christ…

 

[The Bread Guy]

I'd love to see how the alleged indictment will read ...

Haven't found anything from today's adventures, but here's the info-machine's version from POTUS45 in 2020 ...

... A four-count superseding indictment unsealed today (26 Mar 2020) in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) charges Nicolás Maduro Moros, 57; Diosdado Cabello Rondón, 56, head of Venezuela’s National Constituent Assembly; Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios aka “El Pollo,” 59, former director of military intelligence; Clíver Antonio Alcalá Cordones, 58, former General in the Venezuelan armed forces; Luciano Marín Arango aka “Ivan Marquez,” 64, a member of the FARC’s Secretariat, which is the FARC’s highest leadership body; and Seuxis Paucis Hernández Solarte aka “Jesús Santrich,” 53, a member of the FARC’s Central High Command, which is the FARC’s second-highest leadership body. The case is pending before U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein ...

... with Maduro's indictment from the time & his "wanted poster" attached.

 

[Altair]

So they attack Venezuela because of anti oil provincial governments?

Christ…

When in doubt...Blame Trudeau.

 

[Navy_Pete]

Terrible news for Canada, you mean. Kind of demonstrates the dithering of the federal government and antagonistic anti oil provincial governments might have lasting negative impacts hey?

Bad news for Canada, terrible news for Alberta. Almost like it's a really bad idea to build your economic plan solely around a non-renewable reserve with highly fluctuating prices.

This does actually make a domestic refinery and pipeline make more sense though, but that might be too much like socialism for some.

 

[ArmyRick]

Would have been better if his wife had posted that rather than him though.

No, better he be open and honest with people. Put his cards on the table and everyone knows exactly who he is and where he stands.

Unlike Anita Anand confusing statement.

 

[markppcli]

That’s true. But we know the collective is certainly anti-US bias and that’s amplified with Trump as POTUS. Where were the cries of outrage when Libya went down?

Libya wasn't unilateral, wasn't preceded by the US executing alleged drug smugglers with hell fires, was actively murdering its own population, and wasn't being justified by claims of stolen oil.