International At least 7 explosions and low-flying aircraft are heard in Venezuela’s Caracas - Maduro captured

[LangfordBarrow]

Miller saying this on TV, he must be pretty confident. This type of statement also seems to imply they have at least one insider turncoat,

Makes sense also with what Trump said in the original press conference, basically run things via turn coats as they set up some type of election or interim government to implement an election

We'll have to wait to see if any attempt is made at free and fair elections but we already know the existing government doesn't believe in them. This government has entrenched itself over more than two decades starting with Chavez. If the idea is to just have a compliant puppet in charge how would that be any different than what Putin did in Ukraine?

 

[syct23]

The Country will go into chaos,

Anyone who reads history or pays attention to it will know..

trump admin already knows and has said, blatantly. Boots “could” be on the ground.

Everyone here knows how this will advance within Venezuela, military cue is beginning.

America will fix it..

 

[LangfordBarrow]

So, how exactly is the US controlling Venezuela without a ground presence? Smart phones? Video conference?
What did Trump mean by stating that if Delcy Rodriguez (old vice president - now president) does not follow his orders, her fate will be worse than Maduro's? Is he going to have her killed?

What American oil company personnel is planning to go to Venezuela when they would most likely be killed or kidnapped?
The US needs to have a contingent of American military and civilian personnel on the ground in Caracas and other locations.
How does Trump plan to enforce any new rules? I'm thinking this US presence will stay for years. A lot of money to be made from Venezuelan oil.

I guess Putin's invasion of Ukraine does not look so bad now, and he has only taken 20% of the country.

90% chance you're a Russian bot even though I just posted something similar...

 

[Siver!]

We'll have to wait to see if any attempt is made at free and fair elections but we already know the existing government doesn't believe in them. This government has entrenched itself over more than two decades starting with Chavez. If the idea is to just have a compliant puppet in charge how would that be any different than what Putin did in Ukraine?

Its exactly the same as Russia-Ukraine.

It's not about security, the local population or any kind of threat in either case, it's about having puppet governments in satellite countries that will allow resources to be pillaged.

USA under Trump is just as Imperial as Russia under Putin no matter what people think.

 

[armbarforhire]

So, how exactly is the US controlling Venezuela without a ground presence? Smart phones? Video conference?
What did Trump mean by stating that if Delcy Rodriguez (old vice president - now president) does not follow his orders, her fate will be worse than Maduro's? Is he going to have her killed?

What American oil company personnel is planning to go to Venezuela when they would most likely be killed or kidnapped?
The US needs to have a contingent of American military and civilian personnel on the ground in Caracas and other locations.
How does Trump plan to enforce any new rules? I'm thinking this US presence will stay for years. A lot of money to be made from Venezuelan oil.

I guess thats why they left the old regime in power, they are counting they will keep people inline (like they have done for 20 years) as opposed to putting a new goverment and starting a civil war between the Maduro people and the opposing factors.

Lots of people think Maduro's capture was negotiated and people inside the goverment helped. They also have always said they are going for Maduro because of drugs and not to liberate Venezuela. Having the current regime work for them could be a thing.

Not sure if that will work since the Maduro fan base is the most anti USA minded people, but seems like thats what they are going at least at the start.

 

[idrankyourbeer]

 

[LangfordBarrow]

China just lost an ally in Murado. Russia murders people with chemical and radiological weapons in in the UK; they don't give a fuck about justification.

Soft power only works when it's backed up by a very big stick, as your GOAT POTUS pointed out.

You'll cry about anything the Bad Orange Man does, I guess.

It doesn't work if you use your stick to menace and bash people either...

 

[San Marino]

I guess thats why they left the old regime in power, they are counting they will keep people inline (like they have done for 20 years) as opposed to putting a new goverment and starting a civil war between the Maduro people and the opposing factors.

Keeping the old regime in place will not work. It will need new people working with the US. The US will need people on the ground and that means security, as in the US military, which means congressional approval. This did not work in Iraq or Afghanistan, but Venezuela is a different culture, and they welcome the US and change. Change to what it was before Chavez.

Lots of people think Maduro's capture was negotiated and people inside the goverment helped. They also have always said they are going for Maduro because of drugs and not to liberate Venezuela. Having the current regime work for them could be a thing.

Not sure if that will work since the Maduro fan base is the most anti USA minded people, but seems like thats what they are going at least at the start.

I think it is not so much about Maduro as it is about regime change and making billions on Venezuelan oil. Taking Maduro out was the starting point. I think this is a process that will take years. As seen in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pushing the Russian and Chinese influence out of Venezuela and making lots of money on Venezuelan oil. Greenland and Iran should be next on the list. Putin will take at least 40% of Ukraine. Ukraine is really not a concern for the US. It is a European problem.

 

[SSgt Dickweed]

Maduro's admin would put cement in government issued milk for babies? That's what this Venezuelan-American journalist said. That some depraved Mao Zedong shit.

 

[LangfordBarrow]

Keeping the old regime in place will not work. It will need new people working with the US. The US will need people on the ground and that means security, as in the US military, which means congressional approval. This did not work in Iraq or Afghanistan, but Venezuela is a different culture, and they welcome the US and change. Change to what it was before Chavez.

I think it is not so much about Maduro as it is about regime change and making billions on Venezuelan oil. Taking Maduro out was the starting point. I think this is a process that will take years. As seen in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pushing the Russian and Chinese influence out of Venezuela and making lots of money on Venezuelan oil. Greenland and Iran should be next on the list. Putin will take at least 40% of Ukraine. Ukraine is really not a concern for the US. It is a European problem.

Obviously it's never been a concern for Trump but we're not an Authoritarian State just yet. Let's see if Congress and the Judiciary are able to check his power and if he's weakened substantially after the midterms. If he does try to meddle in the election process again he'll have his own mass protests to deal with.

 

[LangfordBarrow]

Maduro's admin would put cement in government issued milk for babies? That's what this Venezuelan-American journalist said. That some depraved Mao Zedong shit.

That claim hasn't been confirmed and it really doesn't make any sense. In powdered form it doesn't look like milk and if it was mixed in liquid wouldn't it set? Apparently that claim was made during the worst of their shortages so babies were dying of malnourishment.

 

[Devil's_Advocate]

He makes an excellent point in that all the narco charges are ways to cope for the true reason. Had narcotrafficking been an actual concern for Trump administration, he wouldn't have offered to remove sanctions from Venezuela in exchange for allowing American oil companies back into the country. You can knock back every other excuse such as helping the Venezuelan people, Maduro being a terrible dictator, prevent Chinese or Russian access to Venezuelan oil or anything else that has been brought up.

Trump is ultimately his own worst enemy. Trump's own words can be used to disprove whatever he or his allies try to say now.

 

[The_Renaissance]

I will never shed a single tear for the downfall of a communist dictator, anywhere in the world. Happy for the Venezuelan people, or moreso, the poor fuckers who haven't been able to flee that communist shit-tip.

 

[UberHere]

*Yawn*
All your posts are :
1st - Meaningless insults based off your imagination of those who disagree with you.
2nd - Bizarre shit completely unrelated to my post or the thread. Pathetic attempt to derail the thread because you know you have nothing related to facts and logic to your arguments.

Go ahead, post again and prove me correct... Or incorrect for the first time in your entire history in the WR.

I think he only posts when he’s on a coke binge.

 

[WklySportsMemes]

*Yawn*
All your posts are :
1st - Meaningless insults based off your imagination of those who disagree with you.
2nd - Bizarre shit completely unrelated to my post or the thread. Pathetic attempt to derail the thread because you know you have nothing related to facts and logic to your arguments.

Go ahead, post again and prove me correct... Or incorrect for the first time in your entire history in the WR.

Pointing out how you dont ever judge fsr right losers or truly condemn them for disgusting child abuse but condemn people for "being French" is on topic. Its just over your tiny head.
You constantly are the punching bag in here. Everyone proves you wrong everytime you crash out.

 

[WklySportsMemes]

I think he only posts when he’s on a coke binge.

I think you only post here because its a safe space for you.

 

[Devil's_Advocate]

I will never shed a single tear for the downfall of a communist dictator, anywhere in the world. Happy for the Venezuelan people, or moreso, the poor fuckers who haven't been able to flee that communist shit-tip.

The problem is that we didn't do that. We abducted Maduro and his wife but left the VP and the entire government apparatus intact.

Half the guards who died during the operation were Cubans.

If the VP goes along with the American demands for access to oil that's the only thing that will change. Do you honestly believe all the repressive policies will disappear under her? I am highly skeptical that much positive will happen for the average Venezuelan citizen but I would be thrilled to be proven wrong.

 

[UberHere]

I think you only post here because its a safe space for you.

Nothing safe about it. Words are violence, snowflake

 

[CorninginChristianburg]

It's funny because I listen to podcasts by people working foreign policy/foreign affairs, international law, that crowd.

And every episode, bar none, is endless bemoaning of the ineffectiveness of the current global security structure, or the ability to enforce international law in non-abiding countries. The lack of political willingness to coalesce on international law. As though "well only if ever the EU could get together and do X." Yes, I know, boring stuff, yet I am a regular podcast listener.

Trump is an idiot, and a horrible leader, not least because he is horrible at running the country that he's actually elected to run. However, I think it hurts the credibility of those attacking Trump when the fail to recognize actions of his that are both task effective and generally popular.

A lot of the things that have happened, and not merely by Trump but in other corners of the globe, have brought substantially more geopolitical clarity than ambiguity. When it comes to Venezuela, this answers a lot of questions. People will say, well there are still so many questions, how to get from Point A of Jan 5 to Point B of democracy, what of governance, and dealing with the regime, and regional instability. And all those are legitimate questions, but it was even more unclear how to answer all of those questions with Maduro still being in power.

There is much more clarity today than there was a week ago. And certainly much more than has been brought about by publishing any book or paper on international relations. As a scholarly community, we tend to look down on "macho man foreign policy." But I don't know when we're going to look in the mirror and realize that the study of foreign policy has almost become a meme of itself. Where people give commentary on their own tendencies to do do nothing but wag the finger.

If the international rules-based order is failing, it's because it was ineffective. Whether or not the international rules-based order is failing is a book topic that will pay many mortgages. But if it fails, it will not be because the order was so wonderful, no matter how nostalgic we may feel about it.

 

[UberHere]

lol at the EU enforcing international law after neglecting their militaries and buying their oil from Russia. At least they finally cut down on the Russian oil

They dug their own grave