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Ravenlocke

16th January 2026, 00:50

Camila

“You should know. It's not that the Acting President is afraid because she's being threatened. No, Venezuela is threatened, all of Venezuela is threatened..

If one day I, as Acting President, have to go to Washington, I will go standing tall, walking, not crawling.”

https://x.com/camilapress/status/2011908935763042498

2011908935763042498

norman

16th January 2026, 12:21

Going Rogue - 55 - CARTEL DE LOS SOLES: Martin Rodil On The Terrorist Regime Running Venezuela (https://podbay.fm/p/going-rogue-with-lara-logan/e/1768323600?t=182)
1 hour 42 minutes - Jan 13, 2026

Show notes
Venezuelan Martin Rodil spent almost 20 years investigating the terrorist regime running Venezuela for DEA Special Ops. In this episode of "Going Rogue with Lara Logan," Martin Rodil outlines his two-decade-long efforts with U.S. agencies like the DEA in exposing Venezuela’s “Cartel de los Soles” - a vast criminal enterprise that laundered an estimated $2.7 trillion through oil, gold, and cocaine, while allegedly hijacking democracies and fuelling the global drug trade. Rodil details the cartel's origins in a Cuba-inspired alliance between Venezuela’s regime and Colombia’s FARC, deep Iranian and Chinese involvement, its penetration into U.S. politics and election systems, and the devastating impacts of corruption and narco-terror on Venezuela and the wider hemisphere. The episode also covers the recent U.S. action against Nicolas Maduro, the regime’s remaining power players, and the high human cost inside Venezuela under cartel control.

00:00:00 The Rise of Cartel de los Soles
00:01:13 Introducing Martin Rodale
00:05:28 DOJ or DEA?
00:08:29 Focus on Venezuela
00:10:56 Investigating Chavez & Maduro
00:17:22 What Is Cartel de los Soles?
00:25:23 Military Cartel Structure
00:30:00 Trillions in Criminal Wealth
00:37:34 US Policy & Criminal Networks
00:47:00 Rigging Elections
00:58:39 China’s Hidden Role
01:05:31 Maduro’s Fall—Public Reaction
01:22:08 Life Under a Cartel
01:37:16 Iran, Venezuela & National Security
01:41:04 The Fight Continues

Ol5jUam4mB4

Ravenlocke

16th January 2026, 23:23

Max Blumenthal

Nov 16, 2025
Replying to
@SecRubio
and
@StateDept
Will you designate the CIA as a terror org?

Because it was the CIA which created Cartel de los Soles in the early 1990s to ship 22 tons of drugs into the US

Today, the Cartel of the Suns does not exist, it is a fantasy

You’re spinning another WMD fraud

https://x.com/MaxBlumenthal/status/1990223860235657271

1990223860235657271

Jackson Hinkle 🇺🇸

Jan 6
🚨🇺🇸🇻🇪 BREAKING: The Justice Dept just DROPPED claim that Venezuela’s ‘Cartel de Los Soles’ is a real group after months of propaganda.

The truth is Cartel de Los Soles was a real group created by the CIA to smuggle drugs & fund the CIA’s Black Budget.

https://x.com/jacksonhinklle/status/2008457052285255915

2008457052285255915

Decensored News

Jan 6
Replying to
@MaxBlumenthal
Just to document this, here's Trump claiming that Maduro “personally oversaw the vicious cartel known as Cartel de los Soles.”

This was only three days ago, January 3, 2026 — the same day the DOJ released its revised indictment.

https://x.com/decensorednews/status/2008625356169707947

2008625356169707947

Ron Paul
@RonPaul
·
Jan 6
They did it again.

The Justice Dept. dropped the claim that Venezuela's 'Cartel de los Soles' is an actual group!

Just like the false WMD excuse to invade Iraq.

https://x.com/RonPaul/status/2008628268509827436

2008628268509827436

Ron Paul
@RonPaul
·
Jan 6
The case against Nicolas Maduro hinged on the Trump Administration's designation of Cartel de los Soles as a terrorist drug organization with Maduro in charge.

The Administration has now admitted there is no such cartel.

The operation looks like not much more than a big payoff to Trump's donors, including "vulture" capitalist Paul Singer who stands to make billions from the operation.

Watch
@RonPaul
&
@DanielLMcAdams
below:

https://x.com/RonPaul/status/2008642526098444799

2008642526098444799

Ravenlocke

16th January 2026, 23:42

WikiLeaks

President Donald Trump has accepted the 2025 Nobel “Peace” Prize from awarded winner María Machado. The fate of the $1.15m monetary award remains outstanding. Will the monetary transfer to Machado be blocked as an unlawful “gross misappropriation,” (as argued in Julian Assange’s legal filing)? Will the Nobel Foundation instead send the $1.15m to Machado’s victims - killed by her incitement of President Trump to war? Or will the money be kept in the Nordic region and sent to the people of Greenland to buy body bags?

https://x.com/wikileaks/status/2011981027594682863

2011981027594682863

Ravenlocke

16th January 2026, 23:50

DD Geopolitics

🇻🇪🇺🇸 Since giving away Nobel Prizes is the trend of the week, it’s worth pointing out one small historical detail.

There has been only one famous historical precedent for a Nobel laureate personally handing their medal to another political figure.

That was Knut Hamsun, the Norwegian Nobel Prize–winning writer, who gave his Nobel Prize medal to Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels.

That’s the list: Machado–Trump. Hamsun–Goebbels.

https://x.com/DD_Geopolitics/status/2012288542202909141

2012288542202909141

bojancan

17th January 2026, 00:37

Again Berletić is giving quite disturbing report... very deep report... if you research more... you will find out how he is so correct most of his reporting... lately US administration became the empire of lies... deceit and evil.... so sorry, but it's true!

US Capture and Robbing of Venezuela and Washington's War on the Rest of the World
PcD6bGNXh04

President Trump declared the US would “run” Venezuela and that American oil companies would take over energy production in the seized nation.
Beyond a brazen resource grab, the attack on and toppling of Venezuela’s government fits into a much larger global war the US is waging both against the concept of multipolarism and its chief proponents, namely China and Russia.

References:

US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) - 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment (Jul. 2025):
https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/fil...
US White House - PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT: Border Security Achieved in Fewer Than 100 Days (Apr. 2025):
https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2...
Roll Call - Press Conference: Donald Trump Discusses the Capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela (Jan. 3, 2026):
https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/t...
CNN - Trump says US is taking control of Venezuela’s oil reserves. Here’s what it means (Jan. 4, 2026):
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/03/bu...
Politico - Trump admin sends tough private message to oil companies on Venezuela (Jan. 3, 2026):
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01...
AA - FACTBOX - Venezuela’s oil wealth: Reserves, output and exports (Dec. 23, 2025):
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/fac....
US Naval War College Review - A Maritime Oil Blockade Against China—Tactically Tempting but Strategically Flawed (2018):
https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/cgi...
Irrawaddy - Myanmar Junta Abandons Chinese Pipeline Amid Resistance Attacks (May 2025):
https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/war-ag...
NYT - U.S. STRATEGY PLAN CALLS FOR INSURING NO RIVALS DEVELOP (1992):
https://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/08/wo...
Reuters - US intelligence helps Ukraine target Russian energy infrastructure, FT reports (Oct. 2025):
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/...
NYT - The Separation: Inside the Unraveling U.S.-Ukraine Partnership (Dec. 30, 2025):
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...
NEO - New Year Starts, Same Old US Proxy War Continues (Jan. 3, 2026):
https://journal-neo.su/2026/01/03/new...

Ravenlocke

17th January 2026, 01:16

Roi Lopez Rivas

Translated from Spanish
Caracas, Venezuela today, thousands of peasants and farmers marched to demand the release of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores de Maduro.

https://x.com/RoiLopezRivas/status/2012294880635007292

2012294880635007292

Ravenlocke

17th January 2026, 17:59

Aecio 🇻🇪

Translated from Spanish
The lifting of sanctions on the Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV) is confirmed

If the US had not done it this way, they would have had to accept oil payments in crypto, yuan, BRICS currencies, rupees, or rubles.

And their little money-printing machine only prints $

https://x.com/AecioEscalante/status/2012342588573987146

2012342588573987146

Ravenlocke

18th January 2026, 02:12

Roi Lopez Rivas

Translated from Spanish
The entire country of Venezuela is mobilizing to write letters to President Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores

https://x.com/RoiLopezRivas/status/2012593750480998514

2012593750480998514

teleSUR TV

Translated from Spanish
#ENVIDEO📹 | The mobilization of the Venezuelan peasantry has arrived in Caracas from various states across the country to demand the release of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, join the call to defend national sovereignty, and denounce the U.S. military aggression.

🎙
@AndreatlSUR

https://x.com/teleSURtv/status/2012449382067491277

2012449382067491277

Madelein Garcia

Translated from Spanish
Today, the Bolívar Squares across the country became the stage for a deeply spiritual reunion.

In a day that transcends the political, thousands of Venezuelans came together again to write letters of love and strength to President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, following their kidnapping in the United States.

Each letter written in these missives is more than a message; it is a direct connection of indignation and affection in the face of the aggression from the USA.

This street mobilization is not only a response to Washington's hostility, but a clear demand from a people who demand the freedom of their leaders.

The written word today is the voice of a nation that does not forget and that accompanies, in spirit and action, the presidential couple.

https://x.com/madeleintlSUR/status/2012671400301953120

2012671400301953120

Ravenlocke

18th January 2026, 02:15

Justicia Internacional

Jan 14
Translated from Spanish
👉✌️🚨🇻🇪

Massive mobilization of truckers on Bolívar Avenue in Caracas, #Venezuela, demanding the release of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Congresswoman Cilia Flores.

#BringThemBack #LosQueremosDeVuelta

https://x.com/DerechoIntern/status/2011407615935619486

2011407615935619486

Ravenlocke

19th January 2026, 01:44

TeleSUR TV

Jan 17
Translated from Spanish
#ENVIDEO📹| In Madrid, #Spain 🇪🇸, the screening of the film "Nicolás, el Origen" took place, a movie that addresses the figure of the president of #Venezuela 🇻🇪, Nicolás Maduro. At the same time, social organizations carried out various cultural actions as a show of solidarity and support for the Venezuelan people.

🎙️
@AlvaroteleSUR

https://x.com/teleSURtv/status/2012666258685034905

2012666258685034905

Ravenlocke

20th January 2026, 01:01

DD Geopolitics

🇻🇪 Check out our interview with Venezuelan lawyer, Wilmer Armando Depablos!

We discuss the U.S. attack on Venezuela, the current political and security situation in Caracas, and Washington’s ongoing pressure campaign.

https://x.com/DD_Geopolitics/status/2013384398356337086
2013384398356337086

Wilmer Armando Depablos is a Venezuelan lawyer, geopolitical analyst, and former Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of Venezuela in Slovenia, with experience in international law, diplomacy, and political analysis.

In this interview with DD Geopolitics’ Slovenian contributors, Depablos discusses the January 3 U.S. attack on Venezuela, the current political and security situation in Caracas, and Washington’s ongoing pressure campaign.

The conversation presents a Venezuelan perspective on recent developments and challenges narratives commonly promoted in Western media.

Support Independent Media at DDGeopolitics.com!

In a world where truth often gets silenced, we’re dedicated to providing unfiltered insights on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and beyond. Although we’ve been reinstated on YouTube, our future here is uncertain, and we can’t risk losing our voice again.

To stay connected and ensure you don’t miss our content, please follow us on:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4I...
• Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-4602546

Ravenlocke

20th January 2026, 01:44

Ravenlocke

20th January 2026, 02:25

Evo Morales Ayma

Translated from Spanish
In blatant violation of the Bolivian people's rights to information and communication, and in compliance with instructions from the United States government, the government has decided to censor the international networks
@teleSURtv
and
@ActualidadRT
.
This act constitutes a grave assault on the Political Constitution of the State and a clear demonstration of submission and lack of dignity.
It is irrefutable proof that in Bolivia, life is lived under an authoritarian regime, where informational pluralism and freedom of expression are not respected.

https://x.com/evoespueblo/status/2013375111118659735

2013375111118659735

norman

20th January 2026, 04:20

Francesca Fiorentini

https://x.com/franifio/status/2013098141415813300

2013098141415813300

Francesca Fiorentini (born September 10, 1983) is an American progressive journalist, stand-up comedian, and activist known for her work in digital media, particularly as a host and producer for AJ+. She is a prominent voice on the American left, recognized for blending comedy with political analysis to cover issues such as social justice, foreign policy, and economic inequality.

Key Aspects of Her Career:

Journalism & Broadcasting: She was the host and head writer of Newsbroke on AJ+ (Al Jazeera Media Network) from 2013-2018, where she created viral satirical videos on topics like the U.S.-Mexico border and white fragility. She has also worked as a correspondent for Explorer on the National Geographic Channel and was a host for the MSNBC special Red, White and Who?.

The Bitchuation Room: She hosts The Bitchuation Room Podcast and is a frequent contributor to The Young Turks (TYT) network.
A
ctivism & Style: Fiorentini describes herself as a "lefty stand-up comic" who uses humor to address serious political topics. She has been critical of U.S. foreign policy and has publicly advocated for Palestinian rights.

Background: Born in Palo Alto, California, she has worked in alternative media since 2004, including for the War Resisters League and Left Turn Magazine.

She is known for her appearances on progressive media outlets and for performing stand-up comedy in the San Francisco Bay Area.

For all I know, she could be a John Brennan lackey.

At least she's outed herself now.

Ravenlocke

20th January 2026, 20:26

Armando.Info

Jan 5
Translated from Spanish

Who is Martín Rodil, the Venezuelan expert on Venezuelan corruption issues, who has helped to deliver informants, corrupt Chavismo members, and drug traffickers to the justice system of the United States? In this report, we tell you 👇🏻 #ArmandoHistorias2022
https://bit.ly/3G4wiVR

https://x.com/ArmandoInfo/status/2008164076200038869

2008164076200038869

https://storage.googleapis.com/qurium/armando.info/en-washington-es-un-hacedor-de-lluvia-en-madrid-un-cazador-cazado.html

In the underworld of covert operations, Venezuelan Martín Rodil made a career and fame as an agent with almost magical powers to identify and help deliver informants, corrupt Chavismo and drug traffickers before US justice. His achievements could make him a hero of democracy, if his success as a private consultant was not enough. But now in Spain a judicial process is initiated in which he is being investigated on suspicion that he extorts the same fugitives to whom he must hand over.

A key consultant for the efforts of the United States to bring to justice corrupt officials of the Venezuelan government and drug traffickers, is being investigated in Spain for allegedly extorting some of the same wealthy Venezuelans that the United States requests.

Prosecutors in Spain claim that Martin Rodil (n. Barquisimeto, 1974), the consultant in question, a lawyer and prominent expert on Venezuelan corruption issues, led a group that extorted wealthy Venezuelans suspected of corruption. The 13 members of this plot, which, with Rodil at the head, includes three Spanish policemen - Daniel Renuncio Mateos (of the municipal police of Madrid), David Berruguete (inspector of the National Police) and José Manuel Betanzos (retired officer of the Basque regional police or Ertzaintza) - and a former Hispanic-Israeli soldier, Alberto Avi Galán, are investigated for the crimes of influence peddling, corruption and money laundering, among a total of seven charges. In judicial documents of the case, still under investigation, Spanish prosecutors say that former officials who claim to have been blackmailed are prominent figures in massive public corruption scandals in Venezuela, who paid large sums of money to Rodil and his associates in the apparent belief that they would help them avoid criminal charges in the United States.

Rodil, who has not been formally charged, did not respond to requests for comment for this story.

Rodil's allies say that former Venezuelan officials who point him out are trying to discredit the United States' investigations into his own alleged embezzlement, deploying a campaign against a key advisor to the authorities in Washington. They say that prosecutors in Spain, a country that some experts consider a safe haven for corrupt Venezuelans, are mistakenly following an agenda that is actually part of the disinformation campaign orchestrated by these former Chavismo officials, now residing in the Iberian country.

Roger Noriega, former Undersecretary of State (equivalent to a Deputy Foreign Minister) of the United States in the administration of Republican George W. Bush (2000-2008), and who most recently worked with Rodil in his consulting business, called the Venezuelan an effective anti-corruption crusader and said payments to Rodil "were made in the context of when Martin was cooperating in carefully monitored activities," under the supervision of US authorities. The Spanish investigation would derive from "a story that is being woven by criminals with their legal advisors," said Noriega.

With extensive consulting practice, Rodil has worked with the United States anti-narcotics agency (DEA), as well as with the nation's main prosecutors offices.

Rodil has maintained two professional specialties that complement each other. It provides private consulting services to wealthy Venezuelans seeking to relocate to the United States, in part, by connecting them with officials involved in their other line of business: helping the United States government prosecute corruption and drug trafficking cases. Those Venezuelans could, in essence, exchange their internal knowledge of crimes for residence in the United States.

In extensive judicial files presented in the 29º Court of Instruction of Madrid, Spanish prosecutors allege that Rodil tried to extort at least three former Venezuelan officials: Nervis Villalobos, Javier Alvarado Ochoa and Carlos Aguilera Borjas. In investigation reports and a proposed arrest warrant filed with the court in October - before Rodil, who has not yet appeared before the judge in Madrid, appointed a lawyer - the prosecutors state that the key factor of Rodil's influence and credibility was the perception that, with his extensive connections with the US and Spanish police, he could help Venezuelans mitigate their legal problems. The investigative documents presented in the Spanish court, which ICIJ reviewed for this story, include alleged episodes in which Rodil energetically urged Venezuelans to hire his consulting services, but provide little evidence that he did so through direct threats or using any coercion.

The sums in question in the process against Rodil by Spain pale compared to the billions of dollars from the public coffers that former Venezuelan officials, including Nervis Villalobos, a former senior official of the Ministry of Energy of Venezuela during the governments of Hugo Chávez, allegedly embezzled. Some of the most prominent defendants have been awaiting trial in Spain for years.

Ravenlocke

20th January 2026, 20:33

Jeremy Loffredo

3 weeks after reassuring us that Venezuelans were celebrating their freedom from dictator Maduro and manufacturing consent for his extrajudicial kidnapping and incarceration in Brooklyn, NYT is finally reporting how Venezuelans (in Venezuela) (not Florida) are responding: Anti-American protests and mass demands for the return of their rightful President

https://x.com/loffredojeremy/status/2013469628635242811

2013469628635242811

Ravenlocke

20th January 2026, 22:18

RT Última Hora

59m
Translated from Spanish
#BREAKING ❗️❗️U.S. SEIZES THE SAGITTA VESSEL IN THE CARIBBEAN

https://esrt.site/actualidad/583150-video-eeuu-incauta-buque-caribe

https://x.com/RTultimahora/status/2013722700254970085

2013722700254970085

Ravenlocke

20th January 2026, 22:20

RT Última Hora

Translated from Spanish
“Brutal invasion”, Lavrov denounces the U.S. military action against Venezuela: he speaks of the kidnapping of the legitimate president and his wife, and warns that the threats extend to Cuba and other Latin American countries.
https://esrt.press/actualidad/583027-lavrov-eeuu-cometio-brutal-invasion-secuestrar-maduro

https://x.com/RTultimahora/status/2013529833532248570

2013529833532248570

Ravenlocke

25th January 2026, 22:58

RT en Español

Translated from Spanish
🇷🇺🇻🇪RUSSIA INSISTS ON THE RELEASE OF MADURO

https://esrt.site/actualidad/583912-rusia-liberacion-maduro

☝️"The first step [...] is the release of Maduro and his wife," declared the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister.

https://x.com/ActualidadRT/status/2015522007278911661

2015522007278911661

Geopoliti𝕏 Monitor
@GeopolitixM
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has demanded the release of Nicolas Maduro, stating that Russia insists on his return following his kidnapping and transport from Venezuela to the United States. Ryabkov condemned the act, calling for Maduro's immediate freedom

https://x.com/GeopolitixM/status/2015403369716744238

2015403369716744238

𝙋𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖

Translated from Spanish
🇷🇺🇻🇪🇺🇸 #ÚltimaHora 🇺🇸🇻🇪🇷🇺

🔴 Russia requested the United States to release Maduro and did not rule out the possibility of granting him political asylum.

📌
@tassagency_en
#Rusia #Venezuela #EEUU #Urgente

https://x.com/polianalitica/status/2015436907488948671

2015436907488948671

norman

26th January 2026, 22:53

INSIDE VENEZUELA IN 2026 (Life after US Intervention)
Matt and Julia - Jan 23, 2026

This is Venezuela in 2026. Venezuela hit headlines a few weeks ago after Donald Trump and the USA removed & arrested president Nicolas Maduro. But what is life like in the new Venezuela?
We are traveling to Venezuela in late January 2026 to try and discover what has changed, how people live, and what life is really like on the ground right now. Join us

sRZr3ioeoXA

Ravenlocke

27th January 2026, 20:37

Moon of Alabama reposted

Craig Murray

Jan 26
Being There – In Venezuela - I have now been in Caracas for 48 hours and the contrast between what I have seen, and what I had read in the mainstream media, could not be more stark.

I drove right through Caracas, from the airport through the city

https://x.com/CraigMurrayOrg/status/2015723118757597257

2015723118757597257

https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2026/01/being-there-in-venezuela/

Being There – In Venezuela 117

January 26, 2026 in Uncategorized by craig

I have now been in Caracas for 48 hours and the contrast between what I have seen, and what I had read in the mainstream media, could not be more stark.

I drove right through Caracas, from the airport through the city centre and up to posh Las Mercedes. The next morning I walked all through and weaved my way within the working class district of San Agustin. I joined in the “Afrodescendants festival”, and spent hours mingling with the people. I was made extremely welcome and invited into many homes – this from a district they tell you is extremely dangerous.

I must admit I had great fun at this bit.

After this I continued on for miles walking through the residential area and through the heart of the city centre, including Bolivar Square and the National Assembly.

In all of this I have not seen one single checkpoint, whether police or military. I have seen almost no guns; fewer than you would see on a similar tour taking in Whitehall. I have not been stopped once, whether on foot or in a car. I have seen absolutely zero sign of “Chavista militia” whether in poor, wealthy or central areas. I drove extensively round the opposition strongholds of Las Mercedes and Altamira and quite literally saw not a single armed policemen, not one militia man and not one soldier. People were out and about quite happily and normally. There was no feeling of repression whatsoever.

Again, nobody stopped me or asked who I am or why I was taking pictures. I did ask the Venezuelan authorities whether I needed a permit to take photos and publish articles, and their reply was a puzzled “why would you?”

The military checkpoints to maintain control, the roving gangs of Chavista armed groups, all the media descriptions of Caracas today are entirely a figment of CIA and Machado propaganda, simply regurgitated by a complicit billionaire and state media.

Do you know what else do not exist? The famous “shortages.” The only thing in short supply is shortage. There is a shortage of shortage. There is no shortage of anything in Venezuela.

A few weeks ago I saw on Twitter a photo of a supermarket in Caracas which somebody had put up to demonstrate that the shelves are extremely well stocked. It received hundreds of replies, either claiming it was a fake, or that it was an elite supermarket for the wealthy and that the shops for the majority were empty.

So I made a point, in working-class districts, of going into the neighbourhood, front room stores where ordinary people do their shopping. They were all very well stocked. There were no empty places on shelves. I also went round outdoor and covered markets, including an improbably huge one with over a hundred stalls catering solely for children’s birthday parties!

https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Caracas2.jpg

Everyone was quite happy to let me photograph anything I wanted. It is not just groceries. Hardware stores, opticians, clothes and shoe shops, electronic goods, auto parts. Everything is freely available.

https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Caracas4.jpg

There is a lack of physical currency. Sanctions have limited the Venezuelan government’s access to secure printing. To get round this, everybody does secure payment with their phones via QR code using the Venezuelan Central Bank’s own ingenious app. This is incredibly well established – even the most basic street vendors have their QR code displayed and get their payments this way. Can you spot the QR codes on these street stalls?

https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Caracas3.jpg

To get a Venezuelan phone and sim card for the internet I went to a mall which specialises in phones. It was extraordinary. Four storeys of little phone and computer shops, all packed with goods, organised in three concentric circles of tiered balconies. This photo is just the inner circle. I picked up a phone, sim card, lapel microphones, power bank, multi-system extension lead and ethernet to USB adapter, all in the first little store I entered.

https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Caracas6-1.jpg

Registering the sim was quick and simple. There is good 4G everywhere I have been in Caracas, and some spots of 5G.

“Relaxed” is a word I would use for Venezuelans. You could forgive paranoia, the country having been bombed by the Americans just three weeks ago and many people killed. You might expect hostility to a rather strange old gringo wandering around inexplicably snapping random things. But I have experienced no sense of hostility at all, from people or officials.

The African festival was instructive. A community event and not a political rally, there were nevertheless numerous spontaneous shouts and chants for Maduro. The Catholic priest giving the blessing at the festivities suddenly started talking of the genocide in Gaza and everybody prayed for Palestine. Community and cultural figures continually referenced socialism.

This is the natural environment here. None of it is forced. Chavez empowered the downtrodden and improved their lives in a spectacular manner, for which there are few parallels. The result is genuine popular enthusiasm and a level of public working-class engagement with political thought that it is impossible to compare to the UK today. It is the antithesis of the hollowed out culture that has spawned Reform.

I am very wary of Western journalists who parachute into a country and become instant experts. Although the stark contradiction between actual Caracas and Western-media Caracas is so extreme that I can bring it to you immediately.

Pretty well everything that I have read by Western journalists which can be immediately checked – checkpoints, armed political gangs, climate of fear, shortages of food and goods – turns out to be an absolute lie. I did not know this before I came. Possibly neither did you. We both do now.

I had lived for years in Nigeria and Uzbekistan under real dictatorships and I know what they feel like. I can tell sullen compliance from real engagement. I can tell spontaneous from programmed political expression. This is no dictatorship.

I am, so far as I can judge, the only Western journalist in Venezuela now. The idea that you should actually see for yourself what is happening, rather than reproduce what the Western governments and their agents tell you is happening, appears utterly out of fashion with our mainstream media. I am sure this is deliberate.

When I was in Lebanon a year ago, the mainstream media were entirely absent as Israel devastated Dahiya, the Bekaa Valley, and Southern Lebanon, because it was a narrative they did not want to report.

Disgracefully, the only time the BBC entered Southern Lebanon was from the Israeli side, embedded with the IDF.

The BBC, Guardian or New York Times simply will not send a correspondent to Caracas because the reality is so starkly different from the official narrative.

One narrative which the Western powers are desperate to have you believe is that Acting President Delcy Rodríguez betrayed Maduro and facilitated his capture. That is not what Maduro believes. It is not what his party believes, and I have been unable to find the slightest indication that anybody believes this in Venezuela.

The security services house journal, the Guardian, published about their fifth article making this claim, and flagged it as front-page lead and a major scoop. Yet all of the sources for the Guardian story are still the same US government sources, or Machado supporters from the wealthy Miami community of exiled capitalist parasites.

What is interesting is why the security services wish you to believe that Delcy Rodríguez and her brother Jorge, Speaker of the National Assembly, are agents for the USA. Opposition to US Imperialism has defined their entire lives since their father was tortured to death at the behest of the CIA when they were infants. They are both vocal in their continuing support for the Bolivarian Revolution and personally for Maduro.

The obvious American motive is to split and weaken the ruling party in Caracas and undermine the government of Venezuela. That was my reading. But it has also been suggested to me that Trump is pushing heavily the line that Rodríguez is pro-American in order both to claim victory, and to justify his lack of support for Machado. Rubio and many like him are keen to see Machado installed, but Trump’s assessment that she does not have the support to run the country seems from here entirely correct.

A variation on this that has also been suggested to me is that Trump wants to portray Rodríguez as pro-American to reassure American oil companies it is safe to invest (though exactly why he wants that is something of a mystery).

Meanwhile of course the USA seizes, steals and sells Venezuelan oil with no justification at all in international law. The proceeds are kept in Qatar under Trump’s personal control and are building up a huge slush fund he can use to bypass Congress. For those with long memories, it is like Iran/Contra on a massively inflated scale.

I am trying to get established in Venezuela to report to you and dive much deeper into the truth from Venezuela. I am afraid I am going to say it takes money. I am looking to hire a local cinematographer so we can start to produce videos. The first may be on what happened the night of the murderous US bombings and kidnap.

I did not want to crowdfund until I was sure it was viable to produce worthwhile content for you. The expenses of getting and living here, and building the required team, to produce good work do add up. I was very proud of the content we produced from Lebanon, but ultimately disappointed that we could not crowdfund sufficiently to sustain permanent independent reporting from there.

So we now have a Venezuela reporting crowdfunder. I have simply edited the Lebanese GoFundMe crowdfunder, because that took many weeks to be approved and I don’t want to go through all that again. So its starting baseline is the £35,000 we raised and spent in Lebanon.

I do very much appreciate that I have been simultaneously crowdfunding to fight the UK government in the Scottish courts over the proscription of Palestine Action. We fight forces that have unlimited funds. We can only succeed if we spread the load. 98% of those who read my articles never contribute financially. This would be a good moment to change that. It is just the simple baseline subscriptions to my blog that have got me to Venezuela, and that remains the foundation for all my work.

Anybody is welcome to republish and reuse, including in translation.

Because some people wish an alternative to PayPal, I have set up new methods of subscription payment including a Patreon account and a Substack account if you wish to subscribe that way. The content will be the same as you get on this blog. Substack has the advantage of overcoming social media suppression by emailing you direct every time I post. You can if you wish subscribe free to Substack and use the email notifications as a trigger to come for this blog and read the articles for free. I am determined to maintain free access for those who cannot afford a subscription.

onawah

28th January 2026, 03:27

norman

28th January 2026, 09:36

Tech’s Takeover Of America Plan Revealed! w/ Derrick Broze
The Jimmy Dore Show
1.77M subscribers
Jan 27, 2026

"In this video Jimmy interviews journalist and author Derek Broze, who argues that recent U.S. actions toward Venezuela and talk of expanding U.S. influence in Greenland and Panama align with a long-standing technocracy agenda dating back to the 1930s. Broze describes how early technocrats envisioned a “North American Technate” run by unelected technical elites, and he connects this vision to modern figures like Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and Palantir’s leadership influencing U.S. policy.

Broze also links this “Technate” idea to neo-reactionary thinkers like Curtis Yarvin and suggests Trump’s administration is advancing technocratic and techno-feudal goals rather than resisting global elites. The discussion concludes that political parties and personalities are failing, and that public loyalty to leaders over principles enables the expansion of centralized, technology-driven control."

fS5zESZwoGs

. . . .quoting Christ himself [according to 'Mathew']:

King James Version (KJV): "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves".

. . . . just sayin'

Faithless Jimmy Dore might be reverting to faithless form, now he's not so scared of dying by democide (https://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?119042-The-Covid-Vaccines-The-Biggest-Crime-Ever-Committed-on-Humanity&p=1699903&viewfull=1#post1699903).

Ravenlocke

28th January 2026, 18:54

COMBATE |🇵🇷

Narco Rubio interrupted at the Senate hearing on Venezuela

"You and Trump are thugs, bombing and stealing and kidnapping"

https://x.com/upholdreality/status/2016555102589386760

2016555102589386760

Ravenlocke

28th January 2026, 18:55

Judge Andrew Napolitano

Max Blumenthal : Venezuela at a Crossroads

https://x.com/JudgingFreedom/status/2016544263274901682

2016544263274901682

Ravenlocke

28th January 2026, 20:19

Embedded video

Sputnik

🚨🇻🇪 Venezuelan Attorney General to Sputnik: Case against Maduro has NO legal basis

The kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and the legal proceedings against him “have no legal basis,” either under international law or US legislation, Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab said as he reviewed the case materials.

"International law has been shattered," he told Sputnik.

https://x.com/SputnikInt/status/2016539765668024436

2016539765668024436

Ravenlocke

26th February 2026, 00:47

Al Mayadeen English

#Washington is actively blocking #Venezuela from even funding President #Maduro’s defence, according to his lawyer, as #US aggression against #Caracas intensifies.

https://x.com/MayadeenEnglish/status/2026815520817742011

2026815520817742011

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-blocking-venezuela-from-paying-maduro-s-legal-fees

US blocking Venezuela from paying Maduro’s legal fees

The lawyer for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has accused Washington of actively preventing Venezuela from paying for the president’s legal defense amid ongoing US pressure and judicial actions against the Venezuelan leader.

Barry Pollack, Maduro’s defense attorney in the United States, said that a US authorization allowing Venezuela to pay his legal fees was revoked hours after it was granted, effectively blocking the transfer of funds needed to cover his defense costs.

US obstruction amid escalating US aggression

According to Pollack, the revocation of these financial permissions contradicts Venezuelan legal norms and hinders the constitutional obligation of the Venezuelan state to provide for the defence of its president. Pollack is a prominent US criminal defence lawyer known for representing high-profile figures, including WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

The United States is currently prosecuting Maduro in a federal court in Manhattan, New York, following his abduction from Venezuela in a US military operation earlier this year, which critics have described as an act of aggression.

Russia backs Venezuela’s sovereignty, urges release of Maduro

Russia on Monday reaffirmed its support for the Venezuelan government’s efforts to defend national sovereignty and asserted that Caracas must have the right to determine its own future, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Dmitry Lyubinsky said at a high-level international meeting.

Lyubinsky made the remarks at a gathering of the Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter, emphasizing what he described as unconditional backing for the legitimate Venezuelan government against external interference.

“We unconditionally support the Venezuelan legitimate government in its efforts to protect the country’s sovereignty and national interests. The Bolivarian Republic must be guaranteed the right to independently determine its fate without external interference,” he said in a statement.

Lyubinsky also urged the United States to release Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, calling for respect for Venezuela’s sovereignty and political independence.

Ravenlocke

26th February 2026, 00:54

AlbertoRodNews

Translated from Spanish
The U.S. will not allow the Venezuelan government to pay the legal fees of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores, says their lawyer

https://x.com/AlbertoRodNews/status/2026822017648128508

2026822017648128508

Ravenlocke

26th February 2026, 00:59

https://apnews.com/article/maduro-venezuela-criminal-case-9dc08ea33228d05feec7ab3c473dd762

Maduro’s lawyer says US is blocking Venezuela government from paying deposed leader’s drug defense

The Trump administration is blocking Venezuela’s government from paying for the cost of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro’s defense against drug trafficking charges in New York, a move that potentially interferes with his constitutional right to counsel, his lawyer says.

Attorney Barry Pollack told a Manhattan federal judge in an email last week that the U.S. Treasury Department had blocked the authorization of legal fees that the government of Venezuela is required to pay for Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores under its law and custom. The email was entered into the public court record on Wednesday.

Maduro and his wife have been jailed in New York without bail since they were seized from their Venezuelan home Jan. 3 in a stealth nighttime raid by U.S. military forces. They have both pleaded not guilty.

The stunning capture following a monthslong military buildup in the Caribbean has paved the way for the Trump administration to assert enormous influence over Maduro’s replacement, his vice president and now acting President Delcy Rodriguez. Under pressure from the U.S., Rodriguez has moved swiftly to open up Venezuela’s oil industry to American investment, free political prisoners and reestablish direct communications with Washington — something unseen since the first Trump administration shuttered the U.S. embassy in Caracas in 2019.

In the email, Pollack said that the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, which administers sanctions against Venezuela, had granted permission on Jan. 9 approving the payment of legal fees by the Venezuelan government.

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Less than three hours later, though, the Trump administration snatched back the authorization “without explanation,” though it left in place a license granting permission for Maduro’s wife’s lawyers to be paid, Pollack said.

The dispute over Maduro’s legal fees is intimately linked to U.S. foreign policy. The first Trump administration cut ties with Maduro in 2019, recognizing the then opposition head of the National Assembly as Venezuela’s legitimate leader. The Biden administration hewed closely to the same policy.

However, allowing Rodriguez’s government to pay for the cost of Maduro’s defense could complicate prosecutors’ efforts in court to counter the deposed leader’s argument that his capture was illegal and that as the foreign head of a state he is immune from prosecution under U.S. and international law.

A 25-page indictment against Maduro accused him and others of working with drug cartels and members of the military to facilitate the shipment of thousands of tons of cocaine into the U.S. Both he and his wife face life in prison if convicted.

As part of the purported conspiracy, Maduro and his wife allegedly ordering kidnappings, beatings and murders of those who owed them drug money, according to the indictment. It said that included the killing of a local drug boss in Caracas.

Messages seeking comment from the Treasury Department, White House and the Justice Department were not immediately returned.

Pollack said he asked the Office of Foreign Assets Control on Feb. 11 to reinstate the original license and clear the way for Venezuela to meet its obligation to pay Maduro’s defense costs.

The lawyer added that Maduro “cannot otherwise afford counsel” and will request help from the judge to pay for his defense.

Pollack said the United States was “interfering with Mr. Maduro’s ability to retain counsel and, therefore, his right under the Sixth Amendment to counsel of his choice.”