Meanwhile, in Venezuela
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From Truth Social:
"The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country.
"This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow. There will be a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP."https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c5yqygxe41pt
But Honduran president Hernandez was pardoned after having been convicted on drug trafficking charges.
I鈥檓 confused.
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Great! Just what we need another war over oil. I hope this really, really pisses off the Maga base. My understanding is that spending money on unnecessary wars is not something they favor.
How long before this escalates into a world war?
The industrial revolution cheapened everything.
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US war-games about the situation were not hopeful about the proverbial day after. Maduro's regime could easily be replaced with chaos as parts of the army, pockets of loyalists, and FARC guerrillas in Colombia all jockey for control of Venezuela's oil and narco wealth. Machado's claim that she could assert immediate authority make little sense, and the Trump mafia seem unlikely to want to put her in control, since that would diminish their capacity to line their pockets by raping Venezuela's wealth in the future.
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Trump is speaking right now...Mr wtg was watching; I couldn't. He said DJT was rambling and repeating himself.
The US will run Venezuela till the transition (whatever that might be), send in US companies to spend billions of dollars to pump oil, it will benefit the US, and the Venezuelans will be thrilled and all those who came here illegally will want to go back. And everyone will live happily ever after.
I only got what Mr wtg told me. He doesn't recall any talk of what to do about the Maduro-supporting military apparatus that's still in place....
https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/venezuela-us-explosions-caracas-25a01a23e7b936b430901428ab0d0907
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She's sunk. She didn't thank you-know-who by name.
Mar铆a Corina Machado's letter to Venezuelans
Venezuelans, The time for freedom has come!
Nicol谩s Maduro from today will face international justice for the atrocious crimes committed against Venezuelans and against citizens of many other nations. Given his refusal to accept a negotiated solution, the United States government has fulfilled its promise to enforce the law.
The time has come for popular sovereignty and national sovereignty to prevail in our country. We are going to restore order, release the political prisoners, build an exceptional country, and bring our children back home.
We have fought for years, we have given it our all, and it has been worth it. What was meant to happen is happening.
This is the hour of the citizens. Those of us who risked everything for democracy on June 28th. Those of us who elected Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as the legitimate President of Venezuela, who must immediately assume his constitutional mandate and be recognized as Commander-in-Chief of the National Armed Forces by all the officers and soldiers who comprise it.
Today we are ready to assert our mandate and take power. Let us remain vigilant, active, and organized until the democratic transition is complete. A transition that needs ALL of us.
To the Venezuelans who are currently in our country, be ready to put into action what we will be communicating to you very soon through our official channels.
To Venezuelans abroad, we need you to be mobilized, engaging the governments and citizens of the world and committing them from now on to the great operation of building the new Venezuela.
In these crucial hours, receive all my strength, my confidence, and my affection. We remain vigilant and in contact.
VENEZUELA WILL BE FREE! We go hand in hand with God, until the end.
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I鈥檓 getting Afghanistan vibes here.
Sure am glad Hegseth looks good on TV.
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Great! Just what we need another war over oil. I hope this really, really pisses off the Maga base. My understanding is that spending money on unnecessary wars is not something they favor.
How long before this escalates into a world war?
@Bernard said in Meanwhile, in Venezuela:
I hope this really, really pisses off the Maga base.
I wonder how many people will actually care. For too many Americans, it's "out of sight, out of mind" and only those with some connection to Latin America will care (although, having said that, there are a lot of Americans with LA connections...)
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Some background on Venezuelan oil:
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People made a lot of money in prediction markets.
Traders on Polymarket appeared to anticipate Maduro's capture late Friday night, before President Trump announced it early Saturday morning.
The market for whether or not Maduro would be out of power climbed shortly before 10pm ET on Friday, after hovering in the low single digits for weeks, per the Wall Street Journal.
What appears to be a newly created account appeared to invest $30,000 Friday in Maduro's exit. After Maduro went into custody Saturday morning, that same investor netted $436,759.61.
Polymarket did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment Saturday morning.
State of play: Polymarket was packed with questions related to the Venezuela news Saturday morning.
https://www.axios.com/2026/01/03/maduro-capture-bets-trade-prediction-markets
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Mike Mungowitz comments of Hakim Jeffries bizarre statement.
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Yikes!
