The U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) conducted a joint military exercise with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) on Thursday in an apparent effort to deter socialist Venezuela from invading the the South American country.
Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro held a a sham referendum earlier this week on whether the country should annex the majority of Guyana, an oil rich country on Venezuela&#8217;s eastern border.
The Miami Herald <a href="https://archive.is/gtGXz#selection-1959.0-1969.61">reported</a> that U.S. officials have not yet seen the type of military activity they would expect to see if Venezuela was close to launching an invasion.
However, officials warned that even a small force deployed by Venezuela could spark the need for a &#8220;global response&#8221; which would add to the increased instability happening around the world, including Russia&#8217;s invasion of Ukraine, Iran stirring up terrorism in the Middle East, China threatening to invade Taiwan, and North Korea continuing to act belligerent.
John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council in the White House, claimed on Thursday that people should not read too much into the joint military exercise.
“I’d be careful drawing too strong connective tissue between routine military operations that we do in the region and this particular issue,” said Kirby. “That said, as I said before, we recognize the sovereign territory of Guyana, and as we do with many nations — sovereign nations — in the region, we conduct operations and exercises as appropriate.”
“We absolutely stand by our unwavering support for Guyana’s sovereignty,” he added.
Amid the threats from Venezuela, leftist Brazil has deployed its military along its border with Venezuela because if Venezuela were to try to invade the oil-rich Essequibo region they would likely need to enter through Brazil due to challenging terrain along the Venezuela-Guyana border.
Experts warn that Maduro might be trying to simply stir things up with a small military conflict to use as a pretext for declaring martial law before the country&#8217;s elections next year.
“The Venezuelan armed forces might have enough equipment to make some kind of show of force, but it really does not have the men for a serious effort,” said Manuel Cristopher Figuera, a retired major general in the Venezuelan army. “This is a farce — a perfect farce to declare martial law.”

US And Philippines Conduct Marine Aviation Support Activity

U.S. Conducts Military Flight Drills With Guyana To Deter Venezuelan Invasion

John Kirby

Military

Nicolas Maduro

Venezuela

Republican senators slammed President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> after his administration announced it would ease sanctions on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/venezuela" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Venezuela</a> in exchange for “democratic developments” backed by socialist dictator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nicolas-maduro" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nicolas Maduro</a>.
The Biden administration made the decision to remove the Trump-imposed sanctions on exports of crude oil and refined petroleum after Maduro gave concessions to the opposition Unitary Platform, agreeing to allow more transparency in the upcoming 2024 elections. The suspended sanctions mean that the U.S. will allow some Venezuelan oil and gas transactions and the trading of some sovereign bonds, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-maduro-elections-c8b8743d8c7628c3a4784ef80d4234cc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Associated Press. 
“Our ultimate goal with sanctions is to bring positive change in behavior,” a Biden official <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/18/biden-venezuela-oil-sanctions-nicolas-maduro-00121779" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “The United States government retains the authority to amend or revoke all authorizations should Maduro and his representatives fail to follow through on their commitments.”
The decision was criticized by Republicans who expressed doubts that Maduro would uphold his promises for transparent elections and hit Biden for restricting domestic oil production. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski called the decision “beyond absurd.”
“They’re easing up on the worst regimes in the world, giving them the revenues to stay in power and spread terror and corruption, while kneecapping environmentally responsible development in Alaska,” she said. 
Last month, the Biden administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/war-on-alaska-biden-admin-cancels-alaskan-oil-and-gas-leases-bans-drilling-on-millions-of-acres" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> it would cancel oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Preserve and move to ban drilling in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve. 
Republican Senator John Barrasso from Wyoming said that the move was meant to distract from the ongoing conflict in Israel.
“With Israel under attack, Biden is desperate for anything to mask the consequences of his reckless policies,” he said. “His latest gimmick is to ease sanctions on Nicolas Maduro’s brutal regime in Venezuela. America should never beg for oil from socialist dictators or terrorists.”
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The announcement also comes after Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) <a href="https://www.cramer.senate.gov/news/press-releases/sen-cramer-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-ban-oil-and-natural-gas-imports-from-iran-and-venezuela" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced a bill</a> that would ban the purchase of fossil fuels from Venezuela and Iran. 
“The idea of importing oil from our adversaries is a complete slap in the face of working Americans,” Cramer said. “We should be using and supporting American energy, and any reliance on our adversaries for something as critical as energy is an obvious threat to our national security.”
Gas prices have remained high since Biden took office as Saudi Arabia has cut oil production, and the war in Ukraine has hurt supply. At the same time, Biden has slashed approvals of new leases for gas and funneled billions toward a “transition” to green energy.
Meanwhile, thousands of illegal immigrants from Venezuela have been entering the U.S., with 50,000 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50000-venezuelans-illegally-crossed-u-s-border-last-month-shattering-previous-record" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crossing</a> into America in September.

President Maduro Speaks After Visiting China and Cuba

Republicans Slam Biden Admin For Suspending Sanctions On Venezuelan Oil

Biden Administration

Executive

Joe Biden

Oil and Gas

World

This author has said it once, and he&#8217;ll say it again: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americas-enemies-have-a-best-friend-in-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">America&#8217;s enemies have a best friend in President Joe Biden</a>.
The latest evidence proving that statement can be found in his administration&#8217;s purported plan to ease Venezuelan sanctions in exchange for the Maduro government&#8217;s pinky promise to hold free elections next year.
On Tuesday, Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-10/us-venezuela-near-deal-on-sanctions-relief-for-steps-toward-fair-elections" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the U.S. government and Venezuela are close to finalizing the deal: Biden and co. will lift sanctions on oil drilling and banking — but only after socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro and his gang announce democratic reforms.
This could allow Venezuela access to upwards of $3 billion frozen in European banks while enriching the government&#8217;s pockets due to the country&#8217;s natural resources. These sanctions were imposed on the Latin American nation by former President Donald Trump in 2019. Maduro is notoriously corrupt. It stands to reason that he will be made richer once these sanctions are lifted.
If you haven&#8217;t noticed, the Biden administration seems intent on undoing Trump&#8217;s foreign policy — even if it rewards America&#8217;s adversaries. (See: Iran.)
Of course, it&#8217;s unclear how seriously Maduro&#8217;s commitment to &#8220;free and fair&#8221; elections should be taken.
In July 2022, Elliott Abrams, the U.S. Department of State’s special representative to Venezuela, <a href="https://ge.usembassy.gov/maduros-election-plan-no-participation-no-choice/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a>, &#8220;The conditions for free and fair elections are actually much worse today than they were in May 2018, when Maduro held the presidential elections that democracies all over the world have said were fraudulent.&#8221;
Maduro has claimed that 2018 was a fair election — despite the evidence to the contrary. He&#8217;s not fooling anybody, except the Biden administration.
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One Republican who has spent years warning against alleviating sanctions is Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL).
As recently as September 2023, Rubio wrote a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
&#8220;Any sanctions that would benefit the Venezuelan regime, as well as on [Petróleos de Venezuela], oil production, or refinement, or infusing Chinese cash into the Maduro regime is a direct threat against U.S. national security interests and the safety and wellbeing of our region,&#8221; Rubio said recently.
Rubio stressed Maduro is not to be trusted.
&#8220;The regime’s political and economic mismanagement has caused the largest refugee crisis in the world, which has driven more than 7 million Venezuelans to flee their homeland,&#8221; he added. &#8220;To make things worse, the narco-regime continues to fund terrorist organizations in neighboring Colombia as well as fomenting instability and serving as sponsors of a major international drug trafficking ring that contributes to the growing opioid epidemic in our country.&#8221;
Biden has made it a habit to engage in dialogue with Maduro by easing sanctions.
In 2022, Rubio blasted Biden for his appeasement.
“President Biden claims to support democracy and human rights, but his foreign policy strategy is actually built around appeasement and giving concessions to dictators,” Rubio <a href="https://www.rubio.senate.gov/rubio-on-venezuela-sanctions-relief-president-biden-continues-to-appease-dictators/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in May 2022.
&#8220;Simply put, President Biden is strengthening illegitimate, corrupt regimes in our hemisphere that undermine American national security,&#8221; he added.
This latest report also comes as the Biden administration openly brags about slowing down U.S. oil production. Venezuela&#8217;s oil production? Go right ahead, Maduro, just ensure it&#8217;s a so-called fair election — what does that mean exactly?
Well, at home, the GOP frontrunner is facing lawfare via a litany of arguably bogus indictments — which should give you an idea as to how seriously Biden takes making sure elections are free and fair.
America last, indeed.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 7: President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken walk into the State Dining Room to deliver remarks on the terrorist attacks in Israel at the White House on October 7, 2023 in Washington, DC. The White House has said that senior national security officials have briefed the President on the attacks on Israel that were carried out by Hamas overnight and White House officials remain in close contact with their counterparts in Israel.

Biden To Lift Some Venezuelan Sanctions If They Pinky Promise To Hold Free Elections

Biden To Lift Some Venezuelan Sanctions If They Pinky Promise To Hold Safe Elections

Global Politics

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> (D) is reportedly preparing to ease sanctions on socialist <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/venezuela" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Venezuela</a> to allow a U.S. oil company to resume production there, which comes as OPEC announced early Wednesday that it would be significantly cutting oil production.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/10/05/business/economy-news-inflation-stocks">reported</a> that Russia and Saudi Arabia, acting as the leaders of the 23-member nation OPEC energy cartel, announced a massive reduction in oil production of two million barrels per day, a move that will likely send gas prices skyrocketing and cause political problems for the Biden administration.
The Biden administration is now &#8220;preparing&#8221; to lift sanctions on Venezuela to allow Chevron to pump oil again from the leftist authoritarian regime in an attempt to stave off political disaster for the administration caused by rising fuel prices.
The administration would give &#8220;significant sanctions relief&#8221; if Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro&#8217;s regime held talks with the country&#8217;s political opposition and held free and fair elections in 2024. The administration has also worked out a deal freeing up hundreds of millions of dollars in Venezuelan funds that are frozen in U.S. banking institutions.
The Biden administration also released convicted narco traffickers related to Maduro in exchange for hostages taken by the regime, a move that could incentivize other hostile foreign powers to detain American citizens so they can use that as leverage over the Biden administration.
“Well, the two Venezuelans that were released are the nephews of Maduro who happen to be convicted drug dealers,” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) said at the start of the week. “They were put in jail after being convicted after a fair trial in the United States. Evidence was produced and it was overwhelming.”
“That has now put a price tag on Americans. Every time you do one of these deals — and I wanted those people released as much as anybody,&#8221; Rubio continued. “But every time you do this, now others know, I can take Americans, I can hold them until I need something as a bargaining chip.”
Rubio said that the trade was a big win for the socialist dictator: “So I think seven innocent American hostages in exchange for two convicted drug dealers who happen to be the nephews of Maduro is a huge win for Maduro and, unfortunately, puts Americans all over the world now in danger.”

US-POLITICS-BIDEN-WEATHER

Biden To Ease Sanctions On Socialist Venezuela, Releases Maduro’s Convicted Narco Trafficker Nephews

Biden To Ease Sanctions On Socialist Venezuela, Releases Maduro's Convicted Narco Trafficker Nephews

House Republicans are demanding answers over reports that the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nicolas-maduro" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nicolás Maduro</a> regime in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/venezuela" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Venezuela</a> has been releasing violent criminals from prison and sending them toward the U.S. in migrant caravans. 
On Thursday, over a dozen House Republicans sent a <a href="https://nehls.house.gov/posts/venezuelan-prisoners-letter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas questioning if there are any protocols to secure the border from the released criminals reportedly heading toward the border, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-republicans-sound-alarm-report-venezuela-sending-violent-criminals-us-border">reported</a>.
“America’s adversaries despise what our country stands for and are now sending their most dangerous individuals to our borders, where they will have no trouble getting in as a result of the Biden Administration’s failed immigration policies. Our overworked border patrol agents can only do so much for so long without your help,” the Republicans wrote in the letter. 
Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) led the effort and was joined by 13 of his colleagues, including Texas Reps. Chip Roy, Lance Gooden, and Louie Gohmert. Rep Jim Banks (R-IN), chair of the Republican Study Committee, also signed on to the letter. 
The Republicans asked if the Biden administration has any details on the number of released prisoners believed to be heading toward the U.S., if there are any prisoners already in the country, and additional information on the amount of Venezuelans who have been apprehended at the border this year. 
“This bombshell report confirms what we’ve known for years,” Nehls said, referencing the initial <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/border/2022/09/18/exclusive-venezuela-empties-prisons-sends-violent-criminals-to-u-s-says-dhs-report/">report</a> from Breitbart. “Our adversaries despise what America stands for and take pride in emptying their prisons filled with the most violent and sick individuals to walk the earth and send them to our southern border, where they know they’ll have no trouble getting in.”
According to <a href="https://www.kcra.com/article/us-border-encounters-jump-amid-increased-migration-from-venezuela-nicaragua-cuba/41291666#">statistics</a> from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, there were over 53,000 unique encounters at the southern border with migrants from Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua in August. 
A source <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/border/2022/09/18/exclusive-venezuela-empties-prisons-sends-violent-criminals-to-u-s-says-dhs-report/">told</a> Breitbart that even when a migrant from Venezuela was detained, it was difficult to determine whether someone had been convicted of a crime or not because of a lack of records in Venezuela.
Rep. Carlos A. Giménez (R-FL), who also signed on to the letter, pinned the blame for the influx of border crossings on the Biden administration. 
“The Biden Administration’s disastrous border policies contribute to unvetted criminals coming in, young children being trafficked by smugglers, billions in monthly profits to the cartels, and the influx of fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances pouring into our country,&#8221; he said.

The US/Mexico border wall in Douglas, Arizona USA

Republicans Demand Answers From Biden Admin Over Reports That ‘Violent,’ ‘Sick,’ Convicts Headed To Border

Republicans Demand Answers From Biden Admin Over Reports That 'Violent,' 'Sick,' Convicts Headed To Border

Southern Border

Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott released a savage statement against President Joe Biden on Tuesday that claimed the president&#8217;s &#8220;appeasement of brutal dictators is disgusting.&#8221;
Scott shared the statement following reports that Biden will ease sanctions with murderous Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
“Joe Biden’s appeasement of brutal dictators is disgusting and undermines America’s national security and commitment to protecting democracy around the world,&#8221; Scott wrote in the <a href="https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/2022/5/sen-rick-scott-biden-s-negotiations-with-maduro-appeasement-of-dictators-undermines-human-rights-and-democracy-in-latin-america" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
&#8220;Nicolás Maduro is a brutal dictator who is committing genocide against his citizens and depriving them of democracy. Yet, just one day after easing sanctions on the murderous and illegitimate communist regime in Cuba, President Biden has decided to further abandon democracy in Latin America by easing sanctions on Maduro and his evil thugs while getting NOTHING in return. No commitment to democracy. No commitment to freeing political prisoners or the remaining U.S. citizens being unjustly imprisoned by Maduro&#8217;s regime. It&#8217;s absolutely unconscionable,&#8221; he added.
Scott argued that the only discussion the Biden administration should have with Venezuela&#8217;s leaders is regarding when Maduro will leave his leadership role.
&#8220;The ONLY thing the Biden administration should discuss with the regime is when Maduro will step down. The United States has rightfully recognized Juan Guaidó as the legitimate President of Venezuela, and our efforts, as well as the entire international community, should be focused on ending Maduro’s regime, protecting human rights and helping the Venezuelan people achieve freedom and democracy,” Scott wrote.
Scott has also strongly opposed Biden during other recent comments. Last week, the Florida senator called on the president to resign.
“It’s simple. The most effective thing Joe Biden can do to solve the inflation crisis he created is resign. He’s the problem. Getting him out of office is a quick and easy solution,&#8221; Scott <a href="https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/2022/5/sen-rick-scott-the-most-effective-thing-joe-biden-can-do-to-solve-the-inflation-crisis-he-created-is-resign" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> last Tuesday.
The senator continued his statement by blasting Biden, claiming he is unfit to serve in the White House.
“Let’s be honest here. Joe Biden is unwell. He’s unfit for office. He’s incoherent, incapacitated and confused. He doesn’t know where he is half the time. He’s incapable of leading and he’s incapable of carrying out his duties. Period,&#8221; Scott continued. “Everyone knows it. No one is willing to say it. But we have to, for the sake of the country. Joe Biden can’t do the job.”
In addition to changes regarding Venezuela, the Biden administration announced on Tuesday its plan to ease Cuban restrictions.
“Biden’s plan to prop up the Cuban dictatorship represents yet another failure when it comes to standing for freedom in our hemisphere,” Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis <a href="https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1526578735012581377" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.
“Money from ‘tourism’ will go into the pockets of the Cuban regime – and will help fortify the government against those seeking freedom in Cuba,” he added.
Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio also blasted the Biden administration&#8217;s &#8220;effort to appease&#8221; Cuba and speculated changes with Venezuela.
&#8220;Biden continues his effort to appease anti-American communist dictators Yesterday it was #Cuba, now today Biden will announce removing sanctions on #MaduroRegime in #Venezuela,&#8221; he <a href="https://twitter.com/marcorubio/status/1526594095824748544" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>.

Rick Scott

Sen. Rick Scott: ‘Biden’s Appeasement Of Brutal Dictators Is Disgusting’

The socialist Nicolás Maduro regime arrested a former top political opposition leader on Monday and surrounded the home of Venezuelan opposition chief Juan Guaidó.
&#8220;Guaidó, who spoke to journalists after the government agents left, confirmed that [former opposition deputy Freddy] Guevara was forced to get out of his vehicle at the Prados del Este highway in the country’s capital and that the opposition did not know where he is,&#8221; the Miami Herald <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article252737343.html">reported</a>. &#8220;The raids were carried out just as the United States announced that it was lifting some of its sanctions on the Venezuelan regime.&#8221;
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) noted that the Biden administration had just lifted some sanctions on the socialist regime, tweeting: &#8220;At the very moment the #MaduroRegime was abducting one prominent member of the opposition &amp; surrounding the home of @jguaido trying to abduct him the Biden Administration was announcing it was removing a sanction on the regime in #Venezuela.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
At the very moment the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MaduroRegime?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MaduroRegime</a> was abducting one prominent member of the opposition &amp; surrounding the home of <a href="https://twitter.com/jguaido?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jguaido</a> trying to abduct him the Biden Administration was announcing it was removing a sanction on the regime in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Venezuela?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Venezuela</a> <a href="https://t.co/BvDGEYJ8gy">https://t.co/BvDGEYJ8gy</a> <a href="https://t.co/WXO3wtdAP8">pic.twitter.com/WXO3wtdAP8</a>
&mdash; Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) <a href="https://twitter.com/marcorubio/status/1414649416892493824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Guaido <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-12/citigroup-to-exit-venezuela-with-agreement-to-sell-unit-to-bnc">said</a> that the armed men who surrounded his home detonated an explosive and threatened him with arrest. &#8220;I don’t know the whereabouts of Freddy Guevara,&#8221; said Guaido, who is recognized by the U.S. as Venezuela&#8217;s legitimate president. &#8220;He is missing at this time.&#8221;
Julie Chung, acting Assistant Secretary for U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, said in a statement that political prisoners needed to be released.
Reuters reported:
<blockquote>Guaido&#8217;s office circulated two videos which they said showed the incident in Guaido&#8217;s basement. The videos show at least two men with bulletproof vests and balaclavas approaching a car, pointing assault rifles. Guaido is sat in the passenger seat. One of the men opens the driver&#8217;s door and forces the driver onto the ground, yelling &#8220;Get out!,&#8221; the videos show. Venezuela&#8217;s information ministry did not respond to a request for comment.</blockquote>
&#8220;We strongly condemn the arrest of Venezuelan Congressman @FreddyGuevaraC and threats against Interim President @jguaido in Venezuela,&#8221; Chung said. &#8220;We urge the international community to join us in condemning these acts and demanding the release of all those detained for political reasons.&#8221;
Rubio said on Twitter that the events in Venezuela were &#8220;not a coincidence&#8221; and were &#8220;directly linked to the protests in Cuba &amp; fear of it spreading to Venezuela.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
A day after protests began in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cuba?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cuba</a> against Maduro’s puppetmasters <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Maduro?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Maduro</a> regime abducted a top opposition leader <a href="https://twitter.com/FreddyGuevaraC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FreddyGuevaraC</a> &amp; now is pursuing <a href="https://twitter.com/jguaido?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jguaido</a> as well. 
All interrelated. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SOSCuba?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SOSCuba</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SOSVenezuela?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SOSVenezuela</a> <a href="https://t.co/P5SlTJDMFd">https://t.co/P5SlTJDMFd</a>
&mdash; Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) <a href="https://twitter.com/marcorubio/status/1414643558867406850?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Images of Maduro thugs in the garage of the building where <a href="https://twitter.com/jguaido?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jguaido</a> lives. His wife reports they have come to abduct him. 
This is no coincidence, this is directly related to ongoing events in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cuba?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cuba</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Venezuela?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Venezuela</a> <a href="https://t.co/lWCXercFtn">https://t.co/lWCXercFtn</a>
&mdash; Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) <a href="https://twitter.com/marcorubio/status/1414642575835811846?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The move by Venezuela’s socialist government comes after pro-freedom demonstrators protested Cuba’s communist government on Sunday, demanding an end to the oppressive far-left regime as the people suffer from poverty and a lack of freedom.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/psaki-on-pro-freedom-protests-against-communist-cuban-government-its-about-economic-mismanagement">claimed</a> during Monday’s press briefing that the protests that erupted were “spontaneous expressions” from people upset with Cuba’s “economic mismanagement.”
“Well, I will say first, and I meant to say this in response to Jonathan, but there’s every indication that yesterday’s protests were spontaneous expressions of people who were exhausted with the Cuban government’s economic mismanagement, and repression,” Psaki said. “And those, these are protests inspired by the harsh reality of everyday life in Cuba, not people in another country. I’m saying that because I think there have been a range of accusations out there, as you well know.”

Venezuela’s Maduro Pleads For Foreign Capital, Biden Deal

As Biden Lifts Sanctions On Socialist Venezuela, Nation Arrests Ally Of Guaido, Surrounds Guaido’s Home

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) who has been a vociferous critic of the Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, joined fellow Florida GOP Senator Rick Scott in introducing the <a href="https://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/87914ab5-9a2e-4a6a-a9cf-85e441619578/466FEFC7869A64153CFF7E28FA5246B2.bolivar-act.pdf">Banning Operations and Leases with the Illegitimate Venezuelan Authoritarian Regime (BOLIVAR) Act</a>, which bans federal agencies from doing business with anyone supporting the Maduro regime.
Scott introduced the bill. Rubio is the Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women’s Issues. They were joined by Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Thom Tillis (R-NC),
Rubio stated: “Amid the man-made crisis caused by narco-dictator Nicolás Maduro and his cronies, we must ensure American federal agencies do not award governmental contracts to any companies linked to the Maduro regime. I’m proud to join Senator Scott and my colleagues, in introducing this bicameral legislation, which will ensure taxpayer dollars are not providing a lifeline to a murderous and criminal dictatorship in our region.”
“Nicolas Maduro is committing a genocide against the people of Venezuela,” Scott asserted. “Not one cent of U.S. taxpayer money can be used to prop up this murderous regime. As Governor, I strictly prohibited the State of Florida, including all state agencies, from investing in any company that is doing business with Maduro’s oppressive government. Today, I’m proud to lead my colleagues and continue this important work to prohibit all federal agencies from doing business with anyone that supports Maduro. We can’t stand by and let this crisis continue, and that starts with restricting the money Maduro uses to hold onto power. I hope all of my colleagues will join us as we work to support those fighting for freedom and an end to Maduro’s ruthless regime.”
“No federal agency should ever conduct business with anyone that supports Venezuelan Dictator Nicolas Maduro or his vile and oppressive regime,” Tillis said. “This commonsense legislation is necessary to preserve future negations should further restrictions or sanctions be needed. The United States must continue to advocate against brutality and injustice, and this begins with preventing American dollars from aiding Maduro’s regime.”
The BOLIVAR Act states that it would “prohibit contracting with persons that have business operations with the Maduro regime, and for other purposes. … The prohibition under subsection (a) does not apply to a contract that the Secretary of State determines is necessary for purposes of providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Venezuela; for purposes of providing disaster relief and other urgent life-saving measures; or to carry out noncombatant evacuations; or is in the national security interests of the United States.&#8221;
In August 2017, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-marco-rubio-may-be-target-assassination-frank-camp/">reported</a> on rumors that a figure connected to Maduro’s government might have ordered Rubio’s assassination:
<blockquote>According to Patricia Mazzei of the <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article166981822.html">Miami Herald</a>, Diosdado Cabello Rondon, a drug lord and an influential figure within Nicolas Maduro’s Venezuelan government, may have placed a hit order on Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL).
The death threat was outlined in a memo to several law enforcement agencies disseminated last month by the Department of Homeland Security. …
The memo revealed an “order to have Senator Rubio assassinated,” though it also warned that “no specific information regarding an assassination plot against Senator Rubio has been garnered thus far” and that the U.S. had not been able to verify the threat. That Cabello has been a vocal Rubio critic in Venezuelan media was also noted, a sign federal authorities are well aware of the political bluster complicating the situation.
<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/13/rubio-venezuela-plot-241591">Politico</a> also obtained the memo, and in a piece published Sunday quoted a disturbing passage:
Cabello Rondon did indeed issue an order&#8230; to have Senator Rubio assassinated. … Cabello Rondon was communicating with unspecified Mexican nationals in furtherance of the matter.</blockquote>

Senate Select Intelligence Committee

Rubio, Scott Introduce Bill Targeting Venezuela’s Maduro

Marco Rubio

A failed attempt to capture Venezuela&#8217;s socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro has resulted in an escalation of tensions between the U.S. and the embattled Venezuelan regime. Maduro says that two former U.S. special forces soldiers were among a group of mercenaries who were part of a foiled coup on behalf of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó and supposedly backed by the United States. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has scoffed at the dictator&#8217;s claim, saying &#8216;&#8221;if we&#8217;d have been involved, it would have gone differently,&#8221; and is vowing to use &#8220;every tool&#8221; available to get any Americans captured by the regime back.
&#8220;We will start the process of trying to figure a way if, in fact, these are Americans that are there, that we can figure out a path forward,&#8221; Pompeo said Wednesday, as reported by the <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/05/06/us-will-use-every-tool-to-get-ex-soldiers-back-from-venezuela/">New York Post</a>. &#8220;We want to get every American back,&#8221; Pompeo underscored. &#8220;If the Maduro regime decides to hold them, we will use every tool that we have available to try and get them back.&#8221;
But while the U.S. is committed to getting any Americans allegedly involved in the plot back on our soil, Pompeo made clear that the U.S. had nothing to do with the failed coup. &#8220;If we had been involved, it would have gone differently,&#8221; he said, echoing Trump&#8217;s statement that the attempt to topple Maduro &#8220;has nothing to do with our government.&#8221;
Maduro, meanwhile, insists that the U.S. &#8220;is fully and completely involved in this defeated raid&#8221; and paraded one of the two captured former American soldiers on national television Wednesday, airing video of Luke Denman, 34, admitting to being involved in the coup attempt.
In the video, Denman says he was part of a team, which allegedly included American Airan Berry, 41, and six Venezuelan mercenaries, with orders from former Green Beret Jordan Goudreau, 43.
&#8220;The only instructions I received from Jordan were that I should make sure to take control of the airport for safe passage transfer of Maduro and receiving airplanes,&#8221; said Denman. &#8220;&#8216;Take Maduro back to the United States&#8217;,&#8221; were his alleged orders.
As reported by <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8293817/US-hostage-paraded-Venezuelan-TV.html">The Daily Mail</a>, Denman is shown holding up &#8220;a document that he says is the contract with Goudreau&#8217;s company Silvercorp outlining his job for the mission.&#8221; The document, said Denman, is signed by Goudreau, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó and his advisor Juan Rendón, and that he was supposed to receive between $50,000 and $100,000 for his role in the mission.
During an interview with an exiled Venezuelan journalist this week, Goudreau openly claimed credit for directing the raid. “A daring amphibious raid was launched from the border of Colombia deep into the heart of Caracas,” said Goudreau, as reported by <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/05/04/ex-green-beret-claims-he-led-foiled-raid-into-venezuela/">The Associated Press</a>. “Our units have been activated in the south, west and east of Venezuela.” Sixty men were still fighting inside the country, he claimed. In the video aired Wednesday, Denman suggested Goudreau&#8217;s numbers are inflated.
In a later interview with Miami-based journalist Patricia Poleo, Goudreau &#8220;presented a contradictory account of his activities and the support he claims to have once had — and then lost — from Juan Guaidó,&#8221; AP reports. As evidence of his claims, Goudreau provided Poleo with a contract signed by Guaidó in Miami in October for $213 million, though AP notes that the &#8220;general services&#8221; contract &#8220;doesn’t specify what work his company, Silvercorp USA, was to undertake.&#8221;
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Venezuela’s Maduro Parades Captured Ex-U.S. Soldier On TV; Pompeo: Will Use ‘Every Tool’ To Get Americans Back

Mike Pompeo

Socialism

It was February 7, 1956 when the Vera Cruz Vessel sailed from the port of Vigo in northern Spain. Among its 800 passengers was my grandfather, Vicente Novo. Like everyone on that ship, he left everything behind in his homeland to pursue his dreams in a more prosperous country. In this land of opportunity, he and the other passengers found jobs, started businesses and raised families – all while sending money back to their hungry families in Europe.
But this newfound land of opportunity wasn’t the United States of America. It was my home country: Venezuela. 
It’s hard to believe now, but in 1950, Venezuela was the<a href="https://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/stats/Economy/GDP-per-capita-in-1950"> fourth-richest</a> country on earth. Tragically, over the course of the next six decades, Venezuela was transformed from a prosperous nation of immigrants to a devastated and poor land full of people in need of refuge. 
Vicente hadn’t even finished elementary school when he immigrated to Venezuela. Yet, in that thriving nation, he found a job in a car garage that allowed him to save and send money back to his five siblings in Spain. And after years of diligently saving, he opened his own small parking garage, where he washed and parked cars.
My grandfather and the other voyagers on the Vera Cruz were <a href="https://eprints.ucm.es/2342/1/AH0012101.pdf">not alone</a>. From the 1940s through the 1970s, Venezuela was the destination of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Venezuela/Immigration-and-ethnic-composition">millions</a> of immigrants from <a href="https://eprints.ucm.es/2342/">Spain</a>, <a href="https://www.caracaschronicles.com/2017/06/10/the-portuguese-community-gives-up-on-the-venezuelan-dream/">Portugal</a>,<a href="http://wlcui.com/es/2013/12/10/llegada-de-los-libaneses-a-venezuela-prof-daniel-lahoud-uclv/"> Lebanon</a>,<a href="https://www.aljadid.com/content/arabs-making-their-mark-latin-america-generations-immigrants-colombia-venezuela-and-mexico"> Syria</a>, and a host of other nations. Just like America, Venezuela became a thriving melting pot, and middle-class status was achievable for those who worked hard for it – even if they had no education.
This prosperity was possible thanks to free markets. Venezuela protected private property, had low taxation, and little regulation. Venezuela’s borders were open for immigrants who came to work, and foreign investment was welcomed, leading to a booming economy. All of this happened under an otherwise authoritarian dictator, Marcos Pérez Jiménez.
However, after Venezuela became democratic in 1958, the people elected leaders who put the country on the path of socialism.
In 1976, then-President Carlos Andres Perez nationalized the oil industry, and Venezuela’s oil production plummeted by more than<a href="https://tradingeconomics.com/venezuela/crude-oil-production"> 40%</a> over the next decade. Oil nationalization led to the expansion of welfare programs funded by the new volatile oil revenue. Despite this additional government revenue, the government kept getting in debt and started printing more money to pay for more welfare. This led to inflation and the establishment of price and currency controls, as well as the nationalization of key industries. That, in turn, led to joblessness and misery. Venezuela’s real wages declined and <a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c554/bf92c278562e46e52c0550d492089200a727.pdf">GDP per capita</a>, which had been soaring since the 1950s, plateaued in the 1980s and 1990s.
My grandfather was a victim of these policies. His parking garage wasn’t profitable anymore because the government capped parking prices. Thankfully, though, he had been saving. With that money, he built a small four-apartment building where he lived and rented the other three units. But the government had to ruin this for him, too. It used eminent domain to expropriate his building under the excuse that it needed to build a hospital. Not only did the government give my grandfather a below-market rate, it never even built the hospital.
In the late 1990s, politicians were <a href="https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2015/09/14/01/49/pr9638">forced</a> to apply free-market policies by the International Monetary Fund. They welcomed private investment in the oil industry, re-privatized some industries they’d taken away, demolished price and currency controls, and even <a href="https://tradingeconomics.com/venezuela/government-budget">balanced</a> the budget. As a result, the economy improved, unemployment <a href="https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/VEN/venezuela/unemployment-rate">stabilized</a>, inflation <a href="https://tradingeconomics.com/venezuela/inflation-cpi">slowed rapidly,</a> and oil production <a href="https://tradingeconomics.com/venezuela/crude-oil-production">surged</a>. But this proved to be too little too late. 
By the time election season rolled around, two years after these reforms, jobs were still scarce – and the Venezuelan people were outraged at the <a href="http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.551.6879&amp;rep=rep1&amp;type=pdf">rampant corruption</a> among establishment politicians. So, in 1998, Venezuelans elected Hugo Chávez, a radical socialist candidate who promised to crush the wealthy and redistribute oil and wealth to the poor by giving “free” housing, healthcare, education, and food.
My grandfather remembers folks saying that “Venezuela isn’t Cuba,” as they dismissed warnings from wise citizens who said that Chavez’s socialist policies would usher in destruction.
Indeed, Chavez <a href="https://economics21.org/how-socialism-destroyed-venezuela">doubled down</a> on crushing business through regulation, price and currency controls, and nationalizing companies. His policies, and those of the current dictator Nicolas Maduro, have caused the greatest <a href="https://time.com/5789570/venezuelans-struggling-hunger-un/">humanitarian crisis</a> in the history of the Western Hemisphere. Nearly <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7604881/Venezuela-exodus-set-5-million-long-term-needs-grow-officials-say.html">5 million</a> Venezuelans have fled the country already, including my family.
There’s a saying in Venezuela that before socialism took hold of our country, “We were rich but we didn’t know it.” Many Venezuelans who initially supported socialism and those who didn’t vote at all have now recognized that truth the hard way.
My family’s story, and that of millions of other Venezuelans, should serve as a warning to all those who believe America is too prosperous and powerful to fail. Socialism can and will destroy this country – unless voters curb the recent wave of popularity it’s gained in the United States and prevent radical leaders from getting elected. 
The next time someone tells you that “America isn’t Venezuela,” remind them that we Venezuelans once said something all-too similar.
Daniel Di Martino<a href="http://www.twitter.com/danieldimartino"> (@DanielDiMartino</a>) is a research associate at the Institute for the Study of Free Enterprise at the University of Kentucky, a Young Voices contributor, and a Dissident contributor.

The Sabana Grande

DIMARTINO: How Venezuela Went From A Rich Nation Of Immigrants, To A Hungry Nation Of Refugees

At one time, Maracaibo had a population of more than 2,000,000 people, and was considered one of the most prosperous cities in Venezuela, formerly the richest country in South America. But after years of socialist rule at the hands of dictator Nicholas Maduro, many residents can’t even afford to give their deceased family members a proper burial. 
According to <a href="https://apnews.com/16cb4162663152bc9dd669cb3474bb42">The Associated Press</a>, residents of Maracaibo who don’t have enough money to purchase a funeral casket, which can cost as much as $300, have begun resorting to a range of morbid alternatives, including burying relatives in pieces of wooden furniture or renting caskets from funeral homes. 
Since renting a casket can cost as little as $50, many residents find this method of honoring the dead more financially feasible, reports the news agency. During the rental process, the family doesn’t actually bury the body, but instead returns the casket to the funeral home, where it can be rented again, and then sends the body out to be cremated. 
While some families do manage to scrape together enough money for a more traditional funeral, they sometimes cannot afford to purchase a headstone in addition to a casket — so they’re unable to find the burial site if they return to visit, according to the news agency. 
In September, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/in-venezuelas-oil-capital-life-is-a-struggle-so-is-death/2019/09/19/169bccc2-c83d-11e9-9615-8f1a32962e04_story.html">The Washington Post</a> also reported on some of the ways Maracaibo residents must deal with funeral arrangements, and included the story of a “destitute family” that, because they could not “immediately pay for a funeral,” had their relative tossed into a basement morgue that lacked air conditioning. 
<blockquote>As temperatures in this tropical city soared above 90, Vargas’s corpse spent three days on the morgue floor, while his wife, Rossangelys, borrowed money to cover a makeshift coffin and transportation to their home. In the family’s living room, in a lawless part of town pocked with abandoned homes, the family held a grim wake. The narrow, black casket lay across two metal stands. Mourners averted eyes from the deceased’s infested face. Rossangelys tried, and failed, to control the smell by filling gaps in the coffin’s wood with caulking.
They could afford no burial plot. So they dug up the bones of Vargas’s long-dead brother in a local cemetery strewn with broken caskets desecrated by grave robbers.
[The wife] wept by her husband’s resting place. The expelled coffin of her husband’s brother lay in ruins nearby.</blockquote>
The Venezuelan government is currently in turmoil, with National Assembly President Juan Guaido openly challenging the reign of Nicholas Maduro by creating a “parallel government,” according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/venezuela-currency-paper-crafts">Fox News</a>. In an effort to support Guaido, President Donald Trump has recognized him as interim president and imposed sanctions on Venezuela to weaken Maduro’s hold on the country, reports <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-support-factbox/guaido-vs-maduro-who-is-backing-whom-in-venezuela-idUSKCN1S62DY">Reuters</a>. 
Earlier this year, President Trump met with Fabiana Rosales de Guaido, the wife of President Guaido, to deliver a blunt message about the state of affairs in Venezuela.  
“Venezuela was a country with tremendous potential and is still a country with tremendous potential, but people are starving, they’re being killed, they’re being beaten,” said Trump, according to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-0bupUndn0">Global News</a>. “It is unfathomable to everybody that sees, and everybody that gets reports. We’re getting reports that are horrible.”

VENEZUELA-CRISIS-HEALTH-CHILD-FUNERAL

Venezuelans Resort To Renting Funeral Caskets, Report Says

Former Republican New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu criticized Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on Monday for promoting policies that are so far to the left that they resemble those of socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro.
“It sounds like Bernie Sanders is having his policies and statements written by the Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro,” Sununu told Fox News host Sandra Smith when asked about the presidential candidate’s new proposal to cancel $81 billion of medical debt. “I mean, this is socialism to the extreme.”
<div class="embed video fluid-video"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
“I think it indicates that Bernie has decided that it is down to a two-person race with Elizabeth Warren and what he has to do in order to win is to out-pander her,” he continued. “And so you’re going to see a continuing series of all of these.”
Accordingly, the Vermont senator previewed an upcoming plan that would wipe away individuals’ past-due medical bills without impacting their credit scores. The $81 billion price tag is exclusive of his Medicare-for-All plan — a keystone of his presidential campaign — which estimates indicate could cost as much as $40 trillion.
In June, Sanders unveiled a separate proposal to eliminate the student loan debt of every American — approximately 45 million people. That sweeping plan would cost upwards of $1.5 trillion.
“But the other thing that comes out of this statement — and Republicans ought to take advantage of it — is that Bernie Sanders is doing an extremely good job of telling us what a disaster Obamacare is and that Obamacare really has to be replaced,” Sununu said.
The New Hampshire governor also noted that as Sanders and fellow progressive challenger Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) battle for the far-left lane of the current Democratic presidential primary, both candidates will likely try to outdo each other on the “everything for everybody” front.
“[Health insurance] is becoming a big test and they’re all pounding Obamacare and in ways that Republicans weren’t as effective as these Democrats seem to be,” Sununu said. “The only one defending Obamacare — and it’s beginning to slip even there — is [former Vice President] Joe Biden.”
Biden, who is largely running on former President Barack Obama’s legacy, is one of the only leading Democratic contenders not to advocate for a Medicare-for-All system that would overhaul the entire health insurance market. Rather, he has vowed to reinstate Obamacare&#8217;s individual mandate to attempt to ensure all Americans obtain sufficient health insurance.
The mandate was initially part of the Obama administration’s Affordable Care Act, more commonly referred to as Obamacare. As a way to bypass the unconstitutional requirement to force Americans to purchase insurance, the individual mandate was upheld in 2012 by the U.S. Supreme Court as an income-based tax levy.
The individual mandate was repealed after President Donald Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017.
“For everyone but Biden this has become an effort to be attractive to the millennials who have absolutely no idea what things cost and who have absolutely no idea that eventually — as Margaret Thatcher said — in socialism, you begin to run out of other people’s money,” Sununu added.

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