Posting as someone with direct family ties to Venezuela.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. This is not how it's done, OP. If you are ok with what Trump has done, you are OK with Putin invading Ukraine. You are OK with China doing whatever it wants with Taiwan. You are OK with the American president illegally invading another country without the approval of Congress. And you are fine with our allies' horror.

I have close friends in Venezuela who have been suffering. And I am not saying it's ok for Biden or others to make deals for oil.

But this??? No

Since when have Putin or Xi paid any attention to what people like you think?? Do you seriously think Putin is sitting around thinking, well, I was going to invade Ukraine but some American lefties will tsk at me so I won’t. It is delusional.

I swear this whole event has been eye-opening into how little people understand international politics and specifically the doctrine of military deterrence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My wife is Venezuelan. She desperately wants to be able to go back someday—to visit safely, to see family, to recognize her own country again. Right now, that’s not possible. Much of her family is current or former military, and they want exactly what civilians want: freedom from an oppressive regime that destroyed their country from the inside.

She does not like Trump. Let’s get that out of the way. But let’s also stop pretending Venezuela is a Democrat vs. Republican issue. It’s not.

Under Maduro, people were run over by armored vehicles. Protesters were shot. Elections were a farce. The country became a narco-state while ordinary people starved or fled. That reality didn’t change depending on who was in the White House.

And for those suddenly clutching pearls about U.S. involvement—Biden continued dealings with Venezuelan oil despite repeated warnings from human-rights organizations. So please spare us the selective outrage.

China and Iran didn’t embed themselves in Venezuela out of goodwill. They wanted oil, minerals, leverage. Everyone knows this. Acting shocked now is disingenuous.

Here’s what’s missing from most of these takes: the majority of Venezuelans want the regime gone, even if that comes with hard compromises. They understand the cost because they’ve already paid it.

This isn’t about loving Trump.
It’s about wanting Venezuela back.

Nobody is disputing this, OP. There are international rules and US constitutional procedures that Trump violated, paving the way for other countries like Russia and China to do what they will to other smaller counties that have resources they want. Also, Trump has no plan of what our role will be in overseeing and funding this regime change. We all want the best for Venezuela’s people but this is not how we should achieve it. In the short term, people are cheering. But there are long term global consequences from what Trump has done.

[Anonymous]

Not saying the poster is lying but there is a massive intelligence campaign going on across social media today. They all have the same rehashed talking points.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My wife is Venezuelan. She desperately wants to be able to go back someday—to visit safely, to see family, to recognize her own country again. Right now, that’s not possible. Much of her family is current or former military, and they want exactly what civilians want: freedom from an oppressive regime that destroyed their country from the inside.

She does not like Trump. Let’s get that out of the way. But let’s also stop pretending Venezuela is a Democrat vs. Republican issue. It’s not.

Under Maduro, people were run over by armored vehicles. Protesters were shot. Elections were a farce. The country became a narco-state while ordinary people starved or fled. That reality didn’t change depending on who was in the White House.

And for those suddenly clutching pearls about U.S. involvement—Biden continued dealings with Venezuelan oil despite repeated warnings from human-rights organizations. So please spare us the selective outrage.

China and Iran didn’t embed themselves in Venezuela out of goodwill. They wanted oil, minerals, leverage. Everyone knows this. Acting shocked now is disingenuous.

Here’s what’s missing from most of these takes: the majority of Venezuelans want the regime gone, even if that comes with hard compromises. They understand the cost because they’ve already paid it.

This isn’t about loving Trump.
It’s about wanting Venezuela back.

Fine. But the regime is still in place, and Trump hasn’t mentioned anything about elections or human rights. His only statements have been about oil.

This is my concern also. Trump doesn't care about anything but the oil and we all know it. I'm afraid he'll just take the oil and leave a void that will be filled with something even worse (which is hard to imagine) or maybe just not any better.

Trump won't want to expend any US resources on the PEOPLE of Venezuela. Come on.

[Anonymous]

Nobody is disputing this, OP. There are international rules and US constitutional procedures that Trump violated, paving the way for other countries like Russia and China to do what they will to other smaller counties that have resources they want. Also, Trump has no plan of what our role will be in overseeing and funding this regime change. We all want the best for Venezuela’s people but this is not how we should achieve it. In the short term, people are cheering. But there are long term global consequences from what Trump has done.

Seriously?
Putin invaded Ukraine. Taking the oil away from Putin should HELP Ukraine. Biden was the one who gave him the "go ahead" on that--not Trump.
You think China does not want more oil? Have you seen what China has been doing off the coast of Taiwan? Off the coast of Viet Nam?

You think they have not already done much worse?

[Anonymous]

This wasn’t about saving the people of Venezuela. This wasn’t about narco terrorists. This wasn’t even about oil. This was a power move by Trump to push his authoritarian designs. Make no mistake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here:

What’s honestly sickening to me is how tribal this has become.

So many people are reacting based on who they think they’re supposed to hate or defend, not on what Venezuelans have actually lived through. If your family had been there—if you’d watched them lose everything, if you’d worried daily about their safety, if you’d lived under that level of oppression—you would not be treating this like a thought experiment or a team sport.

For years, we’ve been sending remittances—boxes of food, medicine, money—just so family members could survive. Not thrive. Survive. That’s the reality people gloss over while posting hot takes from the comfort of their homes.

This outrage feels hollow when it ignores the human cost. When it erases the people who were beaten, silenced, imprisoned, or forced to flee. When it pretends moral purity matters more than ending suffering.

If this were about your parents, your siblings, your cousins living under that system, your tone would be very different.

This isn’t about left or right.
It’s about people who want their country—and their dignity—back.

Tribalism has rotted the conversation. And watching people minimize real pain because it doesn’t fit their politics is heartbreaking.

Many families and countries unfortunately live under oppressive regimes. You live in the US, and are writing as if no other country has these issues. They do. Why did Trump ‘help’ Venezuela? oil. Do I think you are going to stop needing to send remittance? Of course not. This was not for humanitarian reasons. Trump doesn’t care how the people of Venezuela have suffered.

Not OP, but I have family in Panama so have been hearing about the crisis for the past 10 years because when I visit there are so many Venezuelan refugees there. While it is true many families and countries live under oppressive regimes, the humanitarian disaster in Venezuela is on a whole other level.

7 MILLION people have fled- that is more than fled Syria. Over 20% of the population has had to flee Venezuela many because they couldn't even get one meal a day to eat. Kids have been starving in Venezuela. Venezuela’s bout with hunger is striking given that the nation had one of the highest standards of living in the region just a few decades ago thanks to its formerly abundant oil wealth.

There are plenty of people who hate Trump but are pleased something was finally done.

Thanks for sharing your perspective. It makes me feel better that others can recognize the desperation in Venezuela. Surely Trump is going to benefit from this, but if there’s such a thing as trickle down economics, then the people will prosper too.
-OP

+1 Whatever your politics, can't we all just take pleasure in the excellent opportunity this will present President Trump to enrich himself personally?

What us the Bolivar exchange rate to dollars? I would bet that trump is already negotiating the cost of a pardon for Maduro as well as how much for his wife.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have a good list of countries that we can invade to help overthrow oppressive regimes? While we are at it, maybe even add those countries that are committing human rights violations too.

North Korea. I'm Korean American. I'd love to see the two Koreas be unified in my lifetime (I'm 55).

But, they don't have anything the US wants, certainly not a huge cache of oil reserves.

Iran maybe?
Certainly not Russia as they have the nukes.
Certainly not China as they are too powerful.

Iran is too close to other countries that would start a war in the ME which would lead to WWIII. I mean, if that area is the cradle of civilization, maybe it would be fitting for civilization to be wiped out by a war in the ME, all where it started.

I also think China, Russia, and Iran have citizens that for the most part, support their governments so it probably won’t go over well.

I think Netanyahu has told trump DO NOT START A WAR WITH IRAN because he knows that the other ME countries would come to Iran's defense. Trump threatens but does nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My wife is Venezuelan. She desperately wants to be able to go back someday—to visit safely, to see family, to recognize her own country again. Right now, that’s not possible. Much of her family is current or former military, and they want exactly what civilians want: freedom from an oppressive regime that destroyed their country from the inside.

She does not like Trump. Let’s get that out of the way. But let’s also stop pretending Venezuela is a Democrat vs. Republican issue. It’s not.

Under Maduro, people were run over by armored vehicles. Protesters were shot. Elections were a farce. The country became a narco-state while ordinary people starved or fled. That reality didn’t change depending on who was in the White House.

And for those suddenly clutching pearls about U.S. involvement—Biden continued dealings with Venezuelan oil despite repeated warnings from human-rights organizations. So please spare us the selective outrage.

China and Iran didn’t embed themselves in Venezuela out of goodwill. They wanted oil, minerals, leverage. Everyone knows this. Acting shocked now is disingenuous.

Here’s what’s missing from most of these takes: the majority of Venezuelans want the regime gone, even if that comes with hard compromises. They understand the cost because they’ve already paid it.

This isn’t about loving Trump.
It’s about wanting Venezuela back.

Sounds fake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Nobody is disputing this, OP. There are international rules and US constitutional procedures that Trump violated, paving the way for other countries like Russia and China to do what they will to other smaller counties that have resources they want. Also, Trump has no plan of what our role will be in overseeing and funding this regime change. We all want the best for Venezuela’s people but this is not how we should achieve it. In the short term, people are cheering. But there are long term global consequences from what Trump has done.

Seriously?
Putin invaded Ukraine. Taking the oil away from Putin should HELP Ukraine. Biden was the one who gave him the "go ahead" on that--not Trump.
You think China does not want more oil? Have you seen what China has been doing off the coast of Taiwan? Off the coast of Viet Nam?

You think they have not already done much worse?

Lol you need to workshop your talking points buddy we’re not falling for this.

It might work better if your man Trump didn’t open his mouth about poor Putin dealing w the mean Ukrainians taking so long to bend the knee every few hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here:

What’s honestly sickening to me is how tribal this has become.

So many people are reacting based on who they think they’re supposed to hate or defend, not on what Venezuelans have actually lived through. If your family had been there—if you’d watched them lose everything, if you’d worried daily about their safety, if you’d lived under that level of oppression—you would not be treating this like a thought experiment or a team sport.

For years, we’ve been sending remittances—boxes of food, medicine, money—just so family members could survive. Not thrive. Survive. That’s the reality people gloss over while posting hot takes from the comfort of their homes.

This outrage feels hollow when it ignores the human cost. When it erases the people who were beaten, silenced, imprisoned, or forced to flee. When it pretends moral purity matters more than ending suffering.

If this were about your parents, your siblings, your cousins living under that system, your tone would be very different.

This isn’t about left or right.
It’s about people who want their country—and their dignity—back.

Tribalism has rotted the conversation. And watching people minimize real pain because it doesn’t fit their politics is heartbreaking.

Cloying.

Guess what? Americans are permitted to be vociferous in their revulsion over what the administration just did. Deal.

[Anonymous]

What about my (fictional) wife from Greenland, op? Your wife has, possibly, some theoretical future increase in being able to visit home so we should all ignore the degree this insanity makes other international incursions more likely? What about my actual loved ones in the military?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you, OP. I detest Trump and would probably be considered a paradigmatic woke liberal. But I too have family ties to Venezuela and agree that most who are commenting are missing the desperation with which most Venezuelans wanted relief from Maduro’s brutal regime. No matter how that relief was delivered.

Unfortunately, I think any relief and optimism will be short-lived because the administration is going to totally screw this up in every conceivable way.

We have seen this movie before in Iraq 🇮🇶.

And in Panama in ~1989. And... that worked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My wife is Venezuelan. She desperately wants to be able to go back someday—to visit safely, to see family, to recognize her own country again. Right now, that’s not possible. Much of her family is current or former military, and they want exactly what civilians want: freedom from an oppressive regime that destroyed their country from the inside.

She does not like Trump. Let’s get that out of the way. But let’s also stop pretending Venezuela is a Democrat vs. Republican issue. It’s not.

Under Maduro, people were run over by armored vehicles. Protesters were shot. Elections were a farce. The country became a narco-state while ordinary people starved or fled. That reality didn’t change depending on who was in the White House.

And for those suddenly clutching pearls about U.S. involvement—Biden continued dealings with Venezuelan oil despite repeated warnings from human-rights organizations. So please spare us the selective outrage.

China and Iran didn’t embed themselves in Venezuela out of goodwill. They wanted oil, minerals, leverage. Everyone knows this. Acting shocked now is disingenuous.

Here’s what’s missing from most of these takes: the majority of Venezuelans want the regime gone, even if that comes with hard compromises. They understand the cost because they’ve already paid it.

This isn’t about loving Trump.
It’s about wanting Venezuela back.

It's about the OIL buddy.

Nothing else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My wife is Venezuelan. She desperately wants to be able to go back someday—to visit safely, to see family, to recognize her own country again. Right now, that’s not possible. Much of her family is current or former military, and they want exactly what civilians want: freedom from an oppressive regime that destroyed their country from the inside.

She does not like Trump. Let’s get that out of the way. But let’s also stop pretending Venezuela is a Democrat vs. Republican issue. It’s not.

Under Maduro, people were run over by armored vehicles. Protesters were shot. Elections were a farce. The country became a narco-state while ordinary people starved or fled. That reality didn’t change depending on who was in the White House.

And for those suddenly clutching pearls about U.S. involvement—Biden continued dealings with Venezuelan oil despite repeated warnings from human-rights organizations. So please spare us the selective outrage.

China and Iran didn’t embed themselves in Venezuela out of goodwill. They wanted oil, minerals, leverage. Everyone knows this. Acting shocked now is disingenuous.

Here’s what’s missing from most of these takes: the majority of Venezuelans want the regime gone, even if that comes with hard compromises. They understand the cost because they’ve already paid it.

This isn’t about loving Trump.
It’s about wanting Venezuela back.

Nobody is disputing this, OP. There are international rules and US constitutional procedures that Trump violated, paving the way for other countries like Russia and China to do what they will to other smaller counties that have resources they want. Also, Trump has no plan of what our role will be in overseeing and funding this regime change. We all want the best for Venezuela’s people but this is not how we should achieve it. In the short term, people are cheering. But there are long term global consequences from what Trump has done.

The apprehension and arrest of Noriega in ~1989 was challenged in court and determined to be LEGAL. Like Maduro, he had been duly indicted for international drug crimes, was tried, and imprisoned. This is not different.