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By Joshua Scheer
As we wind down from a day in which the United States appears to have sunk to a new low and assumed a colonial-style role, I found myself searching for context or insight that might help make sense of these events. On Venezuelanalysis.com, grassroots leader Mariela Machado spoke at a demonstration in Caracas, saying, “Long live a free and revolutionary Venezuela. International institutions must stop being accomplices and take a stance because our people are being massacred.”
The people on the ground have made their voices heard before, showing that they will not stand for this. Trump has threatened others with this kind of treatment and then tweeted out the picture above. It serves as a harsh reminder of his abuse of power.
As the day closed, President Trump dismissed the idea of Nobel winner María Corina Machado assuming power in Venezuela, stating that the far-right leader lacks support on the ground. Trump emphasized that he himself would oversee the U.S. operation.
Speaking on Saturday, Trump said the United States plans to manage Venezuela temporarily alongside a team to ensure “it’s run properly” and intends to rebuild the nation’s oil infrastructure, which he estimated will cost billions of dollars. He highlighted that U.S. forces were involved on the ground, saying, “We’re not afraid of boots on the ground. We had boots on the ground last night at a very high level.”
Trump also described a conversation between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, noting, “She had a long conversation with Marco, and she said, ‘We’ll do whatever you need.’ She, I think, was quite gracious, but she really doesn’t have a choice.”
In a dramatic escalation of tensions, the Kremlin on Saturday demanded the immediate release of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife following a large-scale U.S. military operation targeting Caracas. Moscow voiced strong support for the Venezuelan people and reaffirmed its backing of Caracas’s leadership in defending national interests and sovereignty.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke by phone with Vice President Rodríguez, expressing solidarity and warning against further escalation. Meanwhile, the Russian embassy in Caracas reported normal operations and no Russian casualties so far.
With the president stating that the opposition leader will not be installed and emphasizing that he isn’t afraid to put U.S. soldiers on the ground, the situation appears to be setting the stage for another potential failure in Latin America. A historical parallel can be drawn to Panama, where CIA asset Manuel Noriega was arrested and 28,000 U.S. troops were deployed, resulting in significant destruction and lasting damage. The Oscar-winning film Panama Deception explores the events leading up to the U.S. invasion of Panama, the destruction and casualties that occurred during the conflict, and its aftermath. The documentary takes a critical view of the actions of the United States Armed Forces and highlights what it portrays as media bias in U.S. reporting, including claims that civilian casualties were underreported or misrepresented.
The film argues that the invasion may have been motivated more by a desire to prevent the scheduled transfer of the Panama Canal Zone to Panama under the Torrijos–Carter Treaties than by the stated goal of removing Manuel Noriega after his indictment in U.S. courts on racketeering and drug trafficking charges. Panama ultimately gained full control of the Canal Zone on December 31, 1999, as outlined in the treaty.
According to the documentary, the U.S. aimed to dismantle the Panama Defense Forces (PDF), which were seen as a threat to American influence, and to install a government favorable to U.S. interests. The film includes footage purportedly showing mass graves, destroyed neighborhoods, and displaced civilians, and it references allegations regarding the use of experimental weapons, such as laser or beam-type technology, during the invasion.
Much like what is happening today, one can only hope the media will not be complicit in this invasion and overthrow of a sovereign country. While we have more information than we did in the past, it still often feels like the full picture is not being revealed—particularly after the Washington Post cheered the arrest of Maduro, which raises real concerns.
I’ll end with this image of the neocon cabal driving this agenda—an ambition so ruthless it could make Genghis Khan jealous.
Trump posted it proudly, calling it “Operation Absolute Resolve.” Looking at it, I felt a chill down my spine and could only call it “Absolute Brazen Bullshiters.”
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