Good news!
Showing posts with label Venezuela. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Venezuela. Show all posts
Saturday, October 10, 2026
Saturday, September 12, 2026
Venezuela's Maduro is gone, but his digital surveillance apparatus made in China still continues
Certainly a concern!
"... Yet one of the most consequential pieces of Maduro’s authoritarian legacy remains intact.
As we show in our new report, Warning Signals: Venezuela and the risk of Chinese AI-enabled digital authoritarianism, Venezuela retains an apparatus of digital surveillance and political control built partly with Chinese technology. Before Maduro’s removal, Caracas had also begun preparing to add something new: Chinese artificial intelligence. ...
For two decades, Venezuela imported much of the plumbing of digital authoritarianism, such as telecommunications equipment, identity systems, cameras, command centres and technology for controlling the internet.
In July 2025 it took a potentially more consequential step: signing an agreement with Chinese AI company iFlytek.
After years of buying the infrastructure, Venezuela had contracted for the intelligence that could run on top of it. That AI layer has not yet been built. There is no public evidence that iFlytek, or any other Chinese company, is currently operating an AI surveillance system inside Venezuela. ..."
"... Now Venezuela is primed to upgrade its surveillance technology. This report shows that in the months before Maduro’s capture by U.S. forces in January 2026, the Venezuelan government signed an agreement to adopt Chinese-built AI systems, an initiative led by Maduro’s vice president Delcy Rodríguez, and signalled its intent to use Chinese AI to enhance existing state-sponsored surveillance.
The US has installed Rodríguez, who once supervised Venezuela’s repressive intelligence agency, as the country’s acting president. Under her leadership the Venezuelan government has neither liberalized nor dismantled the surveillance regime.
If Caracas continues to implement its plan to use Chinese AI for surveillance — and it has given no signal that it won’t — Venezuela will become one of the first countries outside China to import China’s new generation of LLM-based AI systems for surveillance and control, and the most advanced adopter in the Western Hemisphere. ..."
Monday, September 07, 2026
The Big Problems with the "Biggest Oil Deal" Ever by Jonah Goldberg. Really!
Is this prominent conservative journalist having another fit of Trump Derangement Syndrome?
"Yes, conservative writer Jonah Goldberg is widely known as a prominent "Never Trumper"." (Google Search)
It is amazing how many journalists make total fools out of themselves when they report about President Trump!
When timid US oil company executives refuse to grab the opportunity, then perhaps the Pentagon has to step in (most likely only temporarily).
"... I have no love for the Venezuelan regime, run by, in Trump’s words, “the Highly Respected Interim President” Delcy Rodriguez. But this is a “deal” that Rodriguez couldn’t refuse. We invaded [???] her country, abducted her criminal dictator boss, Nicolás Maduro, and made her our satrap [???]. ...
And who is the American partner? Well, the Pentagon, of course. Trump couldn’t get American oil companies to invest billions in Venezuela’s decrepit oil industry. ..."
Jonah Goldberg
Sunday, August 30, 2026
Biggest Oil Deal in World History: U.S. Secures Majority Control of 65 Billion Barrels in Venezuela
Update of 8/30/2026: "President Trump spent months declaring his ouster of Venezuela’s leader had secured the country’s oil for the U.S. When American energy companies resisted investing at the speed and scale he wanted, his administration devised an extraordinary solution to turn his vision into reality: make the U.S. government itself an investor." (Source)
This was one of the hottest news items of the past week!
Could history see this event to be similar to the Louisiana or Alaska Purchase?
Caveat I am not familiar with the details of the deal.
"... Structure: The arrangement sets up a joint venture between the U.S. government and a private operator, granting a long-term concession (initially reported as a 100-year framework spanning 25 to 100 years for specific operations) across 17 strategic oil fields.U.S.
Stake: The U.S. secures a 55% effective output share—including equity and the right to buy oil at cost—with acquired crude directed toward the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve and the military. ...
Goals: Proponents state the arrangement will draw billions in private investment to rebuild Venezuela's degraded petroleum sector ..." (Google Search)
"... Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez welcomed the deal, which is expected to bring about $209bn to the state’s treasury. ...
For Venezuela, Rubio said the deal would bring nearly $100bn in private investment, support thousands of high-paying jobs and help rebuild the country’s economy.
..."
"... Rodriguez, who is Maduro's former vice-president and who the US backed following his capture, said on Saturday that the energy agreement with the US would remain in force for 25 years.
She said it would target an increase in crude output to 1.5 million barrels per day and preserve the country's sovereignty over its natural resources. ...
It apparently grants the US direct governance over a foreign country's sovereign national resources and appears to be wider in scope than the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority's control over Iraq's oil revenues after Saddam Hussein was ousted in an American-led invasion in 2003. ..."
"In a bombshell announcement, President Trump declared that the United States has entered into the biggest oil deal in world history. At his direction, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth — working with Venezuela’s Interim President Delcy Rodriguez and through a partnership with private business — secured majority U.S. control of more than 65 billion barrels of proven oil reserves in Venezuela at no cost to the American taxpayer. The deal more than doubles American oil reserves, greatly increases domestic oil supply, and is projected to substantially lower gas prices for Americans long into the future, while setting Venezuela on a course toward prosperity. The administration called it a Historic Transaction that strengthens the growing relationship between Venezuela and the United States. ..."
Trump announces ‘biggest oil deal in world history’ with Venezuela "US president says deal secures majority US control of more than 65 billion barrels of proven oil reserves in Venezuela."
Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez welcomed the deal
Saturday, July 11, 2026
Venezuela reforms its socialist oil policies, and production soars with Trump’s help
Good news!
"The South American country appeared to take another big step in that effort this week when acting President Delcy Rodriguez signed regulations reforming Venezuela's main oil law.
Under the new regulations, the country’s national oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), effectively loses control of Venezuela’s vast oil resources.
Under the former communist regime, the country’s oil industry floundered. In May 2021, Venezuela was producing less than 600,000 barrels of oil a day, despite having the world’s largest oil reserves. This past May, it was producing nearly 1.2 million barrels of oil per day.
Venezuela nationalized its oil industry in the 1970s. Then in 2007, former President Hugo Chávez forced foreign oil companies to surrender majority stakes to the state, which resulted in the departure of ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips. Of the big players, only Chevron acquiesced to the communist leader’s demands. ..."
Wednesday, July 08, 2026
Trump Admin Has provided $310 Million in Venezuela Earthquake Relief, Delivered 60,000+ Aid Kits
Good news!
"... Due to over two decades of repressive and corrupt socialist mismanagement, the country was especially vulnerable to a natural disaster due to its barely functional healthcare system, a dilapidated electrical grid, and poorly constructed socialist housing complexes that reportedly collapsed rapidly.
The Venezuelan socialist regime, led by interim “president” Delcy Rodríguez, was quick to invite American forces into the country to help dig out survivors and tend to victims. ...
“What began as an urgent life-saving operation is now transitioning into a sustained humanitarian relief and recovery effort,” ... “Our four American urban search and rescue teams have completed their mission and returned home.”
the U.S. has released over $310 million in support for Venezuelans. Much of this is being distributed with the aid of international organizations such as Samaritan’s Purse, Catholic Relief Services, and the World Food Program (WFP), helping keep money out of the hands of corrupt socialist officials. ..."
Monday, July 06, 2026
How Google Phones Alerted over 10 Million people Before earthquakes Shook Venezuela last week
Good news! The total population of Venezuela is about 29 Million.
"Google’s earthquake warning system, which uses accelerometers in Android phones as seismic sensors, sent alerts to 11.4 million people in Venezuela last week, giving them precious seconds to prepare for the tremors. It’s not yet known how many lives the warnings may have saved."
"“Venezuela does not have a national early warning system of its own, but people with Android phones received alerts from Google’s Earthquake Alerts system, which can pull data from more than two billion phones equipped with built-in accelerometers. The same sensor that detects rotation on the screen can also sense vibrations from seismic waves.
Google said the system, which is available in nearly 100 countries, sent warnings that reached 11.4 million people on Wednesday, giving users seconds or up to two minutes notice before back-to-back powerful earthquakes struck …"
Sunday, March 29, 2026
The Venezuelan first lady’s other job: tending a family crime dynasty and crime business
Another Me Too!
"The Venezuelan first lady’s other job: tending a family crime dynasty.
When DEA agents flew Nicolás Maduro to New York to face narcoterrorism charges, beside him was his wife, Cilia Flores. Pursued for years by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Flores was an alleged crime lord in her own right.
A federal indictment unsealed the day U.S. commandos pulled Flores and Maduro from Caracas accused her of conspiring with Venezuelan officials to smuggle cocaine into the U.S., accepting bribes to allow drug-trafficking flights and ordering murders.
According to court records and former associates, she rewarded a web of relatives with drug routes, state contracts and impunity. In a January appearance in federal court, Flores pleaded not guilty and said she was “completely innocent.”"
Cilia Flores
Thursday, March 12, 2026
Jailed Dictator Nicolás Maduro Spends Nights in Brooklyn Prison Yelling 'I Am the President!'
Headline of the day!
What drug is this dictator on in prison? 😊 Can I try too? Just kidding!
Nicolás Maduro
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Trinidad and Tobago warms up to Washington instead of Venezuela
Recommendable! More steel drums for Trump!
Friday, February 20, 2026
Sunday, February 01, 2026
Venezuelan Activist Tarazona Freed From Notorious Jail | WION
Good news! Hundreds more need to be released!
Friday, January 30, 2026
Thursday, January 29, 2026
China Ready for War to Defend its Latin American Infiltration After Maduro Capture
Food for thought! How much is China active in Latin American countries?
Monday, January 26, 2026
Thursday, January 22, 2026
The U.S. is strangling an illicit network of more than 1,400 dark fleet tankers moving crude oil for Venezuela, Russia, and Iran
So many?
"More than 1,400 so-called dark fleet ships have moved sanctioned oil for years. WSJ explains how tankers carrying Venezuelan, Russian and Iranian oil evade detection and how the Trump administration has created a playbook for a global crackdown on these vessels."
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Friday, January 16, 2026
CIA Director Ratcliffe meets new Venezuelan leader Rodriguez in Caracas, warns country to stop consorting with cartels and US enemies
I presume this is the first high level official visit by a representative of the US government to Venezuela after the abduction of dictator Maduro.
Why the Director of the CIA? What is the message?
Ratcliffe shakes hands with Rodriguez
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Russian Oil Company Refuses to Relinquish Control of Venezuela Exports
Putin the Terrible has acted just like a gringo! 😊
Or how the two latest dictators of Venezuela Chavez/Maduro sold out their country!
"The Russian company representing Moscow’s oil interests in Venezuela has refused to turn over control of its production there to the United States, after US President Donald Trump said that his administration will manage all aspects of the production and export of Venezuelan oil.
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Trump and his advisers have discussed an initiative that would give the United States effective stewardship over large parts of Venezuela’s state-run oil industry, Petróleos de Venezuela SA (PdVSA), just days after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
Roszarubezhneft, the state-owned Russian company that handles all of the country’s foreign exploration and drilling, pushed back, saying it will “continue to consistently fulfill its commitments in close coordination with its international partners, giving priority to the sustainable development of joint oil production projects, infrastructure and an effective response to emerging challenges,” The Moscow Times reported. ..."
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