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That is unlikely to finish effectively for all events involved, together with the US.
It’s been a busy week for the Empire of Lies and Chaos, particularly in its direct neighbourhood. The unlawful seizure of an Iranian oil tanker carrying Venezuelan oil on Wednesday was a reminder of what the US’ unlawful warfare of aggression is admittedly about: Venezuela’s oil deposits, which symbolize virtually one-fifth of the world’s recognized reserves.
The Maduro authorities has reportedly provided first dibs on that oil. Nonetheless, Venezuelan regulation holds that almost all companion in any drilling consortium have to be Venezuela’s state-owned PVDSA, and that’s not sufficient for Washington. It desires extra; it desires all of it.
There are, in fact, different causes, together with Venezuela’s giant deposits of gasoline, gold, uncommon earths and freshwater. Venezuela’s shut ties with Russia, China and Iran, from the place the tanker initially got here, and Cuba, to the place the tanker was heading, are additionally a key issue.
There are the Army Industrial Advanced’s wants to bear in mind. With the Trump administration drawing down US commitments to mission Ukraine, one other warfare have to be began to be able to preserve the Pentagon’s cash laundromat working at full velocity (h/t Ashburn).
One factor that’s now past dispute, nonetheless, as we’ve been arguing for the reason that Trump administration started amassing naval forces within the Caribbean over 4 months in the past, is that this has nothing by any means to do with combating drug trafficking.
A Complete Siege of Venezuela and Cuba?
The seizure of this tanker suggests, along with Trump’s current declaration of a no-fly zone over Venezuela, that the US is now making an attempt to topple Maduro by imposing a complete siege on Venezuela. After slicing off the nation from a big chunk of the world financial system by means of escalating financial sanctions, Washington is now making an attempt to chop it off from its closest allies and what stays of its income streams (which have been truly enhancing of late).
The Venezuelan authorities referred to as the transfer an act of “worldwide piracy”, and “blatant theft”.
This can be the primary time that an oil tanker has been seized in Venezuelan waters however it’s a part of a broader development — not simply of seizures of tankers but in addition assaults on them, as Alex Christoforou identified on The Duran yesterday. In keeping with Al Jazeera, the final time the US army seized a international tanker was in 2014, when US Navy SEALs boarded the Morning Glory off Cyprus as Libyan rebels tried to promote stolen crude oil.
If the US aim is to impose a complete siege of Venezuela’s financial system, it has greater than sufficient naval sources within the Caribbean to take action, as Alexander Mercouris famous in the identical episode of The Duran.
Authorized Justifications
So, what are the authorized grounds for the US army’s seizure of the tanker?
Does it even matter?
The US has simply spent the previous 4 months killing boatloads of unknown, unnamed folks within the Caribbean and Japanese Pacific. These extrajudicial murders on the excessive seas have supplied additional affirmation, if ever wanted, that Washington has zero regard for worldwide regulation, aside from when it fits its personal pursuits.
In keeping with Bloomberg, US officers have described the ship as a “stateless vessel” and mentioned it had been docked in Venezuela. The vessel in query, the M/T SKIPPER, had reportedly been sanctioned by the US Treasury since 2022 for its ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah.
Right here we have now a smiling CNN “analyst” explaining how seizing different nation’s oil on the excessive seas, after which retaining it, shouldn’t be solely completely “regular” but in addition authorized, if the nation in query has been the goal of US sanctions:
Según otra “asesora de seguridad nacional” en CNN, robar un buque petrolero es “absolutamente regular” y “según la ley que yo he leído”, authorized.
Lo dicho: la prensa corporativa de EEUU es el aparato de propaganda pagada del complejo militar-industrial.pic.twitter.com/35HIuLcp26
— Kurt Hackbarth 🌹 (@KurtHackbarth) December 11, 2025
Regardless of the legality of this motion, one factor is obvious: it’s an act of warfare.
As NC reader Johnny GL famous in yesterday’s feedback, the US’ newest strikes recommend that Trump is “making an attempt to do regime change by means of intimidation, alone”, thereby avoiding the a lot better dangers posed by army motion. However it’s also making an attempt to kill plenty of different birds with this one specific stone, together with its longest-standing enemy within the area, Cuba.
It’s virtually definitely no coincidence that the tanker in query was carrying oil to Cuba. Washington is clearly intent on strangling to loss of life Cuba’s energy-starved financial system. As we beforehand reported, Marco Rubio’s State Division has already focused Cuba’s worldwide medical missions, now its largest supply of international foreign money reserves, with sanctions.
Will the US additionally attempt to cease oil shipments from Mexico? First initiated by former President Andres Lopez Obrador (aka AMLO) in 2023, the nation’s state-owned oil firm Pemex’s shipments to Cuba have grow to be a key lifeline for the Caribbean island nation since 2023, in addition to a supply of friction between Mexico and the US.
The seizure of M/T SKIPPER has additionally supplied Washington with a contemporary alternative to emphasise the shut ties between Venezuela and Iran, two closely sanctioned nations whose governments the US and Israel, respectively, are concurrently searching for to topple.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio talks about why the US is making ready to invade Venezuela:
Maduro’s elections have been utterly rigged. Russia’s presence in Venezuela is noticeable, and Iran’s affect is rising. The Iranians are constructing drone manufacturing vegetation there — proper in… pic.twitter.com/vt531Kvt0g
— Sprinter Press (@SprinterPress) August 23, 2025
How Russia and China reply to this newest act of warfare by Washington will likely be key. In an announcement yesterday, Russian International Minister Sergei Lavrov requested for a proof from the US, emphasising that Russia advocates “for a collective debate on easy methods to fight drug trafficking and assure maritime safety, avoiding unilateral actions.”
President Putin additionally had a phone dialog with Maduro yesterday through which the Russian chief “expressed solidarity with the folks of Venezuela and reaffirmed his assist of the insurance policies of the Maduro authorities aimed toward defending nationwide pursuits and sovereignty amid rising exterior strain.”
For its half, Beijing has said its agency opposition to unlawful unilateral sanctions that lack a foundation in worldwide regulation and will not be licensed by the UN Safety Council, in addition to the abuse of mentioned sanctions.
Apparently, on Wednesday China additionally launched its third coverage paper on Chinese language relations with Latin America and the Caribbean (a really lengthy doc that I hope to learn in full this weekend). The paper’s said aim is “elaborate China’s coverage on LAC, and convey the relations and cooperation between the 2 sides in numerous fields to a brand new degree.”
Subsequent on the Listing?
On the identical day because the tanker seizure (Wednesday) Trump additionally threatened Colombian President Gustavo Petro, telling him that “he’s going to be subsequent” because the US chief seeks the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
“He’s been pretty hostile to the USA. I haven’t given plenty of thought. He’s gonna have himself some large issues if he doesn’t clever up. Colombia is producing plenty of medicine,” Trump mentioned in response to a query on whether or not he plans to talk with Petro.
“They’ve cocaine factories that they make cocaine, as you recognize, and so they promote it proper into the USA. So he higher clever up, or he’ll be subsequent. He’ll be subsequent quickly. I hope he’s listening. He’s going to be subsequent,” he added.
That is all a pantomime, in fact. As readers know, Trump simply pardoned Juan Orlando Hernández, the previous president of Honduras who was convicted within the US of trafficking greater than 400 tons of US-bound cocaine by means of Honduras. That’s proper: one of many world’s worst drug traffickers was simply freed by a person claiming to be on a mission towards the drug cartels.
Additionally, Petro solely has just a few months left of his four-year presidential time period to serve, so any assault towards his authorities or Colombia as an entire can be past absurd. However that doesn’t put it past the capabilities of Trump 2.0.
A number of days in the past, Petro gave a speech on the necessity for unity amongst Latin American nations. He additionally referred to as for the recreation of the Gran Colombia confederation that within the early nineteenth century comprised Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama (It’s effectively value listening to the three-minute clip under, which options English subtitles):
“Let’s reestablish the nice Confederation of a Gran Colombia. Among the many present nations that have been a part of Gran Colombia. As a result of provided that we unite what was as soon as Gran Colombia. Mexico will as soon as once more look towards the south. And Brazil will as soon as once more look to its South America.”
“And the three largest economies in all of Latin America and the Caribbean; will as soon as once more plant the flag of unity, in order that we’re not disrespected. It’s in division that we’re disrespected. It’s when every of us speaks just for themselves, typically defending grasping pursuits inside their nations. Generally hiding the skeleton within the closet. That’s the reason they’re insulting us and never simply insulting us, however humiliating us, and never solely humiliating us, however killing our folks.”
In one of the anti-imperialist speeches I’ve heard from a current politician, the Trump-sanctioned, Colombian President, Gustavo Petro, proclaims earlier than a teary-eyed crowd that Colombia’s sovereignty have to be defended, and within the spirit of Simon Bolivar says Latin America… pic.twitter.com/ucaFIxafVM
— Fiorella Isabel (@FiorellaIsabelM) December 6, 2025
The Colombian Congress has additionally responded firmly to Trump’s newest threats towards Petro. Lawmakers demanded respect for nationwide sovereignty and referred to as for non-interference within the Colombian electoral course of. Additionally they famous that the statements violate the ideas of the UN Constitution on non-intervention and urged the upkeep of bilateral relations primarily based on diplomacy and mutual respect.
Electoral Chaos in Honduras
In the meantime, the small Central American nation of Honduras has been plunged into post-election chaos by allegations from the governing Libre Social gathering of “monumental electoral fraud”. From Drop Web site Information:
Days faraway from Sunday’s presidential vote, and nonetheless and not using a clear winner, Honduras’s post-election disaster grew to become extra contentious after a member of the nation’s electoral authority denounced “monumental electoral fraud” on Thursday night.
Marlon Ochoa, a consultant for the Libre Social gathering on the three-member Nationwide Electoral Council (CNE), alleged coordinated and deliberate electoral fraud carried out by the opposite council members, Cossette Alejandra López-Osorio of the Nationwide Social gathering and Ana Paola Corridor of the Liberal Social gathering…
López-Osorio and Corridor symbolize the nation’s conventional political events, each of which have been relegated to opposition standing when Xiomara Castro received the final election for Libre in 2021. Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Social gathering has likewise alleged that irregularities could also be affecting the outcomes.
In a letter, Ochoa alleged manipulation of the results-transmission system in addition to obstruction from throughout the state’s electoral authority. Ochoa mentioned the TREP suffered deliberate failures, together with disabled biometric checks, altered digital tally sheets, unexplained vote transfers, and the 40-hour retention of greater than 16,000 tally sheets, which created large discrepancies he claims whole almost a million votes. With the complete vote-processing chain compromised, he concluded that “there isn’t a certainty by any means concerning the outcomes.”
Might US-backed teams have hacked the system, because the Maduro authorities claims to have occurred throughout Venezuela’s elections in the summertime of 2024?
It’s attainable. The Trump administration already intervened instantly within the elections by endorsing Nasry Asfura, the candidate of the Nationwide Social gathering — the identical celebration as J.O. Hernàndez, the Trump-pardoned narco-presidente, which ruled Honduras with an iron fist for a decade or so after the 2009 US-supported coup. Trump additionally threatened to stop cooperating with the Honduran authorities if every other candidate received.
Honduras additionally has a protracted historical past of US-sponsored regime change operations and coups. Hernàndez himself was accused of large voter fraud within the 2017 presidential elections. What’s extra, giant Western states such because the US, the EU and the UK appear to be making a behavior of instantly interfering within the electoral processes of smaller states resembling Georgia, Romania, Slovakia, Argentina, and now Honduras.
As Reuters studies, officers of a Honduras Congress panel have threatened to anul the outcomes, citing an “electoral coup” and “interference” by US President Donald Trump, as counting stretched into an eleventh day:
“We denounce the existence of an ongoing electoral coup,” the fee mentioned in an announcement, including, “We completely condemn the interference of the President of the USA, Donald Trump.”
Whereas the ruling Libre Social gathering has no likelihood of profitable the election, it’s throwing its assist behind Salvador Nasralla, of the center-right Liberal celebration, who has additionally alleged fraud and mentioned he has received the election.
The Honduran authorities has additionally issued a global arrest warrant for its former president, J.O. Hernandez, who was simply pardoned by Trump.
Shattering the “Zone of Peace”
This can be a area that has not seen interstate battle for many years, and was formally declared a “Zone of Peace” in 2014. That deepened the dedication of the Treaty of Tlatelolco (1969), emphasizing the necessity for common disarmament, the prohibition of the menace and use of power, and the duty to barter variations in accordance with the UN Constitution.
On the identical time, many nations within the area have suffered many years of inside violence, a lot of it drug associated. Organised crime is a continent-wide problem, and one to which there isn’t a clear answer. So long as medicine stay unlawful, the US continues to eat greater than wherever else, and the one acceptable coverage response is to escalate the Battle on Medicine, the issues are solely going to worsen.
Latin America can be the area of the world that has suffered probably the most US army interventions, coups and and regime change operations, for apparent geographic causes. Mexico alone has suffered a minimum of ten US army interventions since declaring independence from Spain.
In its 2021 article, “175 Years of Border Invasions: The Anniversary of the U.S. Battle on Mexico and the Roots of Northward Migration”, the Council for Hemispheric Affairs warned that the US’ “near-continuous sequence of invasions (of its direct neighbourhood to the South) — army, political, and financial — have helped produce the poverty, violence, and insecurity driving folks emigrate from south to north.”
With Marco Rubio whispering in his ear and Pete Hegseth flexing his muscle mass on the Pentagon, Trump seems decided to turbocharge this development. Granted, sure governments within the area, notably Argentina, Ecuador and El Salvador, will assist Trump’s escalating warfare of aggression on Venezuela.
In the meantime, the Latin American folks as an entire will likely be fiercely, and in some instances violently, against US aggression. Some, maybe many, will even be a part of the ensuing ruckus if US makes an attempt to put in Maria Corina Machado as president find yourself sparking an inside battle in Venezuela — a battle that might go on for years.
Whereas a near-total siege of Venezuela’s oil exports might improve the chance of an eventual collapse of the Maduro authorities, it doesn’t imply {that a} majority, and even a big minority, of Venezuelan folks will settle for a US-imposed Machado authorities. That’s the reason a Libya-type situation — i.e., whole chaos — is the most probably end result right here, as Max Blumenthal has been warning.
As we famous a few weeks in the past, the US was left largely untouched by the preliminary waves of blowback from the wars it unleashed upon the Center East, North Africa and South Asia — it was the US’ (vass)allies in Europe that bore the brunt. However that won’t be the case with its escalating warfare of aggression towards Venezuela. No matter occurs within the US’ “yard”, together with drone warfare and new, even bigger waves of mass migration, will find yourself coming residence.
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