{"id":305877,"date":"2025-10-27T12:00:59","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T12:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=305877"},"modified":"2025-10-24T05:34:27","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T04:34:27","slug":"trump-orders-cia-to-attack-venezuela-us-military-kills-innocent-people-based-on-lies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2025\/10\/trump-orders-cia-to-attack-venezuela-us-military-kills-innocent-people-based-on-lies\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump Orders CIA to Attack Venezuela: US Military Kills Innocent People Based on Lies"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Trump-CIA-war-Venezuela.webp\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-305878\" src=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Trump-CIA-war-Venezuela-1024x576.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Trump-CIA-war-Venezuela-1024x576.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Trump-CIA-war-Venezuela-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Trump-CIA-war-Venezuela-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Trump-CIA-war-Venezuela-1536x864.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Trump-CIA-war-Venezuela.webp 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>20 Oct 2025\u00a0<\/em>&#8211;\u00a0The United States is waging war on Venezuela. This is not a hypothetical; it is happening.<\/p>\n<p>The Donald Trump administration is using extreme violence to try to overthrow Venezuela\u2019s President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro.<\/p>\n<p>The US military has killed dozens of Venezuelans in strikes on boats in international waters without charge or trial. UN experts have publicly condemned these attacks as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/en\/press-releases\/2025\/09\/us-war-narco-terrorists-violates-right-life-warn-un-experts-after-deadly\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">\u201cextrajudicial executions\u201d that violate international law<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>It is not only Venezuelans who have been executed by the US military. Among the victims of these illegal US attacks have been fishermen who were citizens of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c89dz920p0do\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Colombia<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/camilapress\/status\/1978979853798932714\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Trinidad and Tobago<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Family members of the victims, from a Trinidadian fishing village, were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2025\/oct\/17\/trump-caribbean-venezuela-trinidad-boat-strikes\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">interviewed by The Guardian<\/a>, and they condemned Trump for \u201ckilling poor people\u201d, arguing that he simply wants to take their \u201cgas and their oil\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, the Trump administration is killing innocent people from multiple countries as part of its war on Venezuela.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Trump orders CIA to attack Venezuela: US military kills innocent people in war based on lies\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KAkNZCjstVI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>US military threatens Venezuela with B-52 bombers<\/h3>\n<p>Week by week, Trump is ratcheting up the US war on Venezuela.<\/p>\n<p>The US military has approximately 10,000 troops in the Caribbean, along with eight warships and a submarine, all preparing to escalate.<\/p>\n<p>The Trump administration has ordered three B-52 bombers to fly off the coast of Venezuela, threatening to bomb the country.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Politics\/52s-fly-off-coast-venezuela-show-force-trump\/story?id=126589822\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">ABC News published a report<\/a> on 16 October, writing (all emphasis added):<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>In less than a week, President <strong>Donald Trump has threatened to attack inside Venezuela<\/strong>, confirmed ongoing <strong>covert operations inside the country<\/strong>, and <strong>ordered bombers capable of dropping nuclear weapons to fly in circles off its coast<\/strong> in what appears to be an unprecedented show of force intended to pressure the Venezuelan president to step down.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"captioned-image-container\">\n<figure>\n<div class=\"image2-inset\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!U7AM!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa7a36daa-9722-4251-bc1d-7143976c95dc_1121x871.png 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!U7AM!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa7a36daa-9722-4251-bc1d-7143976c95dc_1121x871.png 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!U7AM!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa7a36daa-9722-4251-bc1d-7143976c95dc_1121x871.png 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!U7AM!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa7a36daa-9722-4251-bc1d-7143976c95dc_1121x871.png 1456w\" type=\"image\/webp\" sizes=\"100vw\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!U7AM!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa7a36daa-9722-4251-bc1d-7143976c95dc_1121x871.png 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!U7AM!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa7a36daa-9722-4251-bc1d-7143976c95dc_1121x871.png 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!U7AM!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa7a36daa-9722-4251-bc1d-7143976c95dc_1121x871.png 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!U7AM!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa7a36daa-9722-4251-bc1d-7143976c95dc_1121x871.png 1456w\" data-sizes=\"100vw\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"sizing-normal aligncenter lazy entered loaded\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/%24s_%21U7AM%21%2Cw_1456%2Cc_limit%2Cf_auto%2Cq_auto%3Agood%2Cfl_progressive%3Asteep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa7a36daa-9722-4251-bc1d-7143976c95dc_1121x871.png?resize=783%2C608&amp;ssl=1\" sizes=\"auto, 100vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!U7AM!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa7a36daa-9722-4251-bc1d-7143976c95dc_1121x871.png 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!U7AM!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa7a36daa-9722-4251-bc1d-7143976c95dc_1121x871.png 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!U7AM!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa7a36daa-9722-4251-bc1d-7143976c95dc_1121x871.png 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!U7AM!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa7a36daa-9722-4251-bc1d-7143976c95dc_1121x871.png 1456w\" alt=\"\" width=\"783\" height=\"608\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/%24s_%21U7AM%21%2Cw_1456%2Cc_limit%2Cf_auto%2Cq_auto%3Agood%2Cfl_progressive%3Asteep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa7a36daa-9722-4251-bc1d-7143976c95dc_1121x871.png?resize=783%2C608&amp;ssl=1\" data-sizes=\"auto, 100vw\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!U7AM!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa7a36daa-9722-4251-bc1d-7143976c95dc_1121x871.png 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!U7AM!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa7a36daa-9722-4251-bc1d-7143976c95dc_1121x871.png 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!U7AM!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa7a36daa-9722-4251-bc1d-7143976c95dc_1121x871.png 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!U7AM!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa7a36daa-9722-4251-bc1d-7143976c95dc_1121x871.png 1456w\" data-attrs=\"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/a7a36daa-9722-4251-bc1d-7143976c95dc_1121x871.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:871,&quot;width&quot;:1121,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:297890,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image\/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.geopoliticaleconomy.report\/i\/176537908?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa7a36daa-9722-4251-bc1d-7143976c95dc_1121x871.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}\" data-ll-status=\"loaded\" \/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Trump orders the CIA to carry out \u201clethal operations\u201d to provoke regime change in Venezuela<\/h3>\n<p>Meanwhile, Trump has admitted that he has authorized the CIA to carry out destabilization operations inside Venezuela.<\/p>\n<p>The public narrative of the US government is that it is supposedly targeting \u201cdrug traffickers\u201d. This is not true. The real goal is regime change.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/10\/15\/us\/politics\/trump-covert-cia-action-venezuela.html\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">New York Times interviewed members of the Trump administration<\/a>, and reported, \u201cAmerican officials have been clear, privately, that the end goal is to drive Mr. Maduro from power\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Trump has ordered the CIA \u201cto carry out lethal operations in Venezuela\u201d, the Times noted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Trump administration\u2019s strategy on Venezuela, developed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with help from John Ratcliffe, the C.I.A. director, aims to oust Mr. Maduro from power\u201d, the Times added.<\/p>\n<p>Rubio is a lifelong neoconservative war hawk. He has spent his entire political career pushing for regime change not only in Venezuela, but also in Cuba and Nicaragua.<\/p>\n<p>During Trump\u2019s first term, when <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/2022\/07\/12\/trump-john-bolton-coups-venezuela\/\" >the US launched another coup attempt<\/a>, Rubio was not in the administration, but <a href=\"https:\/\/efectococuyo.com\/internacionales\/afirman-que-marco-rubio-pide-a-trump-invadir-venezuela-para-asegurar-el-voto-latino\/\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">he lobbied Trump to invade Venezuela<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"captioned-image-container\">\n<figure>\n<div class=\"image2-inset\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!VRcT!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F855ea765-3e3f-444e-a4ae-af821429e04c_1401x1259.png 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!VRcT!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F855ea765-3e3f-444e-a4ae-af821429e04c_1401x1259.png 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!VRcT!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F855ea765-3e3f-444e-a4ae-af821429e04c_1401x1259.png 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!VRcT!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F855ea765-3e3f-444e-a4ae-af821429e04c_1401x1259.png 1456w\" type=\"image\/webp\" sizes=\"100vw\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!VRcT!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F855ea765-3e3f-444e-a4ae-af821429e04c_1401x1259.png 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!VRcT!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F855ea765-3e3f-444e-a4ae-af821429e04c_1401x1259.png 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!VRcT!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F855ea765-3e3f-444e-a4ae-af821429e04c_1401x1259.png 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!VRcT!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F855ea765-3e3f-444e-a4ae-af821429e04c_1401x1259.png 1456w\" data-sizes=\"100vw\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"sizing-normal aligncenter lazy entered loaded\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/%24s_%21VRcT%21%2Cw_1456%2Cc_limit%2Cf_auto%2Cq_auto%3Agood%2Cfl_progressive%3Asteep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F855ea765-3e3f-444e-a4ae-af821429e04c_1401x1259.png?resize=763%2C686&amp;ssl=1\" sizes=\"auto, 100vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!VRcT!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F855ea765-3e3f-444e-a4ae-af821429e04c_1401x1259.png 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!VRcT!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F855ea765-3e3f-444e-a4ae-af821429e04c_1401x1259.png 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!VRcT!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F855ea765-3e3f-444e-a4ae-af821429e04c_1401x1259.png 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!VRcT!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F855ea765-3e3f-444e-a4ae-af821429e04c_1401x1259.png 1456w\" alt=\"\" width=\"763\" height=\"686\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/%24s_%21VRcT%21%2Cw_1456%2Cc_limit%2Cf_auto%2Cq_auto%3Agood%2Cfl_progressive%3Asteep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F855ea765-3e3f-444e-a4ae-af821429e04c_1401x1259.png?resize=763%2C686&amp;ssl=1\" data-sizes=\"auto, 100vw\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!VRcT!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F855ea765-3e3f-444e-a4ae-af821429e04c_1401x1259.png 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!VRcT!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F855ea765-3e3f-444e-a4ae-af821429e04c_1401x1259.png 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!VRcT!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F855ea765-3e3f-444e-a4ae-af821429e04c_1401x1259.png 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!VRcT!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F855ea765-3e3f-444e-a4ae-af821429e04c_1401x1259.png 1456w\" data-attrs=\"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/855ea765-3e3f-444e-a4ae-af821429e04c_1401x1259.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1259,&quot;width&quot;:1401,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:801231,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image\/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.geopoliticaleconomy.report\/i\/176537908?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F855ea765-3e3f-444e-a4ae-af821429e04c_1401x1259.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}\" data-ll-status=\"loaded\" \/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Trump discussed his attacks on Venezuela in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=f1M57bKXlKU\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">press conference at the White House<\/a> on 15 October.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy did you authorize the CIA to go into Venezuela?\u201d a journalist asked the US president.<\/p>\n<p>Trump gave two excuses, falsely claiming that it is because Venezuela is supposedly sending criminals to the US and that he wants to stop \u201cdrug trafficking\u201d. Both allegations are not true. They are demonstrable lies that the Trump administration is using to try to justify a war of aggression.<\/p>\n<p>The journalist then asked Trump, \u201cDoes the CIA have authority to take out Maduro?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The US president replied, \u201cOh, I don\u2019t want to answer a question like that. That\u2019s a ridiculous question for me to be given. Not really a ridiculous question, but wouldn\u2019t it be a ridiculous question for me to answer? But I think Venezuela is feeling heat\u201d.<\/p>\n<h3>The CIA\u2019s history of terrorism and coups in Latin America<\/h3>\n<p>The CIA has carried out myriad crimes against humanity in Latin America. The <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1986\/01\/09\/opinion\/l-terror-is-the-most-effective-weapon-of-nicaragua-s-contras-938786.html\" >US spy agency has armed and trained death squads<\/a> who have burnt down schools and hospitals and tortured and massacred civilians, like the Contras in Nicaragua in the 1980s.<\/p>\n<p>The CIA has also committed war crimes directly. The CIA put mines in Nicaragua\u2019s ports in the 1980s, in a flagrant violation of international law.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-9750 lazy entered loaded\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/ICJ-Nicaragua-v-USA-1986.jpg?resize=877%2C573&amp;ssl=1\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 877px) 100vw, 877px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/ICJ-Nicaragua-v-USA-1986.jpg?w=877&amp;ssl=1 877w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/ICJ-Nicaragua-v-USA-1986.jpg?resize=300%2C196&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/ICJ-Nicaragua-v-USA-1986.jpg?resize=768%2C502&amp;ssl=1 768w\" alt=\"ICJ Nicaragua v USA 1986\" width=\"877\" height=\"573\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/ICJ-Nicaragua-v-USA-1986.jpg?resize=877%2C573&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/ICJ-Nicaragua-v-USA-1986.jpg?w=877&amp;ssl=1 877w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/ICJ-Nicaragua-v-USA-1986.jpg?resize=300%2C196&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/ICJ-Nicaragua-v-USA-1986.jpg?resize=768%2C502&amp;ssl=1 768w\" data-sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 877px) 100vw, 877px\" data-ll-status=\"loaded\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/2023\/06\/28\/us-owes-nicaragua-reparations-1986-icj\/\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Nicaragua took the United States to the International Court of Justice<\/a>, the UN\u2019s top judicial authority, in 1984, and it won the case in 1986. The Hague ruled in support of the people of Nicaragua, determining that the US government, and specifically the CIA, had violated international law in its attacks on Nicaraguan civilian targets.<\/p>\n<p>However, Washington ignored the ICJ ruling and vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that demanded it be respected.<\/p>\n<p>To this day, the US rogue regime refuses to pay the reparations that it legally owes to Nicaragua.<\/p>\n<div class=\"captioned-image-container\">\n<figure>\n<div class=\"image2-inset\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!gzpj!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8c8fdc0-faaf-483f-b7cf-7f29f3fb46db_1807x670.png 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!gzpj!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8c8fdc0-faaf-483f-b7cf-7f29f3fb46db_1807x670.png 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!gzpj!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8c8fdc0-faaf-483f-b7cf-7f29f3fb46db_1807x670.png 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!gzpj!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8c8fdc0-faaf-483f-b7cf-7f29f3fb46db_1807x670.png 1456w\" type=\"image\/webp\" sizes=\"100vw\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!gzpj!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8c8fdc0-faaf-483f-b7cf-7f29f3fb46db_1807x670.png 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!gzpj!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8c8fdc0-faaf-483f-b7cf-7f29f3fb46db_1807x670.png 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!gzpj!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8c8fdc0-faaf-483f-b7cf-7f29f3fb46db_1807x670.png 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!gzpj!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8c8fdc0-faaf-483f-b7cf-7f29f3fb46db_1807x670.png 1456w\" data-sizes=\"100vw\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"sizing-normal aligncenter lazy entered loaded\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/%24s_%21gzpj%21%2Cw_1456%2Cc_limit%2Cf_auto%2Cq_auto%3Agood%2Cfl_progressive%3Asteep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8c8fdc0-faaf-483f-b7cf-7f29f3fb46db_1807x670.png?resize=880%2C326&amp;ssl=1\" sizes=\"auto, 100vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!gzpj!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8c8fdc0-faaf-483f-b7cf-7f29f3fb46db_1807x670.png 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!gzpj!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8c8fdc0-faaf-483f-b7cf-7f29f3fb46db_1807x670.png 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!gzpj!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8c8fdc0-faaf-483f-b7cf-7f29f3fb46db_1807x670.png 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!gzpj!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8c8fdc0-faaf-483f-b7cf-7f29f3fb46db_1807x670.png 1456w\" alt=\"\" width=\"880\" height=\"326\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/%24s_%21gzpj%21%2Cw_1456%2Cc_limit%2Cf_auto%2Cq_auto%3Agood%2Cfl_progressive%3Asteep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8c8fdc0-faaf-483f-b7cf-7f29f3fb46db_1807x670.png?resize=880%2C326&amp;ssl=1\" data-sizes=\"auto, 100vw\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!gzpj!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8c8fdc0-faaf-483f-b7cf-7f29f3fb46db_1807x670.png 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!gzpj!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8c8fdc0-faaf-483f-b7cf-7f29f3fb46db_1807x670.png 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!gzpj!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8c8fdc0-faaf-483f-b7cf-7f29f3fb46db_1807x670.png 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!gzpj!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8c8fdc0-faaf-483f-b7cf-7f29f3fb46db_1807x670.png 1456w\" data-attrs=\"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/d8c8fdc0-faaf-483f-b7cf-7f29f3fb46db_1807x670.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:540,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:227020,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image\/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.geopoliticaleconomy.report\/i\/176537908?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd8c8fdc0-faaf-483f-b7cf-7f29f3fb46db_1807x670.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}\" data-ll-status=\"loaded\" \/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The CIA has also sponsored dozens of coups d\u2019etat against democratically elected left-wing leaders in Latin America.<\/p>\n<p>In 1954, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zinnedproject.org\/news\/tdih\/jacobo-arbenz-guzman-deposed\/\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">CIA overthrew Guatemala\u2019s democratically elected President Jacobo \u00c1rbenz<\/a> on behalf of US corporation the United Fruit Company (now known as Chiquita).<\/p>\n<p>Then, on 11 September 1973, the CIA toppled Chile\u2019s democratically elected socialist President Salvador Allende, and put in power the fascist dictator Augusto Pinochet, who killed thousands of people and maintained an iron grip on power for nearly two decades.<\/p>\n<p>Trump is now clearly giving the CIA a green light to try to do the same in Venezuela, to overthrow the leftist Chavista government of President Maduro and install a right-wing puppet regime that will privatize the country\u2019s massive oil and gold reserves and other natural resources and sell them off to US corporations.<\/p>\n<h3>Trump lies about \u201cdrug trafficking\u201d to push regime change<\/h3>\n<p>The false narrative that the Trump administration is using is that it is attacking Venezuela supposedly in order to stop the \u201cflow of drugs\u201d into the US. This is a lie that has been debunked by multiple sources.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/bd217091-84bb-4af2-b08b-9d9556dbb6d6\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Financial Times published a lengthy report<\/a>, citing US officials and Venezuelan opposition figures who have been working closely with the Trump administration, and they admitted that the real goal is regime change.<\/p>\n<p>The US government\u2019s priority \u201cis to force the departure of top Venezuelan government figures, preferably via resignation or an arranged handover \u2014 but with the clear threat that if Maduro and his inner circle cling to power, the Americans may use targeted military force to capture or kill them\u201d, the FT wrote.<\/p>\n<div class=\"captioned-image-container\">\n<figure>\n<div class=\"image2-inset\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!Ey04!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F706c5869-44ca-47c7-a6c9-dd938eb8ac32_2552x1563.png 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!Ey04!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F706c5869-44ca-47c7-a6c9-dd938eb8ac32_2552x1563.png 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!Ey04!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F706c5869-44ca-47c7-a6c9-dd938eb8ac32_2552x1563.png 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!Ey04!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F706c5869-44ca-47c7-a6c9-dd938eb8ac32_2552x1563.png 1456w\" type=\"image\/webp\" sizes=\"100vw\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!Ey04!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F706c5869-44ca-47c7-a6c9-dd938eb8ac32_2552x1563.png 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!Ey04!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F706c5869-44ca-47c7-a6c9-dd938eb8ac32_2552x1563.png 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!Ey04!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F706c5869-44ca-47c7-a6c9-dd938eb8ac32_2552x1563.png 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!Ey04!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F706c5869-44ca-47c7-a6c9-dd938eb8ac32_2552x1563.png 1456w\" data-sizes=\"100vw\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"sizing-normal aligncenter lazy entered loaded\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/%24s_%21Ey04%21%2Cw_1456%2Cc_limit%2Cf_auto%2Cq_auto%3Agood%2Cfl_progressive%3Asteep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F706c5869-44ca-47c7-a6c9-dd938eb8ac32_2552x1563.png?resize=767%2C470&amp;ssl=1\" sizes=\"auto, 100vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!Ey04!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F706c5869-44ca-47c7-a6c9-dd938eb8ac32_2552x1563.png 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!Ey04!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F706c5869-44ca-47c7-a6c9-dd938eb8ac32_2552x1563.png 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!Ey04!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F706c5869-44ca-47c7-a6c9-dd938eb8ac32_2552x1563.png 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!Ey04!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F706c5869-44ca-47c7-a6c9-dd938eb8ac32_2552x1563.png 1456w\" alt=\"\" width=\"767\" height=\"470\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/%24s_%21Ey04%21%2Cw_1456%2Cc_limit%2Cf_auto%2Cq_auto%3Agood%2Cfl_progressive%3Asteep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F706c5869-44ca-47c7-a6c9-dd938eb8ac32_2552x1563.png?resize=767%2C470&amp;ssl=1\" data-sizes=\"auto, 100vw\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!Ey04!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F706c5869-44ca-47c7-a6c9-dd938eb8ac32_2552x1563.png 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!Ey04!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F706c5869-44ca-47c7-a6c9-dd938eb8ac32_2552x1563.png 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!Ey04!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F706c5869-44ca-47c7-a6c9-dd938eb8ac32_2552x1563.png 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!Ey04!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F706c5869-44ca-47c7-a6c9-dd938eb8ac32_2552x1563.png 1456w\" data-attrs=\"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/706c5869-44ca-47c7-a6c9-dd938eb8ac32_2552x1563.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:892,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:2381314,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image\/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.geopoliticaleconomy.report\/i\/176537908?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F706c5869-44ca-47c7-a6c9-dd938eb8ac32_2552x1563.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}\" data-ll-status=\"loaded\" \/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Trump administration\u2019s unsubstantiated accusations that Venezuela is a major center of drug production are clearly contradicted by the data compiled by UN experts.<\/p>\n<p>Venezuela is not a major source of drugs, nor is it a key transit country.<\/p>\n<p>According to 2022 data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC),\u00a065% of the cocaine in the world is produced in Colombia, which has historically been the closest US ally in Latin America and has been dominated by <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JwCducQ8HHw\" >right-wing, pro-US politicians linked to cartels<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Peru is the second-largest source of cocaine, providing 27% of the global total, followed by Bolivia at 8%. Venezuela\u2019s role is so minor it is insignificant.<\/p>\n<h3><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-15252 lazy entered loaded\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cocaine-drug-production-UN-countries-map.jpeg?resize=880%2C880&amp;ssl=1\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 880px) 100vw, 880px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cocaine-drug-production-UN-countries-map.jpeg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cocaine-drug-production-UN-countries-map.jpeg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cocaine-drug-production-UN-countries-map.jpeg?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cocaine-drug-production-UN-countries-map.jpeg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cocaine-drug-production-UN-countries-map.jpeg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cocaine-drug-production-UN-countries-map.jpeg?resize=600%2C600&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cocaine-drug-production-UN-countries-map.jpeg?resize=100%2C100&amp;ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cocaine-drug-production-UN-countries-map.jpeg?resize=70%2C70&amp;ssl=1 70w\" alt=\"cocaine drug production UN countries map\" width=\"880\" height=\"880\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cocaine-drug-production-UN-countries-map.jpeg?resize=880%2C880&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cocaine-drug-production-UN-countries-map.jpeg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cocaine-drug-production-UN-countries-map.jpeg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cocaine-drug-production-UN-countries-map.jpeg?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cocaine-drug-production-UN-countries-map.jpeg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cocaine-drug-production-UN-countries-map.jpeg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cocaine-drug-production-UN-countries-map.jpeg?resize=600%2C600&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cocaine-drug-production-UN-countries-map.jpeg?resize=100%2C100&amp;ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cocaine-drug-production-UN-countries-map.jpeg?resize=70%2C70&amp;ssl=1 70w\" data-sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 880px) 100vw, 880px\" data-ll-status=\"loaded\" \/><\/h3>\n<h3>US government-funded coup leader Mar\u00eda Corina Machado pledged to privatize Venezuela\u2019s oil<\/h3>\n<p>The Financial Times noted, \u201cAt stake in Venezuela are the world\u2019s largest proven oil reserves and valuable deposits of gold, diamonds and coltan\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The FT cited an anonymous \u201cAmerican businessman with interests in the country\u201d who revealed, \u201cWhat Trump wants in Venezuela is oil, minerals and gold\u2026 He wants US companies down there investing\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/2025\/10\/13\/maria-corina-machado-israel-genocide-trump-war-venezuela\/\" >Far-right Venezuelan coup leader Mar\u00eda Corina Machado<\/a> has openly called for privatizing her country\u2019s natural resources and handing them over to US corporations.<\/p>\n<p>Machado, who has been funded by the US government for more than 20 years, was awarded a so-called \u201cNobel Peace Prize\u201d due to her violent, US-sponsored regime-change efforts.<\/p>\n<p>In an <a href=\"https:\/\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/2025\/10\/16\/venezuela-maria-corina-machado-privatize-oil-us-corporations\/\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">interview with Donald Trump Jr.<\/a> in February, Machado declared (emphasis added):<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Forget about Saudi Arabia; forget about the Saudis. I mean, we have more oil, I mean, infinite potential.<\/p>\n<p>And <strong>we\u2019re going to open markets. We\u2019re going to kick [out] the government from the oil sector. We\u2019re going to privatize all our industry.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Venezuela has huge resources: oil, gas, minerals, land, technology. And, as you said before, we have a strategic location, you know, hours from the United States.<\/p>\n<p>So we\u2019re going to do this right. We know what we have to do.<\/p>\n<p>\u2026<\/p>\n<p>And <strong>American companies are in<\/strong>, you know, <strong>a super strategic position to invest<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\u2026<\/p>\n<p>This country, Venezuela, is going to be the <strong>brightest opportunity for investment of American companies<\/strong>, of good people that <strong>are going to make a lot of money<\/strong>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Even CNN and ex Biden officials are skeptical of Trump\u2019s \u201cdrug trafficking\u201d lies about Venezuela<\/h3>\n<p>Immediately after the US government-funded extremist Mar\u00eda Corina Machado won the so-called \u201cNobel Peace Prize\u201d, she was interviewed by CNN.<\/p>\n<p>Machado proudly stated that she supports Trump and the murderous war he is waging against her country. In fact, she called for further military escalation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe totally support it\u201d, Machado said, in reference to the US military attacks in the Caribbean.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cActually, we\u2019re asking other countries in the Caribbean, in Latin America and Europe, to join that international coalition\u201d for war on Venezuela, added the so-called \u201cNobel Peace Prize\u201d laureate.<\/p>\n<p>CNN is normally a loyal mouthpiece for the US State Department. The corporate network has supported every major US war of aggression, against Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Iran, Yugoslavia, and beyond.<\/p>\n<p>However, because CNN is an anti-Trump media outlet, it has been willing to challenge some of the administration\u2019s blatant lies about Venezuela.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, <a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2025\/10\/17\/politics\/cia-venezuela-trump-castro-noriega-analysis\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">CNN drew parallels<\/a> between Trump\u2019s false claims about Venezuela and the fraudulent allegations that the George W. Bush administration fabricated in order to justify its illegal invasion of Iraq in 2003 (which CNN had supported at the time).<\/p>\n<p>The Bush administration\u2019s CIA created false intelligence claiming that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had \u201cweapons of mass destruction\u201d, or WMDs. This was not true.<\/p>\n<p>Today, the Trump administration is falsely claiming that the Venezuelan government is run by drug cartels. This is totally preposterous and is not supported by any evidence.<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9cwt2vLSzZ0\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">her interview<\/a> with US government-funded Venezuelan coup plotter Mar\u00eda Corina Machado, <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/KAkNZCjstVI?si=lJ4aHh07BiUpYxPW&amp;t=562\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">CNN host Christiane Amanpour pushed back<\/a> against these false claims.<\/p>\n<p>Amanpour cited a previous interview she did with Juan Sebasti\u00e1n Gonz\u00e1lez, who helped oversee US policy toward Latin America in the Joe Biden administration, as the senior director of the National Security Council for the Western Hemisphere.<\/p>\n<p>Gonz\u00e1lez admitted that Venezuela is not a major producer of drugs.<\/p>\n<p>This is what this top Biden administration official told CNN:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The reason that drugs have never originated from Venezuela \u2014 in the way that they originate from Colombia, over 95% of the cocaine that comes to United States comes from Colombia \u2014 is because Venezuela has one of the largest oil reserves in the world; they have the largest gold reserves in Latin America.<\/p>\n<p>So there has never been a need for them to develop a native drug-producing industry.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>In her CNN interview with Machado, Amanpour noted that, \u201cwhen people look at what\u2019s going on, they say, OK, they [the Trump administration] have used the drug issue to justify getting rid of Maduro, like they used the non-existent WMD issue to get rid of Saddam Hussein in Iraq\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo are you, I guess what I\u2019m asking you is, are you concerned about that?\u201d Amanpour asked.<\/p>\n<p>Machado, the US government-funded coup plotter and staunch supporter of Trump, shot back, \u201cI totally disagree\u201d. She cited baseless claims that the FBI made during Trump\u2019s first administration that, supposedly, \u201c24% of the world trade of cocaine goes through Venezuela\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>This politically motivated accusation by Trump\u2019s FBI has been blatantly contradicted by the data published by independent international experts at the United Nations.<\/p>\n<p>Trump\u2019s lies about Venezuela are so transparent that even CNN and former Biden administration officials are willing to call them out. But their obvious fraudulence is not stopping the US government from escalating its war of aggression in the Caribbean.<\/p>\n<p class=\"western\">_____________________________________<\/p>\n<p class=\"western\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Ben-Norton-e1672373373792.jpg\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-226318\" src=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Ben-Norton-e1672373373792.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" \/><\/a> <i>Benjamin Norton is an investigative journalist, analyst, writer and filmmaker. He is the founder and editor of <\/i>Multipolarista<i> and is based in Latin America.<\/i><i> <\/i><span lang=\"es-ES\"><i>His website: <\/i><\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/BenNorton.com\/\" ><span lang=\"es-ES\"><i>BenNorton.com<\/i><\/span><\/a><\/span><span lang=\"es-ES\"><i>\u00a0<\/i><\/span><i> <\/i><em><span lang=\"es-ES\">(<\/span><\/em><em><span lang=\"es-ES\">Publicaciones<\/span><\/em> <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/geopoliticaeconomica.com\/author\/benjamin-norton\/\" ><span lang=\"es-ES\"><i>en espa\u00f1ol aqu\u00ed<\/i><\/span><\/a><\/span><em><span lang=\"es-ES\">.)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"western\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/geopoliticaleconomy.com\/2025\/10\/20\/trump-cia-attack-venezuela-us-war\/\" >Go to Original \u2013 geopoliticaleconomy.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The US military has killed dozens of Venezuelans on boats in international waters, which UN experts have condemned as \u201cextrajudicial executions.\u201d Among the victims have been fishermen from Colombia and Trinidad and Tobago, whose families were interviewed by The Guardian.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":305878,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[133,1661,393,541,559,1190,3660,249,70,557],"class_list":["post-305877","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-militarism","tag-cia","tag-colombia","tag-coup","tag-latin-america-caribbean","tag-maduro","tag-regime-change","tag-trinidad-and-tobago","tag-trump","tag-usa","tag-venezuela"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/305877","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=305877"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/305877\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":305885,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/305877\/revisions\/305885"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/305878"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=305877"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=305877"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=305877"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}