Well that’s one way to distract from the million missing Epstein documents connecting Trump to statutory rape allegations, invade Venezuela…
Donald Trump says US is ‘going to run’ Venezuela after overnight strikes
…I’m not sure what is more concerning, America’s illegal kidnapping of Madura or Trump’s slurring justification and claim that America is now ‘running’ Venezuela.
This is an illegal action and the idea that Trump is now going to ‘run’ Venezuela is completely fucking insane.
Couple of things:
1 – I’m no fan of Madura, he has crimes against the Venezuelan people that he needs to account for, but America has no jurisdiction to carry out that justice!
2 – Trump’s justification of this being an anti-drugs campaign is pure bullshit, the vast majority of drugs entering America are not from Venezuela.
3 – Trump has already admitted this is about controlling Venezuela’s oil.
4 – When you consider America’s horrific history in South America, you will comprehend the enormity of this action.
5 – This is really about Trump molesting the rules based order and that has enormous implications for Ukraine and Taiwan.
Trump has walked away from the rules based order in favour of spheres of influence.
Putin can do what he likes in the Ukraine and an emboldened Xi can do what he likes with Taiwan because Trump intends to do what he likes in Venezuela, Panama Canal, Canada and even Greenland.
By rewarding Putin with war gains in the Ukrainian ‘peace’ treaty, Trump is signalling to Xi that he can invade Taiwan because America First means dominating America’s sphere regardless of the law or rules.
Trump despises globalisation (he thinks its a waste of money) and focuses instead on a America First sphere of dominance that covers the entire North and South American continents that extends to Greenland.
Trump has set a terribly dangerous precedence while distracting from Epstein.
The idea that the Venezuelans are simply going to accept being occupied by America is completely disconnected from reality.
Welcome to the second year of madness under the Orange Fascist.
This has nothing to do with freeing Venezuela and everything to do with freeing Venezuela of its oil.
Increasingly having independent opinion in a mainstream media environment which mostly echo one another has become more important than ever, so if you value having an independent voice – please donate here.
Who’s next?
Greenland?
Panama?
Cuba?
The Hague?
From Google AI:
The Hague Invasion Act
The American Service-Members’ Protection Act (ASPA) of 2002, which authorizes the U.S. president to use “all means necessary and appropriate,” including military force, to free U.S. or allied personnel detained by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. Known as the “Hague Invasion Act,” it aims to protect U.S. officials and troops from ICC prosecution, as the U.S. does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction over its citizens.
Key Aspects of the ASPA (Hague Invasion Act):
Purpose: The law was enacted to shield U.S. military and government officials from potential war crimes prosecutions by the ICC.
Military Force Authorization: It allows the president to authorize military action to release Americans or citizens from allied countries (e.g., Israel) held by the ICC.
Targeting the Netherlands: Because the ICC is based in The Hague, Netherlands (a NATO ally), the law is largely seen as a symbolic, yet aggressive, political, and legal posture.
Restrictions: The law forbids U.S. cooperation with the ICC, including the sharing of classified information, and restricts U.S. participation in peacekeeping missions unless immunity is guaranteed.
Context: The law was passed in 2002, ahead of the Iraq war, reflecting fears of politically motivated prosecutions. It was reaffirmed in 2024 following ICC inquiries into U.S. allies.
As the old saying goes “the writing was on the wall” so it’s not unexpected but to actually see it happening is very concerning. While we are in a nice isolated area of the south Pacific with our current government I don’t really feel any safer from irrational decisions they are likely to make that reduce the freedoms we value.
The final nail in the climate coffin?
The world’s largest untapped oil reserves are concentrated in the Venezuelan Orinoco.
Burn baby, Burn
From Google AI:
The Orinoco Belt (Faja Petrolífera del Orinoco) is a massive geological formation in east-central Venezuela, holding the world’s largest deposits of extra-heavy crude oil and bitumen, making Venezuela home to the largest proven oil reserves globally. Covering about 55,000 sq km, this region contains vast quantities of viscous oil requiring advanced thermal or enhanced recovery methods, and is divided into operational zones like Junín, Carabobo, and Ayacucho for development…..
The U$$$$$$$$$$ Empire is getting its BUTT kicked: 1. Blamed for the destruction of Ukraine’s young men and Infrastructure via its NAZO proxy. 2. The $ is being dedollarised by its former friends who are abandoning the $s weaponisation. 3, The growth of BRICS an alternative to do business. 4. The disgust at the U$$ aiding and abetting Israehell’s genocide of women and children by Hitler Netanyahu. 5. Basically the U$ rep is sh*t!
Venezuela a desperate attempt to be respected again by stealing a sovereign nation’s oil wealth.
6. Trump an overweight sack of sh*t that’s as trustworthy as a snake!
Who’s next?
Greenland?
Panama?
Cuba?
New York?
Trump calls Mamdani ‘communist,’ ‘very bad for New York’ in interview
Eyewitness News WABC Monday, June 30, 2025
…Mamdani responded to the accusation that he is a ‘communist.’
“No I’m not, and I already have to get used to the fact the president will talk about how I look, how I sound, where I’m from, who I am, ultimately because he wants to distract from what I’m fighting for,” Mamdani said.
Mamdani also said there should be no billionaires in America.
In response to Mamdani’s pledge to oppose ICE, President Trump called the candidate a “radical leftist” and a “lunatic.”
While Trump did not endorse anyone specifically, he cautioned that future mayors of New York would face financial repercussions from the federal government if they did not comply with his administration.
“Well, I don’t want to say that because I have a lot of people, a lot of friends, and I have everybody, so I don’t want to get into that. I can tell you this, whoever’s mayor of New York is going to have to behave themselves or the federal government is coming down very tough on them financially,” Trump said.
Mamdani addressed attacks and threats towards him on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ Sunday saying the swipes, including U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles’ call for his potential deportation, have been difficult, but are small examples that ‘go against what so many New Yorkers actually feel.
Trump is God’s chosen warrior, destined to bring the flag of freedom and democracy to Venezuela. This is only the beginning of his holy crusade to remove tyrants and dictators that stand in defiance of American might. He will free the Cuban people, bring freedom to the Iranian people by decapitating the regime’s leadership, and secure the oil for the West.
You should find out what a holy crusade (war) actually means biblically before continually proving how ignorant you are.
I found this information online which I have pasted below.
Biblical Concept of Holy War
In his commentary on Exodus, Douglas K. Stuart offers an insightful characterization of divine war in the biblical sense. This kind of war, usually expressed by the Hebrew verb haram, or the noun herem, involves destroying human life on a large scale and sometimes property and animal life. Because of its pertinence, Stuart’s list is reproduced here with some adjustments (adapted from Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus: The New American Commentary [Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2006], vol. 2, pp. 395–397).
1. In the unique landscape of ancient Israel, no professional army was permitted. The battles were fought by amateurs and volunteers, a stark contrast with the professionalized military structures in antiquity and those we are familiar with today.
2. Soldiers were not paid. They obeyed God’s commands in the cove- nant context and were not to fight for personal gain. In many cases, this meant they were prohibited from taking spoil or plunder.
3. Divine or holy war could be fought only for the conquest or defense of the Promised Land in that particular historical con- junction. After the conquest, any war of aggression was strictly prohibited. Israel was called to fight for the Promised Land in a specific geographic and historical context. Once they had con- quered the land and consolidated their territory, the Israelites were not supposed to expand the borders of the Promised Land through war. God had not called His people to become an expansionist military empire.
4. The initiation of holy war, considered a divine act, was solely in God’s hands, carried out through His chosen prophets, such as Moses and Joshua. This underscores that war should never be a human ini- tiative but rather a sacred duty.
5. God’s involvement in holy war required spiritual preparation, which included fasting, abstinence from sex, or other forms of self-denial. The ceremony of circumcision (Josh. 5:1–9) and the celebration of the Passover (Josh. 5:10–12), in the context of the covenant renewal, were part of this preparation.
6. An Israelite who violated any of these rules of holy war would become an enemy. As the violation was punishable by death, the defiant person would become a herem, namely, devoted to destruc- tion.
7. Finally, God’s direct involvement led to decisive and rapid victo- ries in the context of faithful holy war. Examples of this include many battles during the conquest (Josh. 6:16–21, Josh. 10:1–15) and occasions when Israel or Judah was defending its territory, with God’s help, from powerful invading forces (2 Sam. 5:22–25). Conversely, there are negative examples in which God’s lack of involvement resulted in defeat (1 Sam. 31:1–7), such as when the Israelites faced the Amalekites without divine permission and were defeated near Hormah (Num. 14:39–45) or when they were defeated by the insignificant army of Ai (Josh. 7:2–4).
What the war criminal Netanyahu and the rest of the Zionist thugs you support are doing doesn’t fit any of these conditions so you are guilty as well according to the sermon on the mount.
Zelda’s outrageous posts are just about winding everyone up as are troll bots btf and trev
You like Trump and Luxon ,will be disapointed when you rock up to the pearly gates expecting a heros wellcome.Instead you will be escorted to hell in a hand cart .
Trump the dictator, now a war criminal alongside sexual deviant.
‘Trump is God’s chosen warrior, destined to bring the flag of freedom and democracy to Venezuela. This is only the beginning of his holy crusade to remove tyrants and dictators that stand in defiance of American might. He will free the Cuban people, bring freedom to the Iranian people by decapitating the regime’s leadership, and secure the oil for the West.’
Also rainwater will become champagne, smoking will cure cancer, overeating will make people slimmer and more healthy, prohibiting birth control will reduce the world’s population and the syphilis attacking Zelda’s brain can be cured through prayer.
Trump shows his contempt for the rule of law.
Maduro in handcuffs, is Mamdani next?
Can Mamdani defeat Trump?
From the Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/01/mamdani-own-words-quotes
“If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him. So, if there is any way to terrify a despot, it is by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power. This is not only how we stop Trump, it’s how we stop the next one. So, Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: turn the volume up!” Zohran Mamdani, Jan. 1, 2026
Trump turns the volume up
The US president, Donald Trump, has said Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been captured and are on their way to New York…..
New York?
What the Hell?
Why New York?
Is this Trump’s first and most weirdist challenge to Mayor Mamdani?
For the superprofits it returns to the United States elite, US imperialism has always been, Republican and Democrat agreed, bi-partisan foreign policy.
The Democratic leader of the House Chuck Schumer has so far remained silent on Trump’s latest unprovoked attack on Venezuela.
From TYT, The Young Turks three weeks ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVO2H-l3O5o
Chuck Schumer Refuses To Condemn Trump’s War In Venezuela
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wouldn’t condemn President Trump’s regime-change war in Venezuela. Cenk Uygur and Yasmin Khan discuss on The Young Turks. Do you agree with TYT’s take? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
Democratic Party leader is put on the spot by CNN reporter
@0.00 minutes:
“Do you disagree with President Trump’s ultimate goal of regime change in Venezuela?”
@0:08 minutes:
Okay, so, Jake, do you think Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is about to make a strong case against regime change in Venezuela?
What do you think he’s going to say in this clip?….
@1:32 minutes
You know, who benefits?
It is the American corporations.
And that was unveiled by the New York Times, which actually did some excellent reporting on Maria Corina machado, one of the opposition leaders in Venezuela.
And they said that Machado has touted an economic plan to American and other investors, saying that a democratic Venezuela under her movement’s control has the potential to generate $1.7 trillion in wealth in 15 years.
And in June, she told American corporate representatives; “Our message to the oil companies is we want you here.
“Certainly we want you here not producing crumbs of a couple hundred thousand barrels a day.
“We want you here producing millions of barrels a day.”
“Hernández, who was the president of Honduras from 2014 to 2022, was convicted and sentenced in 2024 to 45 years in prison and given an $8 million fine by a US judge for drug-trafficking offenses.
Trump pardoned Hernández in early December, drawing criticism from both Republican and Democratic members of Congress, with some saying they didn’t understand the decision given the administration’s efforts to stop drug trafficking.”
Trump is unhinged(nothing we didn’t already know).
This was always about taking the oil reserves.
Anybody remember Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iran? The Septic Tanks are not actually very good at this.
Are the Venezuelans going to be so happy at losing Madura that they will automatically fall in love with whatever regime Trump trump’s up in his place?
I see a Bad Moon rising.
Martyn – Wow…Trump just broke a promise to his MAGA base to not start wars overseas…His MAGA base will not be happy
And Luxon will crawl up trumps arse cause after all the South Americans are only greasers and spics and can’t run their countries like businesses.
“greasers and spics” lol
War, war, and more war, probably leading to something much bigger.
From the Guardian:
….The experts the Guardian spoke to agreed that the US is likely to have violated the terms of the UN charter, which was signed in October 1945 and designed to prevent another conflict on the scale of the second world war….
“The most obvious consequence is that China will take the opportunity to invade Taiwan,” Robertson said. “This is the most appropriate time for it to do so, bolstered by the precedent of Trump’s invasion of Venezuela and of course his appeasement of Russia in its invasion of Ukraine. In fact, I would say that Trump’s invasion of Venezuela is the crime of aggression, the same crime Putin has committed by invading Ukraine.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/03/is-there-any-legal-justification-for-the-us-attack-on-venezuela-trump-maduro
With the proabaility of global war between the US and China and their allies becoming more likely….
Never has the debate on New Zealand neutrality become more urgent.
P.S. The interesting thing to watch for; Will The Daily Blog’s resident pro-AUKUS, pro-war commentator, still maintain his strict policy of self censorship and cover up of US supported war crimes and imperialist and colonialist aggression?
Or will he double down in his support for NZDF military junior partnership with the US global hegemon and MIC?
Once again its all about oil because Trumps, drill baby drill ‘,has found no new oil because like NZ there is no more to be found .And because he is as thick as pig shit he cant see the free energy available every day from the sun and wind .Already there is talk that Cuba is next followed by greenland .The orange Hitler is on the loose till it bites him on the arse .
Whose next, Greenland, Canada, Mexico?
Naked imperialism
Various US alleged reasons given for invading other countries, and seizing control of their resources.
‘Drugs’, ‘WMDs’, ‘Terrorist links’,
Now for the undressed version
Venezuela has $1.7 trillion worth of oil reserves, the biggest in the world, The same ‘ol same ‘ol reason that Bush went to war with Iraq and and Reagan went to war with Libya.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_reserves_in_Libya
NYC Mayor Mamdani calls US attack on Venezuela, capture of Maduro ‘act of war’
To drive the point home Trump references World War II
BBC News:
@6:12 minutes:
“And it was uh an assault like people have not seen since World War II.” [Donald Trump]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LMnT7emogc
Trump takes a page out of Putin and Netanyahu’s book and attacks Venezuelan civilian infrastructure.
https://risingkashmir.com/venezuela-explosions-rock-caracas-overnight-power-outages-reported/
Gaza and Ukraine are showing us how World War III will be fought.
Zohran Mamdani warns that Maduro’s capture and transfer to New York risks violating international law and endangering Venezuelan communities at home
….Mamdani stressed that the consequences of the operation extend beyond Venezuela, saying it could directly affect tens of thousands of Venezuelans living in New York….
….“My focus is their safety and the safety of every New Yorker,” he said, adding that his administration would continue to monitor developments and issue guidance as needed….
….His remarks came after President Donald Trump announced that US forces had carried out a “large-scale strike” in Venezuela, capturing Maduro and his wife and flying them out of the country. Trump later said the pair were en route to New York to face federal charges…..
This raises the question of whether Trump will mobilise Federal troops to the streets of New York to suppress antiwar protests that are sure to break out especially centred around the New York Court.
UN Security Council to meet Monday over US action in Venezuela
By Reuters
January 4, 20269:24 AM GMT+13Updated 2 hours ago
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/un-chief-venezuela-us-action-sets-dangerous-precedent-2026-01-03/
….”This is a colonial war aimed at destroying our republican form of government, freely chosen by our people, and at imposing a puppet government that allows the plundering of our natural resources, including the world’s largest oil reserves,” Venezuela’s U.N. Ambassador Samuel Moncada wrote to the U.N. Security Council on Saturday.
He said the U.S. had violated the founding U.N. Charter, which states: ” All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.”
What will Ramzi Kassem, Mamdani’s Mayoral appointee for New York’s chief legal counsel, do?
Will Ramzi Kassem seek to represent President Maduro at his hearing in the New York Federal Court?
Ramzi Kassem, the right man in the right place?
Will Kassem seek remand of his client into the care of the city?
Could this be the legal clash of the century?
From Google AI
Ramzi Kassem, law professor and civil rights attorney, has a history of representing prisoners detained by the U.S. government in connection with the “war on terror,” including numerous detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Through a legal clinic he founded and co-directs at the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law called CLEAR (Creating Law Enforcement Accountability and Responsibility), Kassem and his students have represented at least fifteen prisoners held in various U.S. facilities worldwide, including Guantanamo and Bagram Air Base. Their advocacy has reportedly led to the liberation of twelve of these clients.
Key aspects of his work include:
Military Commissions: Kassem has appeared before U.S. federal courts and the military commissions at Guantanamo Bay. He served as lead defense counsel for Ahmed al-Darbi, an al-Qaeda operative who was the only prisoner released from Guantanamo during the Trump administration as part of a plea deal.
High-Profile Clients: His clients have included Mohamed Mani Ahmad al-Kahtani, who was alleged to have been the intended 20th hijacker in the 9/11 attacks and whose torture by U.S. officials was officially acknowledged.
Advocacy for Rights: Kassem has been vocal about the dire conditions faced by his clients and the problematic nature of the military commission system, which he describes as favoring the prosecution and allowing the use of secret or coerced evidence.
Media and Policy: In addition to courtroom advocacy, he has published articles in major news outlets like The New York Times and The Guardian and is a frequent commentator on issues related to national security, immigration, and civil rights.
Ramzi Kassem
Law of War: *Professor Ramzi Kassem and his students, through the Immigrant and Non-Citizen Rights Clinic at the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law, represented fifteen prisoners of various nationalities incarcerated without fair process at U.S. detention facilities worldwide, including Guantánamo Bay, Bagram Air Base, and “black sites”.
Kassem’s experience includes serving under the Biden administration as a senior policy advisor for immigration on the White House Domestic Policy Council. Kassem represented Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian, who was arrested by ICE earlier this year for his alleged involvement in anti-Israel protests on Columbia’s campus. He was released from ICE detention in June, but his case remains unresolved……
….Notable examples of cases involving his clients include:
United States v. Ahmed al-Darbi: Kassem was the lead defense counsel for the only prisoner released from Guantánamo during the Trump administration. He negotiated his client’s repatriation to Saudi Arabia.
United States v. Uzair Paracha: Representing Paracha in a federal terrorism case, Kassem’s efforts led to his client’s exoneration and repatriation to Pakistan after 17 years of incarceration.
Farhane v. United States: In a recent case, a federal appeals court vacated a district court’s decision and remanded the case to allow the lower court to reevaluate the client’s claim related to the immigration consequences of his guilty plea. This is an example of a successful motion for a case to be remanded.
Tanzin v. Tanvir: Kassem argued this landmark civil rights case before the U.S. Supreme Court, resulting in a unanimous decision that allowed his clients to sue federal officials for damages under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
This is international banditry by the biggest international bandit on the face of the earth.
From enabling genocide in Gaza, fostering Islamism around the globe to defeat secular governments in the Muslim world, its throttling of Cuba, and indeed Venezuela, and now this kidnapping of a head of state, is it not about time NZ should align with Brics nations to reduce the power of this rogue state.
The End Of The Petrodollar: The Real Reason For The Venezuela Raid
Today, the United States military launched a historic operation in Venezuela, removing the leadership and effectively taking control of the country. While the headlines focus on “Democracy” and “Regime Change,” the real motivation lies buried in the financial data of the US Department of Energy.
The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve is empty. The Dollar is losing its global dominance. And Venezuela—holding the largest oil reserves on the planet—was days away from signing a deal to sell its oil in Chinese Yuan.
In this video, we expose the “Economic War” behind the headlines. We analyze the collapse of the Petrodollar, the desperation of the Western energy markets, and why Washington had to launch a hostile takeover of a sovereign nation to save its own currency.
This is not about politics. It is about a margin call on the American Empire.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMnLnRkcikw
@alistairbest3622
3 hours ago
This is the end of the US dollar as a reserve currency; Venezuela is the final nail in the coffin of the petrodollar.
@lethapaulhus5971
5 hours ago
Obama did same thing in ukraine with biden, nuland, clinton, rice, bush to rob its minerals and resources and thought it would be easy to trap Russia out using oil as bait. All presidents since johnson have been capitalist terror agents
Who is Ramzi Kassem?
Depending on circumstances, by the end of the week, the whole world will know his name.
Other main actors
Pete Hegseth – Secretary of War
.”The coordination, the stealth, the lethality, the precision – the very long arm of American justice all on full display,” United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth
From Eyewitness News – WABC New York:
Maduro arrives in New York, expected to face federal charges after being captured in Venezuela
WABC Sunday, January 4, 2026 4:10PM
…..Nicolas Maduro was handcuffed and shackled as he touched American soil at Stewart Airport in Orange County, New York.
Maduro was flown by helicopter to the West Side of Manhattan where Venezuelan Americans watched as he and his wife were driven in a van with an armored escort to be processed by the DEA….
….After being processed at DEA Headquarters in Manhattan, a motorcade took Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores by airlift to the notorious Federal detention facility known as MDC Brooklyn. Heavily armed agents waited for his arrival.
ABC News contributed to this report.
Ramzi Kassem legal heavy-hitter
From the Financial Express, (FE):
Who is Ramzi Kassem? Mamdani taps lawyer who once defended Al-Qaeda-linked prisoner
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has appointed Ramzi Kassem as chief counsel and Steven Banks as corporation counsel.
Written by Aditi
December 31, 2025 11:27 IST
https://www.financialexpress.com/world-news/us-news/who-is-ramzi-kassem-mamdani-taps-lawyer-who-once-defended-al-qaeda-linked-prisoner/4093230/
….New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announced on Tuesday that he is appointing Ramzi Kassem as the city’s chief counsel, the top legal position in the city. Mamdani is set to take office on January 1, 2026.
Alongside Kassem, Mamdani also appointed Steven Banks, a self-described “social justice attorney,” as corporation counsel, and Helen Arteaga as deputy mayor for health and human services. While Mamdani has praised both appointments as critical for defending working people and ensuring justice in the city, the backgrounds of the attorneys have raised a few eyebrows.
Who is Ramzi Kaseem?
Kassem has a long career in law and policy. He previously served as a senior policy advisor for immigration on the White House Domestic Policy Council under former President Joe Biden.
Kassem has a history of defending high-profile and controversial clients. Kassem served as the lead lawyer for Ahmed al-Darbi, who in 2014 pleaded guilty before a US military commission to charges linked to an al-Qaeda attack on the French oil tanker MV Limburg off the coast of Yemen, according to Fox News. The attack killed one civilian and injured several others. Al-Darbi was convicted [in a plea bargain] in 2017 and later transferred to Saudi Arabia in 2018.
At the time of al-Darbi’s transfer, The Associated Press and The New York Times reported that Kassem said, “While it may not make him whole, my hope is that repatriation at least marks the end of injustice for Ahmed… He had 16 long and painful years in captivity.”
In 2025, according to ACLU press releases and the case Khalil v. Trump, Kassem represented Mahmoud Khalil, an anti-Israel activist and former Columbia University student. Khalil was arrested by ICE for allegedly leading antisemitic campus demonstrations. Khalil has since been released, though his legal case is still ongoing.
From CBS News New York:
New York leaders react to capture of Nicolás Maduro, who Trump says will be prosecuted there
By Mark Prussin
January 3, 2026 / 8:27 PM EST / CBS New York
https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/nicolas-maduro-new-york-venezuela-president-captured/
Kathy Hochul governor of New York
….New York City lawmakers are reacting to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who President Trump said will be prosecuted in New York…..
…..The Venezuelan leader is expected to be arraigned next week, CBS News reports.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said New York State Police and other law enforcement partners are monitoring the situation and there are no credible threats to the state at this time.
“This morning I was briefed on the developments in Venezuela with Nicolás Maduro, following President Trump’s flagrant abuse of power by acting without congressional approval. New York is home to a vibrant Venezuelan community, and I stand with families here and abroad in their hopes for a better, more stable future. While there are no credible threats to New York at this time, State Police are coordinating with our partners in law enforcement to monitor the situation and keep New Yorkers safe,” Hochul said on X.
From Wikipedia:
Kathleen Courtney Hochul is an American politician and lawyer who has served since 2021 as the 57th governor of New York. A member of the Democratic Party, she is New York’s first female governor….
Judge Alvin Hellerstein
From The Hill:
Maduro, wife face new indictment: What we know about the case
by Ella Lee and Rebecca Beitsch – 01/03/26 3:01 PM ET
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5671342-venezuela-nicolas-maduro-cilia-flores-indictment/
….Maduro’s case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, an appointee of former President Clinton who oversaw several lawsuits after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks in New York and has presided over Trump’s efforts to move his state criminal conviction in Manhattan to federal court…..
From Wikipedia:
Alvin K. Hellerstein is a federal judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York…..
One completely corrupt right wing wanker takes out another completely corrupt right wing wanker. That’s the scary thing. Sure Maduro is a psycho but some people are talking about other influences. I spy with my little eye something beginning with Z.
Ok Maduro was left wing in the past but he’s enacted policies straight out of the right wing playbook.
The Epstein files are not going away, no matter how much Trump tries to hide the smell by invading neighbouring countries like a Hitler fomo real estate grab.
Who is Ramzi Kassem?
Depending on circumstances, by the end of the week, the whole world will know his name.
President Trump says that both President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Adela Flores de Maduro will be prosecuted Federal Court in New York City.
New York City Mayor-Zohran Mamdani has appointed Ramzi Kassem as New York City chief counsel, the top legal position in the city.
The defence team for President Maduro and Cilia Flores has not yet been announced, but Ramzi Kassem must be a front runner.
With a long career in law and policy, Ramzi Kassem previously served as a senior policy advisor for immigration on the White House Domestic Policy Council under former President Joe Biden.
Kassem has a history of defending high-profile and controversial clients. Kassem served as the lead lawyer for Ahmed al-Darbi, who in 2014 pleaded guilty before a US military commission to charges linked to an al-Qaeda attack on the French oil tanker MV Limburg off the coast of Yemen, according to Fox News. The attack killed one civilian and injured several others. Al-Darbi was convicted [in a plea bargain] in 2017 and later transferred to Saudi Arabia in 2018.
At the time of al-Darbi’s transfer, The Associated Press and The New York Times reported that Kassem said, “While it may not make him whole, my hope is that repatriation at least marks the end of injustice for Ahmed… He had 16 long and painful years in captivity.”
In 2025, according to ACLU press releases and the case Khalil v. Trump, Kassem represented Mahmoud Khalil, an anti-Israel activist and former Columbia University student. Khalil was arrested by ICE for allegedly leading antisemitic campus demonstrations. Khalil has since been released, though his legal case is still ongoing.
Other main players;
Kathy Hochul – The Governor
Kathleen Courtney Hochul is an American politician and lawyer who has served since 2021 as the 57th governor of New York. A member of the Democratic Party, Hochul is New York’s first female governor.
“This morning I was briefed on the developments in Venezuela with Nicolás Maduro, following President Trump’s flagrant abuse of power by acting without congressional approval. New York is home to a vibrant Venezuelan community, and I stand with families here and abroad in their hopes for a better, more stable future. While there are no credible threats to New York at this time, State Police are coordinating with our partners in law enforcement to monitor the situation and keep New Yorkers safe,” Governor Hochul said on X.
Alvin Hellerstein – The Judge
Alvin K. Hellerstein was nominated by President Bill Clinton to be a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on May 15, 1998
Judge Hellerstein is the presiding judge in the arraignment hearing of President Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores
Walter Joseph “Jay” Clayton III – The Prosecutor
Nominated as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) by President Donald Trump, Walter J. Clayton III is the state’s lead prosecutor in the case of the State vs President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores on narco-terrorism and drug trafficking charges.
The other state prosecutor in the indictment of Maduro and Flores is Amanda Houle.
Amanda Houle became Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York in May 2025.
Might is Right?
Wrong
Taiwan endangers itself.
While its neighbour China has condemned the US attack on Venezuela’s sovereignty, Taiwan has so far remained silent.
From TaiwanPlus News two days before the US attack on Venezuela
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tIvSdG-AwU
547 views Jan 1, 2026 #TaiwanNews
…Taiwan is criticizing Venezuela for comments it made about a recently announced US arms sale to Taiwan. Venezuela condemned the US for the sale, saying it interferes in China’s internal affairs.
One of the things that prevents Beijing attacking Taiwan in the manner that Washington has attacked Venezuela, is Beijing’s worry about an objection from the Chinese people themselves, many who have close familial links with the Taiwanese people.
Instead of making common cause with the Venezuelan people Taipei mistakenly puts its faith in American might.
Taiwan needs to look to its own history.
After America’s historic defeat in Vietnam Nixon went to Beijing and gave Mao Tse Tung the green light to invade Vietnam, in a quid pro quo the US turned its back on its earlier support for Chiang Kai-shek’s Kuomintang government in Taiwan, which had ambitions of taking over China.
The Kuomintang is gone, Taiwan now charts its own course.
Modern Taiwan should be warned by Washington’s recent siding with Russia against Ukraine, that if Taiwan wants to keep its independence relying on US might alone is misplaced.