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As bitter adversaries, the Trump administration and Maduro regime didn’t agree on, well, anything. Except for the fact that the US government wanted Maduro gone.
After that UN meeting, the Trump administration amped up its efforts around the world to isolate and depose the Venezuelan leader, including by levying additional punishing sanctions against his regime. Much of that diplomatic maneuvering played out in public. But the administration also put into motion another, very much secret prong to the US’s regime-change campaign: a covert CIA-run initiative to help overthrow the Venezuelan strongman.
That campaign would pull off at least one disruptive digital sabotage operation against the Maduro regime in 2019. But the CIA-led initiative—alongside the Trump administration’s wider efforts to get rid of Maduro—would fall well short of its ultimate goal. The story of that secret anti-Maduro effort also lays bare the tensions between an administration with hardliners laser-focused on deposing the Venezuelan autocrat and a CIA deeply reluctant, yet nevertheless obligated, to follow White House orders. It shows the limitations of covert, CIA-assisted regime change schemes, particularly when they are not aligned with larger US foreign policy objectives. And it provides new insights into how a second Trump administration—or a Harris presidency—might still try to dislodge the Venezuelan strongman, whose latest sham reelection in July 2024 has again thrust his country into chaos.
The details of that covert CIA-assisted campaign, told exclusively to WIRED by eight Trump administration and former agency officials with knowledge of the anti-Maduro operation, are reported here for the first time.
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Saying AIPAC is the deep state isn’t a good look. Campaign finance is a problem, but AIPAC is tiny compared to some of the Super PACs out there.
I don’t think state dept/DoD employees are that political. I could understand the CIA having more influence there, but this article just said that CIA employees blocked Trump from couping Venezuela.
Both the US and EU have sanctioned Venezuela after they arrested opposition leaders on political charges and disqualified Machado from running in this year’s election. This was signed by Bradley T. Smith, who I believe was appointed by Janet Yellen last year. Doesn’t sound like a deep state to me. Do dictator shit, get dictator sanctions.
AIPAC is tiny compared to some of the Super PACs out there.
They all need to be AIPAC allies if they want influence. Israel usually gets little funding compared to the theft provided to other lobbyists. Oil industry spoke out very strongly against university protests against genocide, for example. Vowing to never hire any graduates from those schools. AIPAC funded record primary spending against democrats who “supported a ceasefire”. A politician can love their other lobbyists/interest groups as long as they love Israel too.
Cabinet appointments are subject to AIPAC veto. Then have influence on hires. Israel replaced Netanyahu as PM for about a week. New guy said he didn’t understand need to fund/support Ukraine… Gone.
US and EU have sanctioned Venezuela
EU and South American states are vassal colonies, subject to US dictates on minor things. backing up US propaganda never validates it.
