The Venezuelan government recently confirmed the death of political prisoner Víctor Hugo Quero Navas while in state custody, occurring alongside the deportation of Alex Saab to the United States on corruption charges.
Podcast commentary has largely focused on the surreal nature of U.S. policy toward the region. On Pod Save America, Jon Favreau mocked Donald Trump's recent rhetoric, noting the president said he is, "Seriously considering making Venezuela the 51st US state," because there's, "$40 trillion in oil there."
Others view the situation through a lens of failed diplomacy. Historian Anne Applebaum argued on The Diary Of A CEO that Trump prefers transactional deal-making with autocrats over democratic promotion. She noted, "Venezuela's still a dictatorship, and it's run by the same regime as before, just led by a different person."
Meanwhile, Megyn Kelly used the ongoing unrest in Venezuela as a baseline for discussing Cuba during The Megyn Kelly Show, questioning whether the U.S. might eventually treat Caribbean neighbors as territories. As silent protests continue in Caracas, the lack of a clear timeline for presidential elections remains the primary point of tension for trade unions and international observers.
