Latest

There's been quite a lot of chatter lately with respect to Venezuela - Turkey relations. Gossip has it that it's due to economic sanctions imposed by the U.S. government on the Nicolas Maduro regime. Some say the trade balance will jump from under $100 million a year to over $2 billion, as per Maduro and Erdogan's new found friendship. Aside from Maduro's very own visit with the Turkish meat-cutting clown upon return from China, sources report that Maikel Moreno, Venezuela's Supreme Court Chief, is also a regular visitor. Moreno's business in Turkey remains to be described.

Little to add to document 47 in docket of criminal case no. 18-20685 (see below) related to United States of America v Francisco Convit Guruceaga, one of the principals of a criminal gang known as Derwick Associates.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury added today to its Venezuela-related Designations (SDN list) a number of chavistas (see below). It is worth highlighting that Cilia Flores, partner of Nicolas Maduro, is the true power behind the chavista regime. Jorge and Delcy Rodriguez are also key players in chavismo's power structure.
 

Further to previous article about the kind of solution that could realistically be put in place to deal with Venezuela's crisis, perhaps it's worth expanding on strategy. Lots of people are thinking drones, or military invasions are the only way. But before the first Hellfire drops, OFAC should SDN / SSI PDVSA, and every subsidiary, including CITGO. Assets in the Caribbean and Nynas could be added for good measure.

Many years ago, when Venezuela wasn't notorious internationally for a chavista-made humanitarian crisis but for having a loquacious leader that broke protocol wherever he went, I argued in an article that, ultimately, the end of chavismo could only come about by offering some sort of amnesty, pardons, and compromise to some of the most hated chavista officials and boligarchs in the country. History contains many examples. Seldom peace has been achieved by waging war.