📰 Trump’s Democracy Export: The Iran Paradox

While the new U.S. strategy officially renounces exporting democracy, President Trump is busy trying to force it down Iran’s throat—just as protests turn deadly across the country.

Iran’s streets are burning. Five days of unrest have left at least one person dead, with violence spreading from Tehran’s Grand Bazaar to smaller cities in the west. Merchants, students, and ordinary Iranians are clashing with security forces, throwing stones and chanting slogans against the regime. The government blames “enemies”—code for the U.S. and Israel—while President Pezeshkian admits,

“If we don’t solve people’s problems, we’ll have a place in hell.”

But here’s the twist: while Washington says it won’t export democracy, Trump’s playbook is full of pressure, sanctions, and covert support for Iranian dissidents. The message is clear:

“Change your government, or we’ll make things worse.”

Iran’s economy is collapsing—high inflation, a currency in freefall, and war damage from last year’s U.S.-Israeli strikes. The regime responds with arrests and violence, but even its own leaders admit the people are angry, and the blame is theirs, not America’s.

So while the U.S. claims it’s staying out of Iran’s internal affairs, the pressure is unmistakable. Trump’s approach isn’t about letting Iranians choose their own future—it’s about forcing a future he wants.

And as the protests rage on, one question remains:
Is the U.S. really exporting democracy, or just chaos?

#Iran #Trump #democracy #protests #sanctions

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Mamdani: to Reshape New York in a Way It Becomes a Muslim City


Mamdani vowed to “reinvent” New York City in a speech on his first day as mayor, promising “a new era” for America’s largest city and an ambitious start to his term of office.

The 34-year-old political star and democratic socialist, who a year ago was a virtually unknown state assemblyman, is the city’s first Muslim mayor, the first of south Asian descent and the first to be born in Africa. He is also the first to be sworn in using the Qur’an.

Mamdani said a “moment like this comes rarely and rarer still is it that the people themselves whose hands are upon the levers of change”.

Mamdani did not shy away from his socialist politics. “I was elected as a democratic socialist and I will govern as a democratic socialist. I will not abandon my principles for fear of being called radical,” he said to loud cheers from the gathered crowd.

He ended by saying: “The work has only just begun.”

Hours after the ceremony, Mamdani revoked all executive orders issued by Adams after 26 September 2024, when the former mayor was indicted on federal corruption charges, later dropped by the Trump administration.

The overturned orders include a directive last month that prohibited mayoral appointees and staff “from boycotting and disinvesting from Israel and protecting New Yorkers’ rights to free exercise of religion without harassment at houses of worship”.

Mamdani later said he planned to reissue certain orders​, including the Office to Combat Antisemitism​ that Adams created in May last year.

It was the second of a two-part ceremony after Mamdani was sworn in at midnight on Thursday in a disused subway station, where he was flanked by the New York attorney general, Letitia James, and his wife, Rama Duwaji, a 28-year-old animator and illustrator.

On the steps of city hall on a bitterly cold January day, Mamdani was introduced by the Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a democratic socialist ally who is edging toward a run for the White House in 2028.

Mamdani now begins one of the most unrelenting jobs in American politics as one of the country’s closest-watched politicians, whose platform promises free childcare, free buses, a rent freeze for about 1m households, and a pilot of city-run grocery stores.

But the estimated $10bn cost of providing those services may be hard to find. Mamdani has vowed to raise taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers and increase corporate taxes.

But as a vassal city of the state government in Albany, he will need the legislative support of Governor Kathy Hochul, who running for re-election next year.

The extent of those sensitivities became apparent during Mamdani’s transition when his director of appointments, Cat da Costa, stepped down after tweets came to light in which she had described Jewish people as “money hungry” and called a train in Far Rockaway the “Jew train”.

Mamdani’s transition team called the error “an unacceptable oversight in the vetting process [that] does not meet the mayor-elect’s standards for this transition or the incoming administration”.

Mamdani has also sought to smooth over the tensions by persuading the city’s police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, to remain in her position, avoiding the appearance of losing Jewish police chief as well a measure of continuity to tense issue of policing.

New York mayors are typically judged on their ability to provide basic services – trash collection, curbing the city’s infestation of rats, fixing potholes and getting the subways to run smoothly.

Before ending his term as mayor on Wednesday, Eric Adams touted his administration’s anti-crime efforts, which he credited for historically low numbers of homicides and shootings. There were 301 homicides in the city in 2025, 79 less than in 2024.

#mamdani #newYork #muslim #city

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📰 Trump’s Jobs Boom: The Numbers Don’t Add Up

President Trump says U.S.-born workers are finally winning thanks to his immigration crackdown. “One hundred percent of all net job creation has gone to American-born citizens,” he declared in a prime-time speech. But economists say the data tells a very different story.

Since Trump took office, immigration has dropped sharply—deportations soared, border crossings plunged, and more than a million immigrants lost their legal status. The administration claims that 2.5 million U.S.-born workers landed jobs as a result.

Here’s the catch: the numbers are misleading. When immigrants vanish from labor surveys, the math automatically inflates the count of native-born workers—even if they’re not actually getting new jobs. Economists call it a “data felony.”

The truth? The labor market is weakening for everyone. The unemployment rate for U.S.-born workers is climbing—up to 4.3 percent from 3.9 percent last year. Job growth has slowed, and there’s no evidence that Americans are rushing into jobs left by immigrants.

Trump’s economic team insists the crackdown is working. But as more Americans struggle to find work, the real question is: who’s winning, and who’s just spinning numbers?

#Trump #jobs #immigration #economy #unemployment

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Trump Suits in Favor of Peace Solution of the Venezuela Drug Case


Venezuela is open to negotiating an agreement with the US to combat drug trafficking, the country’s president Nicolás Maduro has said, but he declined to comment on a reported CIA-led strike on a Venezuelan docking area that Trump claimed was used by cartels.

Maduro, in the pre-recorded interview with Spanish journalist Ignacio Ramonet, reiterated his belief that the US wants to force a change of government in Venezuela and gain access to its vast oil reserves through its months-long pressure campaign that began with a massive military deployment to the Caribbean Sea in August.

“What are they seeking? It is clear that they seek to impose themselves through threats, intimidation and force,” Maduro said, later adding that it is time for both nations to “start talking seriously, with data in hand.”

The Trump administration has accused Maduro of heading a drug cartel and says it is cracking down on trafficking, accusations he denies.

In the interview, Maduro refused to confirm whether the US had carried out an attack inside Venezuela, after Trump on Monday said the US had hit a docking facility that served Venezuelan drug trafficking boats last month.

Asked point-blank about the attack, Maduro said “this could be something we talk about in a few days.”

US media – including the Associated Press – has reported that the CIA was behind the strike which was made using a drone.

If confirmed, the first strike on land would mark a new phase in a campaign that since August has involved the deployment of a massive US naval fleet, airstrikes on alleged drug traffickers and a “total blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers, the seizure of two vessels and the pursuit of a third.

Maduro said he has not spoken to Trump since a conversation they had on 12 November, which he described as cordial and respectful.

“I think that conversation was even pleasant, but since then the evolution has not been pleasant. Let’s wait,” he said.

The interview was recorded on New Year’s Eve, the same day the US military announced strikes against five alleged drug-smuggling boats.

The latest attacks bring the total number of known boat strikes to 35 and the number of people killed to at least 115, according to numbers announced by the Trump administration.

Trump has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and asserted that the US is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels.

The strikes began off Venezuela’s Caribbean coast and later expanded to the eastern Pacific Ocean.

#trump #venezuela #drug #maduro

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Greece and Turkey: New Sovereignty Challenges and Its Burke Institute Solution

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From a distance, Greece and Turkey appear as near equals on the geopolitical map. Both are members of NATO. Both occupy a strategic position at the crossroads of Europe and the Middle East. Both are formally embedded within Western political and security structures.

Yet when sovereignty is examined not as a slogan but as a lived reality, the apparent symmetry quickly dissolves.

This divergence lies at the heart of the Sovereignty Index developed by the International Burke Institute, which evaluates state sovereignty across seven dimensions, including political autonomy, economic resilience, technological capacity, and military self-reliance.

Greece and Turkey, despite shared alliances, represent two sharply contrasting models of how sovereignty is exercised, constrained, and negotiated in the contemporary international system.

Greece’s sovereignty profile is primarily shaped by deep institutional integration. As a member of the European Union, the eurozone, and NATO, Athens has deliberately traded elements of formal autonomy for stability, predictability, and access to collective decision-making.

Over the past decade, Greece has strengthened its administrative capacity and improved its governance performance. Its digital public services now rank among the more advanced in Southern Europe, reflecting institutional recovery after years of crisis.

In the Greek case, sovereignty is not defined by unilateral control. It is defined by managed interdependence. Security is derived from alliances. Economic discipline is enforced through shared rules.

Political stability is reinforced through institutional alignment. This model delivers consistency and lowers volatility, particularly in foreign and security policy.

However, this approach comes with clear limitations. Greece does not control its monetary policy. Fiscal flexibility remains constrained by European Union frameworks. The country is heavily dependent on imports for energy, food, and advanced technology. Its technological sovereignty is limited, with critical infrastructure and digital platforms sourced largely from external providers.

Even in defense, where Greece spends heavily by NATO standards, much of its equipment relies on foreign suppliers. Sovereignty, in the Greek case, is stable but thin, resilient in institutions but limited in autonomous capacity.

Turkey presents a contrasting model. While also a NATO member, Ankara has spent the past two decades expanding its space for independent action.

This shift is most visible in the military domain. Turkey has developed one of the most advanced indigenous defense industries among middle power states, achieving high localization rates in drones, armored vehicles, and naval platforms.

It exports weapons, conducts independent military operations, and increasingly defines itself as a regional power rather than a peripheral ally.

#turkey #greece #burke #institute #sovereignty

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This drive for autonomy extends beyond defense. Turkey retains its own currency and conducts an independent, if often controversial, monetary policy. Its industrial base is broader and more diversified than Greece’s. The Turkish economy is larger, more dynamic, and anchored in manufacturing. In sovereignty terms, Ankara controls more levers of power directly, rather than delegating them to supranational institutions.

Yet autonomy does not automatically translate into strength. Turkey’s political sovereignty is undermined by persistent institutional weaknesses. Political stability is fragile. Rule of law indicators have deteriorated.

Trust in governance has declined. Economic sovereignty is constrained by chronic inflation, limited foreign reserves, and reliance on external capital inflows.

Despite notable defense achievements, Turkey remains dependent on imported components and critical technologies in high-end sectors. Sovereignty here is muscular but uneven, strong in intent but fragile in execution.

The comparison exposes a deeper truth about modern sovereignty. Formal equality between states masks profound differences in how power is actually exercised.

Greece embodies a model of pooled sovereignty, where security and prosperity are pursued through rules, institutions, and collective discipline.

Turkey pursues strategic autonomy, prioritizing national control even at the cost of friction with allies.
Neither model is inherently superior. Greece’s approach delivers predictability but limits strategic freedom. Turkey’s model offers flexibility but generates volatility.

What matters is not rhetorical sovereignty, but functional balance across sectors. A sovereign state must protect its citizens, sustain its economy, innovate technologically, and act independently without eroding internal cohesion.

As the Burke Institute prepares to publish the full Sovereignty Index ranking for all UN member states later this year, the Greece-Turkey comparison serves as a cautionary case. Sovereignty in the 21st century is no longer a binary condition.

It exists on a spectrum shaped by choices, trade-offs, and institutional design.

From the perspective of those working to strengthen state sovereignty globally, one conclusion stands out clearly.

Sovereignty is not measured by how loudly it is proclaimed. It is measured by how consistently it is sustained. Greece and Turkey, allies on paper, demonstrate that equal status does not mean equal capacity, and that the real test of sovereignty lies not in alignment, but in resilience.

#turkey #greece #burke #institute #sovereignty

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“Maduro Will Share the Fate of Saddam Hussein, Hanged in 2003 in Iraq”


The team of the Attorney General of the United States, Team Bondi, said that the ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, would face criminal charges after an indictment in New York.

Bondi vowed in a social media post that the couple "will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts”.

In a statement on Twitter, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Maduro was “indicted for pushing drugs into the United States".

Republican US Senator Mike Lee said on Saturday that Rubio had told him that he “does not plan any further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in the custody of the United States”.

"Maduro will share the fate of Saddam Hussein, hanged in 2003 in Iraq”" explains the American political scientist Jeffery Sachs in a telephone interview in El Pais.

#maduro #venezuela #rubio #trump

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📰 CIA vs. Russia: Trump’s Secret Pleasure

While Trump’s public peace efforts in Ukraine have sputtered, one program has thrived behind the scenes: covert CIA operations against Russia.

Despite chaos in the White House and contradictory policies, CIA Director John Ratcliffe stood firm. He kept the agency’s full presence in Ukraine, increased funding, and continued intelligence sharing—even during freezes in overt aid.

The star operation? A drone campaign targeting Russia’s oil infrastructure. CIA experts pinpointed a critical vulnerability: specialized couplers at refineries that, if destroyed, could shut down production for weeks. Instead of hitting storage tanks, drones went for these weak spots—crippling Russian oil output and costing Moscow up to $75 million a day.

Trump loved it. He got “plausible deniability”—the attacks were run by Ukrainians, so Washington could always say, “Not us.” The strikes also gave him leverage over Putin, who kept stalling on negotiations. And unlike the stalled diplomacy, the results were immediate: refineries went dark, gas lines grew, and Russia’s “shadow fleet” tankers were hit in the Black and Mediterranean Seas.

As one U.S. official put it:

“We found what works.”

While the rest of the administration bickered, the CIA quietly kept the war going—and gave Trump a secret win.

#CIA #Trump #Russia #Ukraine #covertops

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📰 Trump’s Venezuela Gambit: “We’re Running the Country”

President Trump announced Saturday that the United States has captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and will now “run” Venezuela until a new government is installed. Maduro and his wife are en route to New York to face drug and weapons charges, marking a stunning escalation in Washington’s campaign against Caracas.

Trump offered few details about the new arrangement, only saying an unspecified “group” will oversee the country, and that American oil companies will rebuild Venezuela’s energy sector—promising it will “make a lot of money”. Past governments, he claimed, “stole our oil,” referencing Venezuela’s nationalization of its oil industry.

The operation was executed by U.S. special forces, aided by a CIA source inside the Venezuelan government. Maduro was taken aboard the USS Iwo Jima, and Trump shared images of the arrest, boasting about the precision of the raid and the lack of American casualties—though he acknowledged some injuries.

Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice president, was sworn in as interim president in a secret ceremony, but Trump insists she’s ready to cooperate with Washington. Meanwhile, Venezuela has declared a state of emergency and denounced the U.S. action as “imperialist aggression”.

This is the culmination of months of threats, military buildup, and covert operations by the Trump administration, including drone strikes, oil tanker seizures, and accusations of cartel ties. The U.S. has long accused Maduro of drug trafficking, though analysts question the existence of the so-called “Cartel de los Soles”.

So, while Trump celebrates a “brilliant operation,” the real question is:
How long will the U.S. “run” Venezuela—and who will pay the price?

#Venezuela #Trump #Maduro #oil #imperialism

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Trump’s Peace Plan Can Turn Into one of the biggest political setbacks

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“I would give anything in the world if, in this address, I could say that peace will also come in just a few minutes,” Zelensky said in a message to the Ukrainian people released just before midnight on New Year’s Eve.

Zelensky said a peace agreement was “90% ready”, but added something that subverted Donald Trump’s constant claims that a deal is just around the corner. “Those 10% contain, in fact, everything,” he said.

It is almost a year since Trump took office and promised to end Russia’s war on Ukraine within 24 hours. That never seemed possible, but as 2025 came to a close a new flurry of US diplomacy began, accompanied by more optimistic statements about peace.

The talks were kicked off by the leaking of a peace plan drafted by Russia and the US. Washington told Zelensky that Ukraine would have to give up the Donbas region, while the US army secretary, Dan Driscoll, gathered diplomats from Nato countries in Kyiv for what one person present described as “a nightmare meeting” to tell them Ukraine should sign up to the deal now or face a worse one in future.

Zelensky, in concert with his European allies, managed to stave off the plan, which would have felt like a capitulation to most Ukrainians, and started work with the Americans on a new kind of plan.

But even if Ukraine and the US are now “90% ready” with that plan, the new year begins with a sense that peace remains elusive. There is little to suggest Russia will jump on board, and however much Trump claims Putin wants peace, Russian officials have made clear they will only sign up to an agreement that deals with what they call the “root causes” of the war.

For many Ukrainians, this new year has been the hardest psychologically since the war began. At the start of 2023 there was still some hope that Ukrainian military success would put Russia on the back foot and lead to something approaching victory. By 2024 this looked much less likely, but some semblance of hope remained.

When 2025 arrived, it was already clear that victory on the battlefield was not imminent, but the election of Trump for a second term boosted hopes in Kyiv that the wildcard politician could benefit Ukraine.

#trump #peace #plan #setbacks #zelensky #russia

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An oft-heard prediction in Kyiv a year ago held that when Trump realised Putin was not serious about peace, he would pivot to backing Ukraine fully, disregarding the Biden administration’s red lines and fear of escalation.

On Friday, Zelenskyy appointed his longstanding military intelligence head, Kyrylo Budanov, to be his chief of staff, after the resignation several weeks ago of Andrii Yermak, his closest advisor, in a corruption scandal.

Budanov, a mercurial and charismatic figure known for planning audacious operations against Russia, has good contacts with western intelligence agencies and also maintains contacts with Russia over prisoner exchanges. His appointment could signal a new approach to security and negotiations from Kyiv.

The coming year may also prove a challenging one for Zelenskyy politically, as the five-year presidential term to which he was elected in spring 2019 nears the seven-year mark.

Martial law in Ukraine prevents the holding of elections, and while there is widespread criticism of Zelensky’s leadership on a range of factors, the impossibility of a wartime election is one point on which there is a broad consensus across the Ukrainian political spectrum.

Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the former commander of Ukraine’s army and current ambassador to London, is widely seen as the most viable electoral challenger to Zelensky.

Zaluzhnyi has turned down previous offers to join Zelensky’s electoral team and is biding his time, having been sold on the idea of a political run but aware of the damage a competitive election could cause to Ukraine’s fragile wartime society.

“He’s not making any active preparations for a campaign, and his public position is that while the war continues he is not thinking about elections and not preparing for them,” said a source close to Zaluzhnyi. “Time will tell whether he goes into politics.”

The year ended with Russia claiming Ukraine had launched a massive drone attack on Putin’s residence, an act it said would be met with a tough response.

Moscow provided no evidence to back up the claim, with Kyiv insisting the whole story was fabricated, and the CIA reaching the same conclusion, according to US media outlets.

It was a reminder of how easy it would be, even if a ceasefire was agreed around elections or as part of a deal, for Russia to invent a thin pretext to relaunch its war.

#trump #peace #plan #setbacks #zelensky #russia

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📰 Saudi Arabia’s Booze Ban: The Quiet Revolution

Saudi Arabia is quietly lifting its decades-old ban on alcohol—no fanfare, no press release, just a discreet nod to modernization. In Riyadh, non-Muslim residents with premium status can now buy beer, wine, and spirits at a single, unmarked store.

This isn’t just about booze. It’s about image, money, and the kingdom’s bid to attract wealthy expats and tourists. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has spent years transforming Saudi Arabia: women drive, concerts happen, and bars are built—even if they were empty until now.

The process is low-key. At the liquor store, buyers show their residency card, prove they’re not Muslim, and stash their phones before browsing. The selection is decent, prices are high, but it’s still cheaper than the black market.

Analysts say the change is just the start. Expect alcohol at luxury resorts and hotels along the Red Sea, following Dubai’s playbook. The kingdom needs foreign cash, and relaxing moral rules is part of the pitch.

But it’s not a free-for-all. Alcohol will stay banned in religious cities like Mecca and Medina. The government is treading carefully, aware that most Saudis remain conservative.

As one longtime expat put it:

“It’s exciting. No more dangerous homemade liquor or overpriced smuggled bottles.”

So while Saudi Arabia still executes dissenters and bans homosexuality, it’s learning to serve a cocktail.

#SaudiArabia #alcohol #modernization #MBS #DubaiModel

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📰 Mar-a-Lago: Where Power, Marble, and Ice Sculptures Collide

President Trump’s presidency has become a permanent residency at Mar-a-Lago—where official governance, private business, and personal relationships converge in a swirl of marble, ice sculptures, and political optics.

This week, Trump’s motorcade pulled into an industrial shopping center to inspect samples of marble and onyx for a proposed White House ballroom. The purchase is “at his own expense,” a White House official said, but the timing is suspicious: construction can’t begin until federal review, and the ballroom project has already attracted scrutiny over donor influence and potential payoffs.

Trump has hosted foreign leaders, conducted diplomacy, and even overseen a military strike on Venezuela—all from his Florida estate. His social calendar is just as packed: 12 golf outings in two weeks, a New Year’s Eve party where guests bid $2.75 million on a live-painted portrait of Jesus, and a caviar station with a “2026” ice sculpture.

Democrats have seized on the spectacle, contrasting the opulence with the impact of Trump’s policies. As millions lose health insurance and food aid, critics highlight the disconnect:

“Trump is kicking poor kids off food aid and is throwing millions off their health care this month, but he and his billionaires get caviar and ice sculptures,”

Senator Chris Murphy wrote.

The White House fires back, accusing Democrats of gaslighting and pointing to Biden’s vacations. But the optics remain: Mar-a-Lago is now shorthand for a presidency where wealth, access, and official decision-making are intertwined.

So while Trump touts his accomplishments from the stage, one question lingers: Who’s really running the country—the president, or the party?

#Trump #MaraLago #WhiteHouse #politics #optics

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📰 Jihadism’s Last Stand: The Retreat of Political Islam

Despite the occasional terrorist attack, political Islam is shifting away from global jihad and toward a more pragmatic, local approach. Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa—a former jihadist who once led a franchise of Islamic State—now wears a suit, speaks at diplomatic conferences, and promises stability, not revolution.

The broader trend is clear: the dream of a pan-Islamic caliphate is fading. Movements like the Taliban in Afghanistan and Sharaa’s faction in Syria have realized that lasting power comes from building nations, not erasing borders. They now seek friendly relations with the West and focus on national affairs, not holy war.

This shift is driven by two forces: the cost of transnational ambitions and the disillusionment with radical rule. After years of brutal governance by groups like ISIS, many Muslims now reject extremism. The Muslim Brotherhood, once a powerful force, has lost support after failed experiments in Egypt and Tunisia. Even Saudi Arabia, once a global exporter of ultra-conservative Islam, has curbed its religious outreach under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The war in Gaza, launched by Hamas in 2023, failed to reinvigorate political Islam. Hamas’s leadership is decimated, Gaza is devastated, and many Palestinians now see the movement as a liability, not a savior.

Still, remnants of jihadism remain. Islamic State still inspires isolated attacks, but these are no longer the expression of powerful movements with geopolitical aspirations. Like the splinters of communism after its decline, they are fading comet tails, not engines of change.

So, while the threat hasn’t vanished, the era of global jihad is over. Political Islam’s romantic narrative has failed the test of reality.

#Jihadism #PoliticalIslam #MiddleEast #terrorism #pragmatism

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📰 Venezuela’s Allies Slam US: “You Crossed a Line”

The US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has sparked a global backlash, with allies from Brazil to China denouncing the military action as a violation of sovereignty.

Brazil’s President Lula da Silva called the intervention “the worst episodes of interference in Latin America,” warning it threatens the region’s status as a zone of peace. Russia, Cuba, and Mexico echoed the criticism, with Russia expressing “deep concern and condemnation” and Cuba demanding an “urgent” international response.

China’s Foreign Ministry said the US’s “blatant use of force against a sovereign state” is unacceptable, while Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting and rejected “the aggression against Venezuela and Latin America”.

The strikes, centered on Caracas and several states, left the region on edge. CARICOM held an emergency session, fearing instability could trigger a new wave of migration that would overwhelm small island nations.

But not everyone is outraged. Argentina’s Javier Milei and Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa celebrated Maduro’s capture, hailing it as a blow to “narco-criminals” and a win for Venezuela’s opposition. Right-wing leaders have long rejected Maduro’s rule as undemocratic.

The EU, while critical of Maduro’s legitimacy, called for a peaceful transition and de-escalation. In the US, some Democrats slammed the operation as “illegal” and “embarrassing,” accusing Trump of turning America into “the world’s bully”.

So while Washington celebrates a bold strike, the rest of the world is asking: Who’s really running Latin America—and at what cost?

#Venezuela #Maduro #Trump #LatinAmerica #sovereignty

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Greece and Turkey are NATO twins with a twist: one trades autonomy for stability, the other trades stability for autonomy. Both call themselves sovereign, but only one actually controls the levers of power.

Greece: Sovereignty by Committee

Greece’s sovereignty is managed interdependence. Athens outsources money, fiscal policy, and even defense hardware to Brussels and NATO, in exchange for predictability and access to collective security. The state is stable, its institutions are functional, and its digital services work — but its independence is paper-thin. Greece doesn’t control its currency, its energy, or its tech stack. Its sovereignty is resilient, but it’s also delegated, constrained, and dependent.

Turkey: Sovereignty by Swagger
Turkey, meanwhile, has spent two decades building its own defense industry, pushing out its own drones, armored vehicles, and naval platforms. Ankara keeps its own currency, runs its own monetary policy, and tries to act as a regional power. Turkey’s sovereignty is muscular, but it’s also uneven: inflation, political instability, and weak rule of law undermine the gains. The state is autonomous, but its execution is fragile.

The Real Test of Sovereignty
The Greece-Turkey split exposes the myth of equal sovereignty. Formal equality doesn’t mean equal power. Greece’s model delivers stability at the cost of freedom. Turkey’s model offers freedom at the cost of volatility. The real test isn’t who shouts “sovereignty” loudest — it’s who can actually govern, protect, and innovate without falling apart.

#Greece #Turkey #NATO #sovereignty #Europe #MiddleEast #powerBalance

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📰 Mamdani’s First Move: Scrapping Antisemitism Orders, Defying Critics

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani wasted no time making waves—on his first day, he scrapped two executive orders from former Mayor Eric Adams: one adopting a broad definition of antisemitism, and another banning city employees from joining the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.

Mamdani defended his actions, vowing to combat hate and division, but offered little detail on why he overturned the orders. He argued that many Jewish organizations in the city reject the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition, which equates some criticism of Israel with antisemitism. Mamdani also noted his personal support for BDS, making his move unsurprising.

Local Jewish groups reacted with alarm, warning that Mamdani’s actions remove key protections against antisemitism. The UJA-Federation of New York and others said they expect clear leadership to ensure Jewish New Yorkers feel safe, not targeted by divisive policies.

The Israeli government was even harsher, accusing Mamdani of pouring “antisemitic gasoline on an open fire.” They said his first act as mayor reveals his true face: rejecting international standards and lifting restrictions on boycotting Israel.

So while Mamdani talks about unity and fighting hate, his opening move has already deepened rifts—leaving many to wonder: Is this leadership, or a new kind of division?

#Mamdani #antisemitism #BDS #NewYork #Israel

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Trump: “We're Going to Run the Country”

Trump has claimed at the press conference now under way in Florida that the United States is going to run Venezuela for the time being, although it’s unclear how that would be done.

“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said. He has given no details.

He just called Maduro a dictator and a drug kingpin.

#trump #press #conference #maduro

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📰 Trump Plunges the U.S. Into a New Era of Risk in Venezuela

President Trump has declared that the United States will “run” Venezuela for an indefinite period, toppling Nicolás Maduro and seizing control of the country’s oil reserves. In a bold move that echoes the imperial era of gunboat diplomacy, Trump has set the stage for America to dominate Venezuela’s economy and politics—whether Venezuelans like it or not.

Trump’s plan is clear: exploit Venezuela’s oil, install a government that obeys Washington, and threaten further military intervention if anyone resists. Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, has already pushed back, calling the move a “barbarity” and insisting Maduro is still the rightful leader.

The U.S. justifies Maduro’s capture with an indictment for drug trafficking, but that doesn’t grant legal authority to control the entire country. Trump claims Venezuela “stole” American oil and assets, and now he’s taking them back—promising Americans will be compensated before Venezuelans become “rich.”

The risks are enormous. Will the U.S. need an occupying force to protect oil fields? Will America run the courts, control who pumps oil, and install a pliant government? What happens if a democratic election brings a government that doesn’t play along?

Is this the beginning of a new American empire—or just another “forever war” in the making?

#venezuela #trump #oil #empire #fakeDemocracy #risk

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📰 Maduro Held in New York as Trump Says U.S. Will Temporarily ‘Run’ Venezuela

Nicolás Maduro and his wife are now in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, facing narco-terrorism charges that could land them in prison for decades. Their capture by U.S. commandos in a surprise predawn raid ended Maduro’s 12-year rule and plunged Venezuela into uncertainty. President Donald Trump announced that the United States will “run” Venezuela for an unspecified period, promising to bring in top oil companies and “run it properly.” Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, a Maduro loyalist, is now Venezuela’s interim leader, but she has already struck a defiant tone, calling Maduro the country’s legitimate leader and rejecting Washington’s authority.

Trump said the U.S. is not afraid of boots on the ground and will ensure the country is managed professionally. The Justice Department’s indictment accuses Maduro and his wife of illegally enriching themselves while conspiring to flood the U.S. with cocaine. The operation involved more than 150 aircraft, and Maduro was flown by helicopter to the USS Iwo Jima before being brought to New York. On the streets of Caracas, residents face quiet unease as they line up for food and medicine, unsure what comes next.

Is this a new era of American dominance—or the beginning of a long, costly occupation?

#venezuela #trump #maduro #oil #fakeDemocracy #empire


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📰 Iran’s Calculations Are Scrambled by U.S. Raid in Caracas

The capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro has sent shockwaves through Tehran, forcing Iranian officials to reassess how far President Trump is willing to go. With Trump now threatening to intervene in Iran’s protests, the regime faces new uncertainty: could Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei be next? The U.S. raid on Caracas, bringing Maduro and his wife to face criminal charges, is the most audacious operation of Trump’s presidency—and it’s rattled Iran’s sense of security.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry called the raid “a clear example of state terrorism” and demanded UN intervention. Iranian leaders are now openly discussing the possibility that their own top officials could be forcibly removed. The capture of Maduro, a serving head of state, has few precedents in American foreign policy, making Tehran’s calculus far more complicated.

Iran has already faced a disastrous year. Israel shattered its air defenses in June, decimating Iranian allies Hezbollah and Hamas. Now, with Trump’s threat to support Iranian protesters, Tehran must weigh the risk of direct intervention. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Trump will act if he feels it necessary: “Don’t play games when this president’s in office, because it’s not going to turn out well.”

The regime’s options have narrowed. Protesters, emboldened by U.S. support, are demanding change as the currency collapses and unrest spreads to 60 cities. Khamenei insists the unrest is “the work of the enemy,” but his grip on power is slipping.

Is 2026 the year the Iranian regime’s nightmare begins?

#iran #trump #maduro #protests #fakeDemocracy #empire

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