Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
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Over the weekend, an American operation targeting military sites in Venezuela, and capturing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, shocked the world. As the dust settles, the future of this once prosperous country, hollowed out into a failed state, remains uncertain.
Gelet Martínez Fragela, a Cuban activist and journalist who has spent years closely tracking Venezuela, joined me to make sense of the moment. We discussed the country’s long decline under Hugo Chávez and then Maduro, and how its institutions were systematically weakened, its most talented citizens driven into exile, and the state increasingly overtaken by narcotrafficking networks.
Thirty-two members of the Cuban armed forces or interior ministry were killed in the weekend strikes. Gelet explains why Cuban personnel were guarding Maduro, and what those deep ties between Havana and Caracas reveal about the nature of geopolitics, both in Latin America and globally.
Venezuela’s opposition has repeatedly struggled to turn widespread popular anger into lasting political change. Gelet explains why, and why Maduro’s capture may represent the once-in-a-generation opportunity Venezuelans have been waiting for.
0:00- Intro
2:21- Back for Venezuela
3:27- How Chávez & Maduro Broke the Country
8:56- When the State Became the Cartel
13:28- Cartels Burning Cash
14:27- It’s Not Just Cocaine
15:44- What Does Trump Want? Oil vs Drugs
32:20- Does Trump’s Motive Matter?
43:43- Cuba Inside Venezuela
49:50- Why Not Regime Change in Cuba?
58:37- Rodríguez vs Machado
1:04:25- What’s Venezuela Like Right Now?
1:09:21- Wrapping Up & Where to Follow
Think for yourself. Subscribe to The Free Press today: https://thefp.pub/3DmLpLi
Over the weekend, an American operation targeting military sites in Venezuela, and capturing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, shocked the world. As the dust settles, the future of this once prosperous country, hollowed out into a failed state, remains uncertain.
Gelet Martínez Fragela, a Cuban activist and journalist who has spent years closely tracking Venezuela, joined me to make sense of the moment. We discussed the country’s long decline under Hugo Chávez and then Maduro, and how its institutions were systematically weakened, its most talented citizens driven into exile, and the state increasingly overtaken by narcotrafficking networks.
Thirty-two members of the Cuban armed forces or interior ministry were killed in the weekend strikes. Gelet explains why Cuban personnel were guarding Maduro, and what those deep ties between Havana and Caracas reveal about the nature of geopolitics, both in Latin America and globally.
Venezuela’s opposition has repeatedly struggled to turn widespread popular anger into lasting political change. Gelet explains why, and why Maduro’s capture may represent the once-in-a-generation opportunity Venezuelans have been waiting for.
0:00- Intro
2:21- Back for Venezuela
3:27- How Chávez & Maduro Broke the Country
8:56- When the State Became the Cartel
13:28- Cartels Burning Cash
14:27- It’s Not Just Cocaine
15:44- What Does Trump Want? Oil vs Drugs
32:20- Does Trump’s Motive Matter?
43:43- Cuba Inside Venezuela
49:50- Why Not Regime Change in Cuba?
58:37- Rodríguez vs Machado
1:04:25- What’s Venezuela Like Right Now?
1:09:21- Wrapping Up & Where to Follow
