Jacobin Radio The Dig: Venezuela w/ Alejandro Velasco, Gabriel Hetland, and Yoletty Bracho
13 snips
Jan 8, 2026 
In this enlightening discussion, Alejandro Velasco, a historian from NYU, Gabriel Hetland, a professor at SUNY Albany, and political scientist Yoletty Bracho dissect the intricate dynamics of Venezuelan politics. They analyze Trump's strategies against Venezuela, shedding light on the role of opposition figures like Maria Corina Machado in shaping U.S. narratives. The conversation explores oil's centrality to national identity, the fragmentation within the Venezuelan opposition, and the implications of sanctions on the country's economic collapse, all framed within a context of rising authoritarianism.
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Expat Opposition Built Intervention Narratives
- Expat opposition helped manufacture narratives used by the Trump administration to justify intervention in Venezuela.
- Alejandro Velasco says these false narratives included narco-terrorism and links to Hezbollah and fentanyl production.
Converging Domestic Agendas Drove Escalation
- Multiple converging agendas in the Trump administration drove the escalation, including anti-immigrant politics and Rubio's anti-left aims.
- Gabriel Hetland links domestic distractions like the Epstein files to timing and escalation choices.
Regime Change Without Regime Replacement
- The operation is a sui generis regime change: Maduro was decapitated while state institutions remain intact.
- Alejandro Velasco emphasizes uncertainty about how much control the U.S. or Delcy Rodríguez will actually exercise.
