[UNLOCKED] Venezuela Pt. 5: Monroe Doctrine 2.0 w/ José Luis Granados Ceja

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Jan 3, 2026

José Luis Granados Ceja, a seasoned journalist and anti-imperialist commentator with nearly two decades of experience covering Venezuela, shares his insights on the US's aggressive foreign policy. He delves into the implications of the US blockade on Venezuela's economy and its humanitarian impact, while discussing the strategic connections to Cuba. José Luis also explores regional geopolitics, Mexico's unique role in these dynamics, and the importance of popular resistance. His call for international solidarity and mass mobilization adds urgency to the conversation.

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INSIGHT

Strategic Retreat To Traditional Spheres

The U.S. is executing a 'strategic retreat' to defend traditional spheres of influence rather than global dominance.
Latin America is a renewed focus because controlling its resources and markets helps the U.S. contest rivals like China.

ANECDOTE

A Personal Political Conversion

José Luis Granados Ceja described arriving in Venezuela in 2005 and political transformation.
He says the experience turned him from a social democrat into a communist and shaped his reporting.

INSIGHT

Escalating Regime-Change Strategy

The current U.S. campaign against Venezuela is another iteration of long-term regime change efforts.
The recent naval blockade and escalations aim to force submission without a ground invasion.

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In Part 5 of our ongoing series on Venezuela, José Luis Granados Ceja joins us to discuss the context within which the US's aggression toward Venezuela is taking place—what we can think of as a Monroe Doctrine 2.0. José Luis Granados Ceja is a journalist with Drop Site News based in Mexico City who has been covering Venezuela for 20 years.

Our conversation begins with an update on the most recent situation in Venezuela. We then go on to discuss the regional implications of the United States' air and sea blockade of Venezuela and how it impacts its allies in the region and how the current blockade escalates the already existing sanctions regime. We discuss the regional layout of Latin America and how different countries in the region are responding to the escalating bifurcation of the region between the United States and China, taking a close look at Mexico and the Sheinbaum administration's approach to this new Cold War. We end the conversation with a look forward and with a call to solidarity with the people and government of Venezuela as it stares down the gunships of the United States.

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