Trillbilly Worker's Party Episode 426: Paper Jaguars (w/ special guest Alexander Aviña)
Jan 8, 2026
This week’s guest is Alexander Aviña, a scholar specializing in Latin American politics. He dives deep into Trump’s controversial actions in Venezuela, discussing the implications of Maduro's alleged kidnapping and the muted response from Latin American leaders. Aviña also examines the strategic motives behind U.S. interventions, connecting them to oil interests and countering China. The conversation shifts to domestic issues, linking ICE’s violence to broader interventionist policies, and reflecting on the political landscape shaped by these events.
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Projection Over Practical Power
- Latin American leaders reacted weakly to the Venezuela abduction, reflecting fear of being targeted next.
- The operation aimed to project U.S. power symbolically even if material control is limited.
Oil Flows, Not Just Oil Reserves
- The Venezuela operation centered on controlling oil flows and weakening China’s influence, not just seizing reserves.
- Alexander Aviña links the move to a Trump strategy of projecting imperial power via spectacle rather than full military occupation.
Courtroom Spectacle As Imperial Tool
- U.S. legal spectacle (arraignment, indictments) extends imperial control extraterritorially without full occupation.
- The indictment against Maduro is thin, showing law as a tool of projection rather than airtight criminal evidence.
