The Political Scene | The New Yorker Why Is Trump Targeting Venezuela?
39 snips
Dec 3, 2025 
Jon Lee Anderson, a renowned staff writer for The New Yorker with extensive experience in conflict zones, shares insights on the Trump Administration's controversial military strikes on Venezuelan drug boats. He critiques the questionable intelligence and the performative nature of the operation. Anderson highlights the alarming reports of extrajudicial killings and questions the legality of U.S. actions. He argues that U.S. foreign policy may prioritize political spectacle over effective drug strategy, warning that historically, such actions breed mistrust in Latin America.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Performative Gunboat Diplomacy
- The strikes on small Caribbean boats read as performative gunboat diplomacy rather than a focused drug-fighting strategy.
- Jon Lee Anderson argues the campaign is rhetorical theater meant to create suspense and show dominance.
Scope And Casualties Of The Boat Strikes
- Since September 2nd there have been about 15–16 strikes against launches and semi-submersibles in the Caribbean and Pacific.
- Jon Lee Anderson reports roughly 83 people may have been killed, mostly low-level hired hands rather than cartel leaders.
Killing Survivors Violates Naval Law
- Anderson calls the killing of people in the water after strikes extrajudicial and likely illegal under naval law.
- He emphasizes that executing survivors at sea breaches long-standing legal and moral norms.