Bloomberg Businessweek Venezuela Regroups With New President, Old Repression Tactics
Jan 5, 2026
Joining the show are Rockford Weitz, a professor of naval strategy and maritime security, and Mike Collins, a fixed-income market expert. They delve into the U.S. military operations in Venezuela, likening it to past interventions and discussing geopolitical motivations. Jimena Zuniga highlights Venezuela's dire economic situation and potential political futures, while Sam Stovall analyzes how oil price fluctuations impact markets and GDP growth. Discussions reveal the intricate balance between military actions and economic realities in this politically charged landscape.
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Great-Power Competition Shifted To The U.S.
- Venezuela became a battleground for great-power influence between the U.S., China, and Russia.
- Rockford Weitz says the U.S. now holds the dominant influence in the Caribbean after Maduro's capture.
Noriega As The Closest Historical Parallel
- Weitz compares the Maduro extraction to the 1990 Noriega operation as a legal and historical parallel.
- He notes both cases involved indictments and were framed under self-defense and domestic law for prosecution.
Operation Relied On Deep Intelligence And Force
- The U.S. operation combined long-term intelligence and special operations to decapitate Venezuela's security apparatus.
- Weitz says the raid was almost perfectly executed, disabling navy, air force and radar capabilities.
