Snapshot · The Daily
After the US extracted Maduro, the Trump administration gained direct control over Venezuela's public revenues and effectively makes everyday decisions about how Venezuela is run.
Where this was said
At 17:31 · chapter starts 17:05
When the Trump administration extracted Maduro earlier in 2026, it didn't just remove a dictator — it installed itself as the de facto governing power. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his team now make everyday decisions about Venezuela's governance, its public revenues, and its political direction. This is, Karmanayev emphasizes, 'not a metaphor.' At the damaged main airport in La Guaira, he witnessed the full absurdity of the situation: Granco Arteaga, a senior Venezuelan security official wanted by the US for alleged torture and political killings, standing quietly and watching US military helicopters taking off and landing a few hundred yards in front of him. The former nemesis now has complete free rein on Venezuelan soil.
The US controls Venezuela's public revenues, influences its political system, and effectively makes its everyday governance decisions. This isn't a metaphor. Marco Rubio and his team are the real decision-makers — and during a disaster response, that extra layer of bureaucracy cost precious time.
At Venezuela's damaged main airport, Karmanayev watched a senior Venezuelan security official — accused of torture and killings, long sought by the US — calmly watching American military helicopters take off and land just hundreds of yards in front of him. US power, once Venezuela's great enemy, now has free rein.
In the critical first 24 hours after the quakes — when survivors are most likely to be found alive — there was virtually no organized government response, no heavy machinery, and no civil servants on the streets.
A total of 8 states have filed lawsuits against social media platforms, including an ongoing case in Tennessee, using product liability and public nuisance theories to seek accountability.
France built 56 nuclear plants in the 1970s and now has the cheapest energy in Europe, making it independent of Russian or Middle Eastern energy geopolitics.
Estonia has a single tax form, a law preventing the government from asking citizens for the same information twice, and a flat rate of tax — enabling competitive taxation.
Portugal's Lisbon, once a city with a major heroin problem, legalised drugs and redirected enforcement spending into rehabilitation and housing, dramatically reducing crime.
The first Boland Amendment banning CIA and Defense Department funds for the Contras passed the House unanimously — yet the Reagan administration ignored it.
Over just two years, Saudi Arabia alone donated $32 million to the Contra rebels, giving loosely affiliated factions millions they had no way to spend on arms.
The National Endowment for the Preservation of Liberty raised $6.3 million for the Contras but only $3.3 million reached them — a shockingly low 52% program expense rate.
Richard Secord and Albert Hakim marked up their arms shipments to the Contras by as much as 300%, making enormous personal profits from the covert operation.
Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North, tapped to run the entire covert Contra support operation, had no prior experience in covert operations whatsoever — he was learning as he went.
We use essential and analytics cookies to run Vuci. To understand how the site is used: Privacy Policy.
Install Vuci on your phone
Add it to your home screen for a faster, app-like experience.
Install Vuci on your phone
Tap the Share button, then “Add to Home Screen”.
A new version is available
Reload to get the latest Vuci.