Free Republic

WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Donald Trump announced the audacious capture of Nicolás Maduro to face drug trafficking charges in the U.S., he portrayed the strongman’s vice president and longtime aide as America’s preferred partner to stabilize Venezuela amid a scourge of drugs, corruption and economic mayhem.Left unspoken was the cloud of suspicion that long surrounded Delcy Rodríguez before she became acting president of the beleaguered nation earlier this month.In fact, Rodríguez has been on the radar of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for years and in 2022 was even labeled a “priority target,” a designation DEA reserves for suspects...

The United States and Venezuela announced Friday they are pursuing the possibility of reestablishing diplomatic relations, coming a week after a U.S. military operation that captured former leader Nicolás Maduro in Caracas and extradited him to face drug-trafficking charges in New York.A U.S. delegation, including diplomats and security personnel, visited Venezuela to evaluate the potential reopening of the American Embassy in Caracas, the State Department said in a statement sent to media outlets. The department did not immediately return a request for comment.The embassy has been shuttered since 2019, when ties were severed during U.S. President Donald Trump’s first term...

I was inspired to write this by a more than routinely interesting article by Wayne Root, “Trump Brings Back Maduro to USA. Why? I’m Betting This is About Stolen 2020 Election.”That article affected me in a surprisingly personal way. It impelled me to talk about some things I have mainly kept on the down low, including the story of why I resigned from The Epoch Times, and how a recent book of mine had to be printed twice, and why that might relate to the secrets of dictators. Mr. Root writes of several things, which you should read at the...

President Donald Trump reportedly rebuffed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's push for sweeping amnesty during a phone call last week, telling the embattled leader and his senior aides to abandon their demands and leave the country as U.S. pressure intensifies. Trump and Maduro discussed a broad amnesty proposal during a phone call last week, people familiar with the exchange told The Wall Street Journal. Maduro reportedly asked for general amnesty for himself, his senior aides, and their families. Many of those individuals face U.S. sanctions or criminal indictments tied to corruption, drug trafficking, and human rights abuses. People familiar with the...