venezuela – Ecological Era

The Legacy of Colonialism. Life on the Reservation. 1 7 2026

The pictures of Nicholas Maduro, prime minister of Venezuela being led around in handcuffs, blindfolded, was like a reminder of Saddam Hussein when he was captured in Iraq. Another Republican president, another war, just like George I and George II. George I took Iraq, securing the oil. Sounds familiar, right? Well he missed Hussein, it was Georege II, another republican, who finished the job.

Maduro may still be alive, but he is in no condition to try to lead Venezuela anymore, even if he wants to lead from captivity. Anything he says or does now is under duress; he is probably drugged and chained in New York where he is imprisoned. He is no longer in a position to influence things. The only real question is if they will ever let him out.

Another political prisoner, another open ended commitment to a country in the developing world with oil reserves nationalized. Iraq had nationalized the oil wells in 1972, from the Iraq Petroleum Company. This was done by the Baath socialist party, to put Iraq’s oil wealth in a more equitable arrangement, where the proceeds of the oil wealth were no longer making surplus value.

George II, who got Hussein, expropriated the property of the Iraqis, returning private investment in the oil wells to American and European capitalists. George II also cited terrorism as a reason to invade Iraq; in the light of when this occurred he tried to suggest Iraq was connected to the 9/11 incident.

This could not be proved, and it never has been to this day. Then there were the friends of George II, Labour leader Tony Blair, for instance, who got on the air telling Britons Hussein had an atomic weapon, and could hit Britain in 15 minutes if he launched it. They also suggested Hussein was developing chemical weapons. These were called the “weapons of mass destruction” arguments.

There were never any atomic weapons, or chemical weapons found in Iraq. Considering the country was conquered, there is no reason to believe the weapons could have been hidden. Instead, after removing Hussein, George II found a new enemy, Islamic State. He was still trying to link Iraq with Afghanistan, which evidence has yet to be found for.

Afghanistan ended in American retreat and exit from Afghanistan. The images of the big airplanes and the hundreds of people running trying to get them is an icon of George II and his Republican war efforts. Whether he won in Iraq is sort of a matter of opinion; they got the oil back. But the country remains in shambles after decades of all out war.

Here we have another republican bourgeoisie, and the beginnings of another war, with a similar goal of gaining control of oil fields, and markets. Trump has already said he will be running Venezuela’s oil wealth, and has committed the Army to war there, abducting the head of state of a neighboring country, and demanding its resources.

In a historical context, Trump looks a lot like a Conquistador, valiantly discovering native land, and conquering its residents. Perhaps Venezuela will become a 51st state, with reservations for the natives. How much different it would look from the ICE facilities, packed with Mexicans on the border? A vision of reservations on stolen land from Mexico gained in the Mexican American war that ended in 1848, with Mexico ‘s capitulation to the Americans of the Southwest.

Not really much new here. The bourgeoisie has been conquering lands in the new world for more than 500 years. The stain of bloody conquest of native american soil, and black slavery, is part of the history of the country. Their descendants are still with us, the Indians are still on the reservations, their fishing and hunting rights on land they ceded in treaties are still controversial.

At some point it is going to have to be left behind, like 20th century industry. Trump’s only justification for abducting Maduro was drug dealing. In a country with legal marijuana in half of it, legal alcohol and tobacco throughout it, if you are addicted to drugs, it is nobody’s fault but your own. You can’t sue the alcohol company because you are a drunk. We view this as a health problem, not a criminal one. Cocaine is illegal, it is an expensive luxury item only the bourgeois and middle classes can afford. Penalizing all Venezuelans for drug dealing does not lower demand for cocaine in America. If anything it will strengthen the cartels, who thrive on the lawless luxury trade.

Trump has made a decision to conquer Christianised Incas in their homelands. There is no separation from this and the presence of reservations in America. For those who live on the Res, this must come as no surprise. In 1492, Columbus discovered America. It’s been 533 years of repression of the native people he found in the Americas. This is part of Trump’s legacy, his hatred of Indians, much like the rural white settlers who still keep the Indians separate from their colonies, on reservations, where poverty is a scourge. Trump is no different, it’s been 533 long years, the song remains the same.

Nicholas Jay Boyes
Milwaukee Wisconsin

American Democratic Republic

1 7 2026

Potential of a New Front in the South. Venezuela and Capitalist Military Power. 10 16 2025

So far it doesn’t look too sophisticated, but there have been several small boats bombed in the Caribbean, suspected of containing the often lethal forms of luxury items. The boats so far, at least what was filmed, look like small wooden boats with 2 outboard motors attached to them. It is hard to believe one could smuggle much through it, and we are left to ponder how far they could go with a full tank of gas.

The logic behind this is Nicholas Maduro of Venezuela is behind the trafficking of the illegal luxury items. The cocaine is grown down there, and Maduro is suspected to be sending it as it is only affordable by the bourgeoisie, the latter’s luxury consumption well known.

First there was Hugo Chavez, the oil rich socialist, who was first elected in 1998, and took power in 1999. There was an attempted coup d’etat lasting 47 hours in 2002, but Chzvez was returned to power.

After this Chavez was elected twice, as a socialist, until he became ill with cancer and died March 5th 2013. It was at this point power went to Maduro, leading to another coup attempt by Juan Guaido, which was also rebuffed.

Maduro has been ruling ever since, in what could be considered favorable conditions for a developing world form of socialism. The opposition has long since given up on universal suffrage for their concerns, dividing instead to do political obstructionist tactics like election boycotts.

It looks weak. But the Nobel Peace Prize was just given to the bourgeois leader who hopes to topple Maduro.

Here comes Trump to threaten the developing world leader with modern technology. Unable to sell their oil due to the embargo, Venezuela is poor. Cuba is in a similar condition. In Cuba blackouts due to reliance on fossil fuels is common; Cuba has yet to be able to tap into China as a source for industry like wind turbines and solar panels.

There have so far been several boat bombings, but given the fact they seem to be down there looking for illegal smuggling, it must not be too common or they would have found more than a few small boats with outboard motors leaving Venezuela. Columbia has complained some of its boats were bombed, in violation of their sovereignty. Apparently they are targeting both countries with aerial bombardment.

The luxury industry is well known for its corrupt tastes, and fuels a small empire in Mexico. It is a bloody business, with assassinations, kidnappings, etc, practiced all to get the bourgeoisie their products. The items are worth a hundred dollars a gram, it is a rich man’s game.

The proletarian luxury item has been becoming legal in many places. The memories of the “war on drugs” scar a generation, when pot smoking was taboo. With Trump in power it looks unlikely pot will be legalized any more than it has been, legal in the big city, illegal in the country.

So what it seems to come down to is the war against Russia is not going so well. Russian antiaircraft drones and missiles are defeating NATO, aircraft are not even flying above the front lines in Ukraine. They are so desperate to win they are now talking about sending long range ballistic nuclear weapon carriers to Ukraine, whose leader has already asked for nuclear weapons. The assumption is the nuclear warheads that can fit on the Tomahawk missiles will not be sent. The presence of a satellite system in use, Elon Musk’s project, ensures Moscow can be targeted with the long range ballistic missiles.

At this point, after the embarrassing loss in Afghanistan to a small guerilla force without even aircraft, if the hundred million dollar price tag for aircraft is still going to be paid is in question. Without a less developed opponent, like Gaza, American weapons are increasingly outdated.

In the developing world it is still difficult to down aircraft. It requires modern technology., which is lacking in Venezuela. They are vulnerable to aircraft, and in a conflict this could be decisive. The only question now is if Trump will really do it, and invade Venezuela with aircraft and bombings.

For a long time the Americans basically claimed all of Americas as their territory. They tried to claim Cuba in the Bay of Pigs disaster, a loss for Kennedy. Nicaragua is another example of socialists in conflict in the Americas. Chile under Salvador Allende resulted in a coup, with bourgeois assistance.

Making America Great Again includes a Department of War, and a Gulf of America. It also includes mass deportations of Mexicans, who are returning to their own conquered territory in Southwest, often encountering the Customs Border Guards only to be deported. Venezuela has been sending two flights a week of its citizens who entered illegally since Trump was elected.

One has to wonder if a show of force with the outdated weapons is in order. Venezuela has oil under it, and the pipeline politicians want to drill. The show of force continues in the developing world. Without an aircraft’s ability to fly over Venezuela and bomb targets it would seem to be not such a good choice to harass the socialists. But the bourgeoisie has a technological advantage, and Russia cannot intervene. Perhaps this is merely a distraction from the real battles in Europe. Something to distract from the obvious inability of NATO and America to be able to stop Putin. Or it may simply just be the old guard reasserting itself, to “make America great again”.

Nicholas Jay Boyes

Milwaukee Wisconsin

American Democratic Republic

10 16 2025