1 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:01,040 Speaker 1: Goo night. 2 00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:03,280 Speaker 2: Michael Brown joins me here, the former FEMA director of 3 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:04,520 Speaker 2: talk show host Michael Brown. 4 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 3: Brownie, no, Brownie, You're doing a heck of a job. 5 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 3: The Weekend with Michael Brown. 6 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:12,760 Speaker 4: Broadcasting live from Denver, Colorado. It's the Weekend of Michael Brown. 7 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:16,120 Speaker 4: Happy to have you joining the program today. First text 8 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:19,200 Speaker 4: lines always opened three three one zero three three three 9 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:22,319 Speaker 4: one zero three. Keyword Micha or Michael. Follow me on 10 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 4: X It's at Michael Brown USA. Then do me a favor. 11 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 4: On your podcast app, search for and subscribe to the 12 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:34,279 Speaker 4: Situation with Michael Brown. That will automatically download the weekday 13 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:37,160 Speaker 4: program we do Monday through Friday, and it will also 14 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 4: download the weekend program. Jilli get what is that? I've 15 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 4: told you it's fifteen eighteen hours of me, eighteen hours 16 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:51,160 Speaker 4: of me. It's better than ambien. The President came out 17 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 4: this morning just before we went on air. They held 18 00:00:54,200 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 4: a press conference, and there was one point where there's 19 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:05,039 Speaker 4: a double take. President said, we're. 20 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 2: Going to run the country until such time as we 21 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:14,039 Speaker 2: can do a safe, proper and judicious transition. So we 22 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 2: don't want to be involved with having somebody else get in. 23 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 3: And we have the same situation that we had for 24 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 3: the last long period of years. 25 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 2: So we are going to run the country until such 26 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 2: time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition. 27 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 2: That it has to be judicious, because that's what we're 28 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:40,120 Speaker 2: all about. We want peace, liberty, and justice for the 29 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 2: great people of Venezuela, and that includes many from Venezuela 30 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 2: that are now living in the United States and want 31 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 2: to go back to their country. 32 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 3: It's their homeland. 33 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 2: We can't take a chance that somebody else takes over 34 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:59,840 Speaker 2: Venezuela that doesn't have the good of the Venezuelan people 35 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 2: in mind. We've had decades of that. We're not going 36 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:10,919 Speaker 2: to let that happen. We're there now. And what people 37 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 2: don't understand, but they understand as they say. 38 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 3: This, we're there now, but we're. 39 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:22,240 Speaker 2: Going to stay until such time as the proper transition 40 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:23,919 Speaker 2: can take place. 41 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 3: So we're going to stay until such time. 42 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,079 Speaker 2: Because we're going to run it essentially until such time 43 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:30,959 Speaker 2: as a proper transition can take place. 44 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 4: He as a salesman, likes to say it over and 45 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:42,640 Speaker 4: over and over again, and it drives me nuts, but 46 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 4: I also understand that you pretty much have to do 47 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 4: that for people to finally catch on. It's like hearing 48 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:52,400 Speaker 4: a commercial over and over and over, and yet if 49 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:54,679 Speaker 4: you get asked about it, what are they selling? I 50 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 4: don't remember. I can sing at the jingle, but out 51 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 4: remember what it's about. So Trump's pledge that we're going 52 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 4: to quote run Venezuela until it stabilizes. I think that 53 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 4: points to a de facto US led transitional regime, and 54 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 4: in my opinion, that must be because we want to 55 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:18,640 Speaker 4: focus on obviously America first, which I know seems like 56 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:22,280 Speaker 4: a contradiction in terms to people, but it goes back 57 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 4: to my point at the very beginning of going through 58 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:30,520 Speaker 4: those sections of the world and how Trump is reordering 59 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 4: the entire world order almost single handedly. Obviously we have 60 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 4: to have allies to do that, but he's clearly leading 61 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 4: that change. Now, this is obviously going to be focused 62 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 4: I think on our America first, national security interest, obviously 63 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 4: on oil, and I think immigration control. I don't think 64 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 4: it's going to be a long term occupation. I'll explain 65 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 4: why in a minute, but still it does imply a 66 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:08,680 Speaker 4: very deep hands on role in Venezuela's internal governance for 67 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 4: some period of time. So when Trump says that We're 68 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 4: going to run the country until there is a safe, 69 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 4: proper and judicious transition. That's echoing language about a US 70 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 4: role in shaping Venezuela's post madeuro political order. So in 71 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 4: those live remarks and in interviews that he did before 72 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 4: that that live press conference, he has sort of framed 73 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:39,480 Speaker 4: this as a US governance for a period of time. 74 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 4: That's the first qualifier, and the second one is until 75 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:48,719 Speaker 4: Venezuela is safe, and the third one is until a 76 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:54,800 Speaker 4: new leadership that is acceptable, acceptable to DC and the 77 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 4: Venezuela's opposition can take over the country. Now there are 78 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 4: wish reports in there, some leaks. This suggests several concrete 79 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 4: elements behind that phrase. Because that phrase really captured my attention. 80 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:13,480 Speaker 4: We're going to run a country, don't I don't want 81 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 4: to do that, But I understand if you go back 82 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 4: and you listen closely to what he was saying, you 83 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:21,000 Speaker 4: understand precisely. 84 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 3: Why. 85 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:24,640 Speaker 4: Let me let's walk through this. It's only a minute. 86 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:25,280 Speaker 4: Let's walk through that. 87 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 2: We're going to run the country until such time as 88 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:33,600 Speaker 2: we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition. 89 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:38,360 Speaker 3: So we don't want to be involved with having. 90 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 2: Somebody else get in and we have the same situation. 91 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:44,159 Speaker 3: That we had for the last long period of years. 92 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:50,120 Speaker 4: That's right, What do we accomplish by arresting Maduro if 93 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:54,600 Speaker 4: our objective is to shut down this narco terrorist state. 94 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:58,680 Speaker 4: So we have a criminal indictment, which is legitimate, so 95 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 4: we have a legitimate reason to take him out. But 96 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:05,359 Speaker 4: you can't operate just in a vacuum because we know 97 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:08,119 Speaker 4: that if we take him out, there's one hundred people 98 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:10,600 Speaker 4: behind him lining up to take over because they want 99 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 4: the billions of dollars that they've been pocketing running these 100 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:18,040 Speaker 4: drug cartels. So we're going to stop the drug cartels. 101 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:22,840 Speaker 4: We've got to change dare I say regime change. We've 102 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:26,400 Speaker 4: got to run the country until the opposition party can 103 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 4: securely take over. Otherwise we've just all we've done is 104 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:35,920 Speaker 4: we've we captured one drug kingpin, kingpin that will be 105 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 4: replaced by another drug kingpin. So I think there's some 106 00:06:41,839 --> 00:06:50,600 Speaker 4: elements behind that phrase. First, security and stabilization. I think 107 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:55,560 Speaker 4: that's the mission, that's the that's the primary mission. Now 108 00:06:56,920 --> 00:07:01,360 Speaker 4: planning documents, which I haven't seen these particular planning documents, 109 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:04,800 Speaker 4: but I've seen similar planning documents during my time as 110 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:09,640 Speaker 4: the Undersecretary, probably describe a scenario in which this country 111 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 4: in which our armed forces, our intelligence apparatus, and our 112 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 4: advisors help control key installations. You've got to control the airports, obviously, 113 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:27,880 Speaker 4: the oil facilities, the refineries, all of the communication systems 114 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:32,600 Speaker 4: like the radio, television, and probably physical parts of Caracas. 115 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 4: You got to do that while you purge the Venezuelan 116 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:43,679 Speaker 4: security forces and new security forces are organized and reorganized 117 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:47,880 Speaker 4: and recognized. So I think that's the first thing. Then 118 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:52,640 Speaker 4: there's a second element to it, and that's creating some 119 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 4: sort of transitional political architecture. And this is where my 120 00:07:57,080 --> 00:08:03,120 Speaker 4: experiences undersecretary comes into play because for I mean, I've 121 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:05,240 Speaker 4: been the UN Secretary of Home and Security for twenty years, 122 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:08,440 Speaker 4: and this was going on long before I arrived in DC, 123 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:11,400 Speaker 4: back in two thousand and one, when Bush forty three 124 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 4: was inaugurated. There have always been plans that are quietly 125 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:21,720 Speaker 4: discussed and put together that are based on generally I'm 126 00:08:21,760 --> 00:08:26,920 Speaker 4: just generalizing here, what's the next one hundred hours and 127 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:30,760 Speaker 4: what's the next one hundred days. Well, you've got to 128 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:34,360 Speaker 4: discuss those one hundred hours and one hundred day plans 129 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:43,679 Speaker 4: that you develop and you oftentimes the CIA and the 130 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:47,800 Speaker 4: Defense Intelligence Agency and others. In fact, even some foreign countries, 131 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:50,679 Speaker 4: and you know, like I six may help us with this, 132 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 4: where you develop plans that include the opposition figures like Maria, 133 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:06,640 Speaker 4: Karina Machado and Mundo Gonzales, including rapid moves on security, currency, infrastructure, education, 134 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 4: and I think Washington as they have other plans that 135 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:16,959 Speaker 4: I've seen and worked on. Treat those blueprints as the 136 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:22,040 Speaker 4: template for a post Maduro interim government. They've got to 137 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:27,559 Speaker 4: be doing that. And the third element would be economic 138 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:30,679 Speaker 4: and oil leverage. I'm just thinking out loud about this, 139 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:34,280 Speaker 4: because if I were developing these kinds of plans for 140 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 4: one hundred hours and one hundred days, obviously the economy 141 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:41,200 Speaker 4: and oil has to be part of that leverage. And 142 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:45,720 Speaker 4: Trump has explicitly demanded that Venezuela returned land and oil 143 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:51,239 Speaker 4: rights to the US companies that Hugo Chavez originally nationalized 144 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 4: and took away from these US countries, So that kind 145 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 4: of portrays a reset of the energy relationship as part 146 00:09:56,920 --> 00:10:03,640 Speaker 4: of an overall stabilization plan, essentially tying the political transition 147 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:08,280 Speaker 4: to new oil and gas investment deals. I'd be surprised 148 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:12,080 Speaker 4: if that's not part of it. So, yeah, that's what 149 00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:21,000 Speaker 4: we're going to do. I think I'll be right back. Hey, 150 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:22,840 Speaker 4: welcome back to the weekend with Michael Brown. Glad to have 151 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 4: you with me. We're talking about this arrest of Maduro 152 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 4: today and now we've swerved into Trump telling us that 153 00:10:29,679 --> 00:10:34,559 Speaker 4: we're going we're going to run the country. In addition 154 00:10:34,640 --> 00:10:37,840 Speaker 4: to saying that when asked by a reporter. 155 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:40,160 Speaker 2: Mister President, why is running a country in South America? 156 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:41,360 Speaker 3: America? First? 157 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 2: Well, I think it is because we want to surround 158 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:48,319 Speaker 2: ourselves with good neighbors. We want to surround ourselves with stability, 159 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:51,160 Speaker 2: We want to surround ourselves with energy. 160 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 3: We have tremendous energy of that country. It's very important 161 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:54,679 Speaker 3: that we protect it. 162 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:57,320 Speaker 2: We need that for ourselves, we need that for the world, 163 00:10:57,760 --> 00:10:59,360 Speaker 2: and we want to make sure we can protect you. 164 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:04,439 Speaker 4: We often forget that. You know, many of our oil 165 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:09,360 Speaker 4: and gas companies were actually operating built those refineries and 166 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:12,480 Speaker 4: then they got nationalized by Hugo Chavez before Maduro took 167 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:16,240 Speaker 4: the cover after Chavez died, so those technically belonged to 168 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 4: American oil and gas companies, and it is America first. 169 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:23,440 Speaker 4: I mean, it seems simplified to say, hey, it's good 170 00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:27,800 Speaker 4: to have good neighbors, But that was the entire point 171 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:32,480 Speaker 4: of the Monroe doctrine. Let's protect our hemisphere because it'll 172 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:36,280 Speaker 4: be easier if people that surround us we got oceans 173 00:11:36,280 --> 00:11:39,400 Speaker 4: on both sides. If our neighbors to the north and 174 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:41,679 Speaker 4: our neighbors to the south and to the south are 175 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:44,480 Speaker 4: our friends rather than our enemies, it will be much 176 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 4: easier to protect this country. That truly is an America 177 00:11:47,920 --> 00:11:52,719 Speaker 4: First concept, But I know that many on the left 178 00:11:52,760 --> 00:11:57,280 Speaker 4: won't see it that way. So put, simply to run 179 00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:00,960 Speaker 4: the country in this context means that Washington intends to 180 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:04,760 Speaker 4: dominate the security and the economic framework of a transition, 181 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 4: deciding who's going to get recognized, how quickly elections can happen, 182 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:17,040 Speaker 4: what happens to the security services, and how sanctions, aid 183 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:20,240 Speaker 4: and military support are all calibrated. Those are all the 184 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:23,000 Speaker 4: things that have to go into both the pre planning 185 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:25,560 Speaker 4: and now for the next one hundred hours and one 186 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:33,880 Speaker 4: hundred days. So from an America first perspective, removing Madeuial 187 00:12:34,040 --> 00:12:40,720 Speaker 4: serves several core priorities. Reducing the flow in narcotics, pushing 188 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:45,480 Speaker 4: back this is so important. Pushing back on Iran, China, 189 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:52,600 Speaker 4: Russia in this hemisphere, securing energy, and managing immigration. Think 190 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:56,520 Speaker 4: about let's go through some of these, think about drug 191 00:12:57,320 --> 00:13:04,319 Speaker 4: and the border nexus. Trump has for his entire Trump 192 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:07,760 Speaker 4: one point oh Trump Trump two point zero has long 193 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:11,480 Speaker 4: cast Venezuela as a narco terror hub. He argues that 194 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:16,240 Speaker 4: Maduro sends poison to this country. He likes He links 195 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:19,040 Speaker 4: the strikes in the Caribbean and in the Eastern Pacific 196 00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:22,439 Speaker 4: two for that matter, to protecting American communities from cocaine 197 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:26,400 Speaker 4: in fennol related violence. And I think legitimately so, the 198 00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:30,760 Speaker 4: Maduro indictment and his capture on these narco terrorism and 199 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:36,640 Speaker 4: cocaine trafficking charges allows the White House to legitimately present 200 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:40,240 Speaker 4: this as a domestic security operation as much as a 201 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:44,760 Speaker 4: foreign policy play. It's both, There's no doubt. We can't 202 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:51,160 Speaker 4: pretend that it's otherwise. It's both, but one doesn't minimize 203 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:57,400 Speaker 4: the other. First and foremost, you got rid of the 204 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:03,240 Speaker 4: head of a drug cartel, or you've you've decapitated the 205 00:14:03,280 --> 00:14:06,000 Speaker 4: head of a drug cartel. You still have to deal 206 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:10,520 Speaker 4: with the cartel itself. But you go to the movies, 207 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:14,559 Speaker 4: what are the detectives always looking for Oh, we want 208 00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:16,640 Speaker 4: to get the big guy. We want to find the 209 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:18,800 Speaker 4: big person. We want to find them, the head of 210 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:23,040 Speaker 4: the cartel. Well, we found him and we arrested him. 211 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:25,440 Speaker 4: So there's a drug and there's a border in nexus, 212 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:32,080 Speaker 4: but there's energy and inflation and the politics of both 213 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:36,360 Speaker 4: of those issues intertwining together. Venezuela is sitting on the 214 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:42,440 Speaker 4: world's largest proven oil reserves and having turned to China, Iran, 215 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:48,000 Speaker 4: Russia during the sanctions, we're not going to bring Caracus 216 00:14:48,040 --> 00:14:52,000 Speaker 4: back into an orbit friendly to US firms, to US 217 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:56,680 Speaker 4: oil and gas companies, and that perfectly dovetails with the 218 00:14:56,720 --> 00:15:03,239 Speaker 4: America First goal of cheaper, rely liable, abundant energy, reshowing 219 00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:09,160 Speaker 4: supply chains and sidelining rival powers from the Western hemispher's 220 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:17,240 Speaker 4: resource base. Most Americans don't realize that every one of 221 00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:24,280 Speaker 4: those adversaries, China, the Iranians, and the Russians all work 222 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 4: and operate in the Southern Hemisphere, all operate throughout Latin 223 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:31,160 Speaker 4: American including Cuba, which we'll get to in a minute. 224 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:35,800 Speaker 4: So sidelining them and pushing them aside is clearly an 225 00:15:35,800 --> 00:15:39,840 Speaker 4: America First is truly right in line with a Monroe 226 00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:46,400 Speaker 4: slash Trump doctrine. Let's protect our neighborhood and let's turn 227 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:52,560 Speaker 4: those enemies out, put in or allow them to elect friendly, 228 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:58,320 Speaker 4: US oriented regimes, and that helps us. So that would 229 00:15:58,320 --> 00:16:00,880 Speaker 4: be the second point. I would make energy and inflation 230 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:05,200 Speaker 4: politics all intertwined in this one hundred hour, one hundred 231 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:14,680 Speaker 4: day plan. The third is obviously immigration and instability. As 232 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:20,480 Speaker 4: a failed state, Venezuela has driven millions of immigrants north, 233 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 4: strained our borders, strained our domestic politics, infiltrated our domestic 234 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:30,720 Speaker 4: politics like I've never seen before. So stabilizing or at 235 00:16:30,800 --> 00:16:34,120 Speaker 4: least reshaping the regime ought to be framed as a 236 00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:37,680 Speaker 4: way to reduce those flows and show voters that washing 237 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:42,800 Speaker 4: is tackling root causes. Finally, somebody got to a root cause. 238 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:47,320 Speaker 4: It wasn't Kamala Harris, and it's not just the real 239 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:52,280 Speaker 4: grand optics. We often forget that everything that we look 240 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:56,680 Speaker 4: at when we think about the southern border. We tend 241 00:16:56,680 --> 00:17:01,239 Speaker 4: to think of the Triangle countries Guatemala, hunter in Nicaragua, 242 00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:08,240 Speaker 4: and probably Mexico, but we forget South America too. Just 243 00:17:08,320 --> 00:17:10,800 Speaker 4: as many come from those countries as they do from 244 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:15,879 Speaker 4: the Triangle countries or Mexico. So long term. America First 245 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:19,480 Speaker 4: logic sees Maduro's arrest as some sort of it's actually 246 00:17:19,560 --> 00:17:23,919 Speaker 4: kind of a demonstration that hostile regimes in this hemisphere 247 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:27,800 Speaker 4: of the traffic drugs that host our adversaries like Iran, 248 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:31,679 Speaker 4: China and Russia and then export those immigrants are going 249 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:35,480 Speaker 4: to face direct consequences. That is, man is both a 250 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:41,119 Speaker 4: deterrent and a signal to the regional elites that America's back, Baby, 251 00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:45,680 Speaker 4: We're back. Oh their long term consequences for Cuba. Two, 252 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:48,600 Speaker 4: let's think about those next. I'll be right back. 253 00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:55,280 Speaker 3: To night. 254 00:17:55,320 --> 00:17:57,560 Speaker 4: Michael Brown joins me here, the former FEMA director of. 255 00:17:57,560 --> 00:17:59,160 Speaker 2: Talk show host Michael Brown. 256 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:02,040 Speaker 3: No, you're doing a heck of a job the Weekend 257 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:03,199 Speaker 3: with Michael Brown. 258 00:18:04,080 --> 00:18:05,879 Speaker 4: Welcome back to the Beekening with Michael Brown. Glad to 259 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:11,040 Speaker 4: have you with me on this one. While breaking news day, 260 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:14,960 Speaker 4: we're now we're now running Venezuela. Did you have that 261 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:18,240 Speaker 4: on your Bengo card for this weekend? Yeah, twenty twenty 262 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:21,639 Speaker 4: six is starting out with a bang, and as I predicted, 263 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:27,680 Speaker 4: the Democrats are apoplectic about this. Let's go to ms 264 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:30,760 Speaker 4: Now formerly MSNBC and. 265 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:34,200 Speaker 5: Just your give us your initial thoughts on the action 266 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:37,560 Speaker 5: that took place in the early morning hours in Cadacas. 267 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:41,760 Speaker 4: This is some congressman from looks like Missouri. I'm not 268 00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:42,600 Speaker 4: sure today. 269 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:44,320 Speaker 3: Good morning, Jonathan. 270 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:49,440 Speaker 1: Look, I'm angry on behalf of Americans, on behalf of Congress, 271 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:53,600 Speaker 1: and most importantly on behalf of our service members who 272 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:57,560 Speaker 1: were put in harm's way. And this was not necessary, 273 00:18:57,720 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 1: This was not legal, and we saw this coming. 274 00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:07,520 Speaker 4: Interesting, so it wasn't necessary. I disagree with that. It 275 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:09,639 Speaker 4: wasn't legal. She's completely out of her league. She's a 276 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:12,960 Speaker 4: member of the House. This is Becca Blent. She's a 277 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:15,399 Speaker 4: Democrat from Vermont. I'm sorry I thought it was Missouri. 278 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:19,440 Speaker 4: She's from Vermont. She's a member of the House Judiciary Committee. 279 00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:23,520 Speaker 4: You think she had understand the law better. But she's 280 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:26,440 Speaker 4: a congressman, So why should I expect that she'd understand 281 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:31,639 Speaker 4: the law. And not only was it unnecessary and it 282 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:32,840 Speaker 4: was illegal. 283 00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:36,160 Speaker 1: Our service members who were put in harm's way, And 284 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:40,479 Speaker 1: this was not necessary, This was not legal, and we 285 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:41,359 Speaker 1: saw this coming. 286 00:19:43,119 --> 00:19:45,439 Speaker 4: Well, if you saw it coming, you know one of 287 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:47,919 Speaker 4: the things I taught was going to talk about today, 288 00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:50,119 Speaker 4: Just to give you a little hint, he wanted to 289 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:54,320 Speaker 4: an end this week I'll eventually talk about this. It 290 00:19:54,440 --> 00:19:59,080 Speaker 4: strikes me that we've heard of the do nothing Congress. 291 00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:02,960 Speaker 4: I think that for most of my life I've lived 292 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:08,080 Speaker 4: under do nothing Congresses. Now I don't necessarily want them 293 00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:10,560 Speaker 4: doing things because most of most of the things that 294 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:13,760 Speaker 4: they tend to do turn out to be wrong and 295 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:18,000 Speaker 4: are harmful and hurtful to our republican form of government, 296 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:21,920 Speaker 4: to our freedoms, to our economy. So I prefer really 297 00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:26,960 Speaker 4: that they not do anything. But Madam congressman, if you 298 00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:33,000 Speaker 4: saw this coming, why didn't the Democrat leadership stand up 299 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:40,400 Speaker 4: and say something because you know you're wrong? And instead 300 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:44,040 Speaker 4: what are they doing? They're actually defending the head of 301 00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:47,960 Speaker 4: a drug cartel. I just find it fascinating how Trump 302 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:50,360 Speaker 4: is able to out maneuver them and to get them 303 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:52,520 Speaker 4: to say stupid stuff like you know what, this is 304 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:56,440 Speaker 4: just wrong, Oh it's wrong. You took this guy. By 305 00:20:56,440 --> 00:20:59,760 Speaker 4: the way, Fox is flashing a photo of Maduro on 306 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:02,920 Speaker 4: a standing up on a cargo playing with a mask 307 00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:07,600 Speaker 4: on hand, shackled, and he's got a nice bottle of 308 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:12,040 Speaker 4: water with him, so he's staying hydrated. That's nice. Democrats 309 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:13,040 Speaker 4: are upset about that. 310 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:17,919 Speaker 1: This has been the plan the entire time. It was 311 00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:23,359 Speaker 1: never about narco drug trafficking. This was about oil, This 312 00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:27,000 Speaker 1: was about minerals, this was about regime change. There is 313 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:32,160 Speaker 1: no legal justification for what has happened. I'm outraged that 314 00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:35,760 Speaker 1: nobody in Congress was briefed, including our leader Hakim Jeffries. 315 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:42,119 Speaker 4: She's out, She's upset that nobody in Congress was brief 316 00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:44,880 Speaker 4: what's the President of say about that? 317 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:48,840 Speaker 1: If you notify any members of Congress in advance market, 318 00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:49,320 Speaker 1: do you want. 319 00:21:49,160 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 3: To talk about that because you were involved? 320 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:53,280 Speaker 5: For sure, we call members of Congress immediately after. This 321 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:54,639 Speaker 5: was not the kind of mission that you can do 322 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:58,119 Speaker 5: congressional notification on. It was a trigger based mission in 323 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:00,239 Speaker 5: which conditions had to be met night after night. We 324 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:02,240 Speaker 5: watched the monitor that for a number of days. So 325 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:04,239 Speaker 5: it's just simply not the kind of mission you can 326 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:05,960 Speaker 5: call people and say, hey, we may do this at 327 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:07,439 Speaker 5: some point in the next fifteen days. 328 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:09,359 Speaker 3: But it's largely a lot of force and function. 329 00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:11,120 Speaker 5: Remember, at the end of the day, at its core, 330 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:15,440 Speaker 5: this was an arrest of two indicted fugitives of American justice, 331 00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:18,080 Speaker 5: and the Department of War supported the Department of. 332 00:22:18,119 --> 00:22:18,920 Speaker 3: Justice in that job. 333 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:21,679 Speaker 5: Now there are broader policy implications here, But it's just 334 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:23,880 Speaker 5: not the kind of mission that you can prenotify because 335 00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:27,600 Speaker 5: it endangers the mission. 336 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:31,520 Speaker 3: The tendency to leak. 337 00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:35,520 Speaker 6: This would not because if they leaked, general, I think 338 00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:38,439 Speaker 6: it would have been maybe a very different result. But 339 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:40,720 Speaker 6: I have to say they knew we were coming at 340 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:46,480 Speaker 6: some point, you know, riderships out there. 341 00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:50,360 Speaker 4: When you think about what the core mission was. Now 342 00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:54,600 Speaker 4: we understand you and I both understand that there are 343 00:22:54,600 --> 00:23:00,399 Speaker 4: other consequences here. Regime change, abundance of oil, turning that 344 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:04,280 Speaker 4: those refineries to their lawful owners, blah blah blah, everything, 345 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:08,560 Speaker 4: freeing the Venezuelan people. All of those are consequences of 346 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:12,520 Speaker 4: this legal action that was taken against a fugitive from 347 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:16,000 Speaker 4: justice in the United States, there's just no getting around that. 348 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:23,200 Speaker 4: We don't inform members of Congress of other actions, even 349 00:23:23,240 --> 00:23:26,480 Speaker 4: though the military might be involved, if they're involved in 350 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 4: supporting the Department of Justice. Can you imagine briefing members 351 00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:36,520 Speaker 4: of Congress so that that dingbat on the House Judiciary 352 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:42,440 Speaker 4: Committee about Yeah, tomorrow night at two am, Crocus time, 353 00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:46,320 Speaker 4: we're going to rave Maduro's residence and capture him and 354 00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:50,160 Speaker 4: bring him back. She'd be running to MSNBC msn now 355 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:56,040 Speaker 4: so quickly you'd make your head spind So my point 356 00:23:56,600 --> 00:24:03,560 Speaker 4: about they're now actually defending this, are defending Maduro and 357 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 4: claiming that it was illegal, is all without basis, certainly 358 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:12,520 Speaker 4: without any legal basis. They might have a political argument that, oh, 359 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:15,480 Speaker 4: Trump's winning again and we don't like it. Why don't 360 00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:19,440 Speaker 4: you just admit that he's exercising and showing the leadership 361 00:24:20,200 --> 00:24:24,720 Speaker 4: that we certainly didn't have for four years, and he's 362 00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:28,240 Speaker 4: doing things that we would kind of expect a president 363 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:34,240 Speaker 4: to do. So we went through in this terms of 364 00:24:34,280 --> 00:24:37,639 Speaker 4: one hundred hours and one hundred days. We talked about 365 00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:44,320 Speaker 4: the drugging, the border nexus, talked about the energy and inflation, 366 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:49,359 Speaker 4: political aspects and economic aspects aspects. We talked about the 367 00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:52,720 Speaker 4: migration and the instability of the border and quite frankly, 368 00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:55,960 Speaker 4: the instability of all of Latin America. But there are 369 00:24:55,960 --> 00:25:01,720 Speaker 4: also some long term consequences for Cuba. Cuba is the 370 00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:07,679 Speaker 4: most directly exposed partner of the old Caractus Havanah axis, 371 00:25:08,359 --> 00:25:12,320 Speaker 4: and the fall of Material's personal rule is going to 372 00:25:12,440 --> 00:25:17,720 Speaker 4: hit Havana. On energy, the reach of intelligence, and the 373 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:25,920 Speaker 4: political narrative. I've broken it down into three categories. Cuba's 374 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:33,200 Speaker 4: oil and cash lifelong for years, Venezuela subsidized Venezuelan oil 375 00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:39,880 Speaker 4: and financial flows underwrote Cuba's ability to whether our sanctions 376 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:45,520 Speaker 4: against Cuba any prolonged or disruption or reorientation of their 377 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:51,639 Speaker 4: of all of Latin America, particularly Venezuelan, toward Western markets 378 00:25:51,680 --> 00:25:54,960 Speaker 4: on US terms, is going to squeeze Havannah, unforce it 379 00:25:55,040 --> 00:26:00,119 Speaker 4: to see new patrons or accept some sort of of 380 00:26:00,760 --> 00:26:08,080 Speaker 4: economic concessions or collapse. I actually think in the long run, 381 00:26:08,119 --> 00:26:11,199 Speaker 4: this is what's going to happen. The communist regime in 382 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:15,440 Speaker 4: Cuba will eventually collapse, because think about this, the only 383 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:21,880 Speaker 4: remaining who is the if you take Iran, take Russia, 384 00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:30,320 Speaker 4: you take China, now Venezuela. Who's left. Well, Putin's too 385 00:26:30,359 --> 00:26:32,800 Speaker 4: busy fighting a war in Ukraine. 386 00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:34,639 Speaker 3: Uh. 387 00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:38,200 Speaker 4: The Iranians, the Molas are probably hiding in caves outside 388 00:26:38,280 --> 00:26:42,960 Speaker 4: Tehran somewhere. They're they're yelling and screaming, but they're pretty 389 00:26:43,040 --> 00:26:49,400 Speaker 4: much beheaded right now. And now Venezuela's gone, that leaves China. 390 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:54,480 Speaker 4: So if China is watching what Trump's doing, China's got 391 00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:56,680 Speaker 4: to be backing off right now, and saying, you know what, 392 00:26:57,560 --> 00:27:00,399 Speaker 4: will continue to do whatever. We're not going to do 393 00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:06,840 Speaker 4: anything overt. We don't really want the US doing anything, 394 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:10,240 Speaker 4: and we don't want another the Bay of Pigs. But 395 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:13,080 Speaker 4: China's probably looking at Cuba right now and saying, is 396 00:27:13,119 --> 00:27:17,560 Speaker 4: it worth it now to a communist dictator like Shijingping. 397 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:22,919 Speaker 4: Cuba might be worth it having a an intelligence facility 398 00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:27,080 Speaker 4: ninety miles off our shore. Yeah, probably worth it to 399 00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:30,200 Speaker 4: the Chinese Communist Party. But there're gonna be a little 400 00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:35,760 Speaker 4: circumspect in doing anything overt. Then you have the whole 401 00:27:35,760 --> 00:27:42,240 Speaker 4: psychology in the propaganda aspect of this. DS Canal has 402 00:27:42,280 --> 00:27:45,760 Speaker 4: denounced the operation as a criminal attack in state terror, 403 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:48,840 Speaker 4: trying to fold it into the long narrative of you know, 404 00:27:48,960 --> 00:27:52,359 Speaker 4: Yankee imperialism, if you will. But the spectacle of a 405 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:55,480 Speaker 4: fellow authoritarian taken from his palace to a US court room, 406 00:27:55,920 --> 00:27:59,359 Speaker 4: it's really a cautionary tale inside Cuba's elite, So DS 407 00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:02,040 Speaker 4: Canals probably and for that matter a little if he's 408 00:28:02,040 --> 00:28:08,120 Speaker 4: awakened knows what's going on. It undercuts the aura of untouchability, 409 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:13,080 Speaker 4: and that's going to factor in to succession debates within Cuba. 410 00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:18,760 Speaker 4: And it's also going to factor into their internal risk calculations. So, 411 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:24,840 Speaker 4: from a US national security vantage point, weakening the Caracas 412 00:28:24,880 --> 00:28:28,840 Speaker 4: Savannah corridor, that reduces a key vector for intelligence cooperation 413 00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:33,040 Speaker 4: among hostile regimes in the Southern hemisphere. It narrows Cuba's 414 00:28:33,040 --> 00:28:36,800 Speaker 4: ability to support anti US actions elsewhere in Latin America, 415 00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:40,200 Speaker 4: and it probably makes Savannah more cautious about overtly hosting 416 00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:45,480 Speaker 4: US rivals like Russia, Iran, and the Chinese. This is 417 00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:51,440 Speaker 4: going to have long term implications. This is, indeed the 418 00:28:51,600 --> 00:28:56,040 Speaker 4: re establishment of the Monroe doctrine. Whether you call the 419 00:28:56,080 --> 00:28:59,080 Speaker 4: Trump doctrine or Monroe two point zero, I don't care. 420 00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:03,880 Speaker 4: But it really is an America first. Hey, let's secure 421 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:08,200 Speaker 4: our neighborhood. Let's secure our neighbors to the north, Let's 422 00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:11,600 Speaker 4: secure our neighbors to the south. Let's protect this hemisphere 423 00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:15,840 Speaker 4: against our adversaries who really do want to cut us 424 00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:22,640 Speaker 4: out from being the world's superpower. And in an effect, 425 00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:29,360 Speaker 4: it strengthens our economy, it strengthens our military, It makes 426 00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:32,920 Speaker 4: us stronger, not just in our own hemisphere, it makes 427 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:38,560 Speaker 4: us stronger worldwide. And Democrats they're left bitching and moaning 428 00:29:38,560 --> 00:29:39,400 Speaker 4: about the fact that. 429 00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:40,120 Speaker 3: Oh, it's illegal. 430 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:43,200 Speaker 4: It's unlawful. Oh, and too many of you on the 431 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:46,680 Speaker 4: text line. Yeah, I'm sure there's some judge somewhere who's 432 00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:51,400 Speaker 4: already be getting a delivered filing papers of Oh, we 433 00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:55,080 Speaker 4: need a restraining order to stop this. Yeah, that's not. 434 00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:55,600 Speaker 3: Going to work. 435 00:29:55,800 --> 00:30:05,640 Speaker 4: I'll be right back. Welcome back to the Weekend with 436 00:30:05,720 --> 00:30:08,760 Speaker 4: Michael Brown. Thanks for tuning in. I always appreciate all 437 00:30:08,800 --> 00:30:11,280 Speaker 4: of you that take time out to either listen live 438 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:15,160 Speaker 4: or if your affiliate carries a broadcast later in the 439 00:30:15,240 --> 00:30:17,760 Speaker 4: day where you listen on the podcast. How have you listen? 440 00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:20,880 Speaker 4: I appreciate you tuning in to the Weekend with Michael Brown. 441 00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:24,600 Speaker 4: Hope you'll subscribe to the podcast on your podcast app. 442 00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:28,080 Speaker 4: It's the Situation with Michael Brown. Check that subscribe button. 443 00:30:28,080 --> 00:30:30,960 Speaker 4: He'll download all five days of the Weekday program. Or 444 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:32,959 Speaker 4: if you'd like to listen to the Weekday program. It 445 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:37,720 Speaker 4: airs Monday through Friday, nine to noon Mountain time nine 446 00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:41,840 Speaker 4: to noon Mountain Time, and the station is eight fifty 447 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:46,080 Speaker 4: AM or ninety four to one FM and the station 448 00:30:46,240 --> 00:30:51,200 Speaker 4: call letters are KOA KOA eight fifty am ninety four 449 00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:54,680 Speaker 4: to one FM, Monday through Friday, nine to noon Mountain Time, 450 00:30:56,120 --> 00:31:00,240 Speaker 4: So now let's talk about We've talked about Venezuela, We've 451 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:06,280 Speaker 4: talked about Cuba. Let's think about Latin America large because 452 00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:11,720 Speaker 4: region wide, the reaction to Maduro's capture are really kind 453 00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:15,560 Speaker 4: of polarized, but even the critics recognize that the balance 454 00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:22,280 Speaker 4: of power has now shifted, so mission accomplished. Let's first 455 00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:27,040 Speaker 4: look at some left leaning governments. Leaders like Brazil's Lula, 456 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:32,200 Speaker 4: Colombia's Gustavo Petro, Chile's Bori, they've all condemned the operation, 457 00:31:32,280 --> 00:31:35,920 Speaker 4: as you would expect. They claim it's an unacceptable breach 458 00:31:35,960 --> 00:31:38,960 Speaker 4: of sovereignty in a return to the darkest periods of 459 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:41,520 Speaker 4: US interference in Latin America, and they're they're going to 460 00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:44,760 Speaker 4: push for international condemnation at the United Nations and the 461 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:49,120 Speaker 4: Organization of American States the OAS, but that's to be expected. 462 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:55,640 Speaker 4: They're domestic left bases are going to use it to 463 00:31:55,680 --> 00:31:59,720 Speaker 4: bolster anti US narratives, But then their governments are going 464 00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:03,880 Speaker 4: to have to manage the practical aspect of this cooperation 465 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:10,280 Speaker 4: on trade, immigration, and their own security with this administration, 466 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:14,920 Speaker 4: so they'll go out and of course the cabal domestically 467 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:18,120 Speaker 4: all the networks in the cables and all the outlets 468 00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:20,480 Speaker 4: will pick it up and they'll scream about how all 469 00:32:20,600 --> 00:32:24,200 Speaker 4: these left leaning governments, all these communist socialist governments, are 470 00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:29,360 Speaker 4: all pissed off about it. At the same time, those 471 00:32:29,400 --> 00:32:33,160 Speaker 4: governments will be looking at what we did, and they'll 472 00:32:33,160 --> 00:32:36,960 Speaker 4: be thinking to themselves, hmm, maybe I need to sit 473 00:32:37,040 --> 00:32:40,000 Speaker 4: down with the Secretary of State or you know whoever 474 00:32:40,040 --> 00:32:44,120 Speaker 4: our representative is that the ambassador residents and have a conversation. 475 00:32:45,080 --> 00:32:47,280 Speaker 4: Can we sit down and have some coffee and tea? 476 00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:48,040 Speaker 3: May we? 477 00:32:49,440 --> 00:32:51,640 Speaker 4: So I think that's what the left leaning governments will do. 478 00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:58,280 Speaker 4: What about those pro market are those US aligning governments? Well, 479 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:02,760 Speaker 4: Hallvey MLA in Argentina, and of course some Caribbean leaders 480 00:33:03,320 --> 00:33:06,200 Speaker 4: have actually welcomed the Durell's removal because they see it 481 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:09,239 Speaker 4: as a blow to authoritarianism and they see it as 482 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:15,160 Speaker 4: an opening for economic reintegration, especially especially I think if 483 00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:19,760 Speaker 4: Venezuelan oil and investment can be normalized under a friendlier government. 484 00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:25,360 Speaker 4: So those actors, they're going to become an anchor for 485 00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:29,720 Speaker 4: a block that aligns with the United States preferences on energy, 486 00:33:30,280 --> 00:33:36,640 Speaker 4: on China, on regional trade. It's like we've erected a 487 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:43,080 Speaker 4: minefield for those adversaries Russia and China and Iran in 488 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:50,000 Speaker 4: Latin America. Man, it's it's amazing. It'll be interesting to 489 00:33:50,040 --> 00:33:54,800 Speaker 4: watch how Malay and some of these Caribbean leaders respond. Oh, 490 00:33:54,880 --> 00:33:58,520 Speaker 4: there'll be a very bright line between those who are 491 00:33:58,560 --> 00:34:02,560 Speaker 4: with US and those who are against us. So the 492 00:34:02,600 --> 00:34:06,640 Speaker 4: pro market and US line. Governments are already out there 493 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:09,680 Speaker 4: telling what a great deal this is for their own 494 00:34:09,800 --> 00:34:14,520 Speaker 4: security and for their own economies. But what about security 495 00:34:15,880 --> 00:34:19,000 Speaker 4: in terms of their national security and our national security. 496 00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:22,960 Speaker 4: What about the whole dynamics of immigration. Well, Columbia is 497 00:34:22,960 --> 00:34:26,920 Speaker 4: already reinforcing its border and they're preparing for refugee flows, 498 00:34:27,160 --> 00:34:31,800 Speaker 4: underscoring that, I think any prolonged instability in Venezuela could 499 00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:36,440 Speaker 4: spill over into neighboring states, into the drug corridors, and 500 00:34:36,560 --> 00:34:41,200 Speaker 4: into all those migration routes that come northward into this country. 501 00:34:42,280 --> 00:34:46,920 Speaker 4: So I think that again based on my experience, I 502 00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:51,880 Speaker 4: think that American planners see a window to titan joint 503 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:58,200 Speaker 4: border enforcement and counter narcotics operations with countries like Columbia, Brazil, 504 00:34:58,360 --> 00:35:02,960 Speaker 4: and some Central American state. They're going to use these planners, 505 00:35:03,640 --> 00:35:07,239 Speaker 4: these emissaries, these ambassadors and others. They're going to use 506 00:35:07,280 --> 00:35:10,960 Speaker 4: the shock of the Madial raid as leverage for deeper cooperation, 507 00:35:11,600 --> 00:35:15,400 Speaker 4: even among states who are publicly out there complaining about 508 00:35:15,400 --> 00:35:20,120 Speaker 4: what we did. So the net effect is going to 509 00:35:20,160 --> 00:35:24,640 Speaker 4: be a hemisphere. There is probably more sharply divided ideologically, 510 00:35:25,680 --> 00:35:30,239 Speaker 4: but there's going to be a clear signal that overt 511 00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:37,320 Speaker 4: alignment with narco authoritarian regimes or the drug cartels carries 512 00:35:37,360 --> 00:35:42,120 Speaker 4: a higher risk, and then Washington can use that to 513 00:35:42,200 --> 00:35:46,920 Speaker 4: press for incremental security and economic concessions even from those 514 00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:52,120 Speaker 4: anti American governments. I think this is a brilliant move. 515 00:35:53,560 --> 00:35:56,920 Speaker 4: Is it fraught with danger? Of course it is, But 516 00:35:57,000 --> 00:36:00,680 Speaker 4: this is part of Trump's realignment of the world. Now, 517 00:36:00,680 --> 00:36:07,440 Speaker 4: if Washington manages the aftermath competently, that's an if we 518 00:36:07,520 --> 00:36:12,640 Speaker 4: see what we've seen, what happened in Afghanistan, Iraq other places. 519 00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:16,080 Speaker 4: But this is different. I think, I truly believe this 520 00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:20,239 Speaker 4: is different. We have economic interests and there's something else 521 00:36:20,280 --> 00:36:26,840 Speaker 4: that's different. Venezuela is a homogeneous society. It's not split 522 00:36:26,920 --> 00:36:31,799 Speaker 4: between Sunni Shia and Shia. So I think that in 523 00:36:31,880 --> 00:36:38,920 Speaker 4: terms of hard security, encounter, narcotics, geostrategy, geo strategies. I 524 00:36:38,960 --> 00:36:42,279 Speaker 4: think this can be a big boom for us. We'll 525 00:36:42,360 --> 00:36:45,320 Speaker 4: have to wait and see. One hundred hours, one hundred days. 526 00:36:45,440 --> 00:36:52,960 Speaker 4: I'll see you next Saturday.