1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:05,479 Speaker 1: CEO of Tower Strategy and former Chief of Station in Venezuela, 2 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: mister Rick Delatre, today on the David Rutherford Show. Rick, 3 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:22,799 Speaker 1: Welcome to the show. I'm so privileged and honored to 4 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: have you on. But you know, I just want to 5 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 1: jump right into it. Man, who are the thirty two 6 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 1: Cuban bodyguards and why? 7 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:32,559 Speaker 2: What like what. 8 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:35,239 Speaker 1: Security company were they from and why were they a 9 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 1: part of Maduro's inner circle? 10 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 2: Let's just start there. 11 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:41,159 Speaker 3: Sure, sure, So, you know, one of the things that 12 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:45,159 Speaker 3: the Cuban intelligence apparatus and the Cuban government does in 13 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 3: exchange for getting all this free oil from Venezuela is 14 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:52,479 Speaker 3: provide them with the security that they need so that 15 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 3: the regime could could stay in power. 16 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:58,280 Speaker 4: Right. So over the years they've provided. 17 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 3: Them the you know, the tactics and capabilities and the 18 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 3: people as you see here, to within the ranks to 19 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 3: you know, carry out the ttalitarian type of Soviet Union 20 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 3: style you know, intelligence apparatus within the within the country. 21 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:18,760 Speaker 3: So Maduro himself, knowing that he had been I legitimately 22 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 3: put in place, never really trusted anyone to to to 23 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:27,560 Speaker 3: handle his personal security. And that's something where the Cubans 24 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 3: came in and would manage for him. So those that 25 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 3: you see dead there, those are action Those are actually 26 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 3: Cuban intelligence officers that were stationed to protect him. It's 27 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:42,480 Speaker 3: something that they've denied, actually, the regime that has denied 28 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 3: this for years. And no, no, no, there's no, there's 29 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 3: no Cuban Cuban military or Cuban intel officers here. 30 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 4: And you know, part of my group. 31 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 3: But you know, thirty of the thirty of their bodies 32 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 3: are there on his rooftop, so it shows otherwise. 33 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. 34 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 1: And for those of you listening or watching, you know, 35 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 1: Hugo Chavez had a very intimate relationship with Castro, and 36 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 1: so you know, I think let's expand it out because 37 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 1: your knowledge of the region is I think the greatest 38 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:20,160 Speaker 1: opportunity for my listeners and viewers to get a grander 39 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:23,840 Speaker 1: sense of the context of Venezuela's role in the region 40 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 1: and how that it kind of shifted away from Castro 41 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 1: into Chavez and then Venezuela kind of emerged. Can you 42 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 1: kind of explain that history of that relationship and the 43 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 1: influence of Russia through Castro and kind of the manipulation 44 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 1: of the region over the last fifty years. 45 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:44,919 Speaker 4: Yeah, of course. 46 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 3: So going as far back as nineteen fifty nine, when 47 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:53,120 Speaker 3: the Cuban Revolution occurred, it was very clear to everyone 48 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:56,640 Speaker 3: in Havana that the only way they would they would survive, 49 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 3: the only way that they can grow, was to convert 50 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 3: all their native neighbors in Latin America into you know, 51 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 3: communist revolutionaries just like themselves. And that was at that 52 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 3: time really really supported by the Soviet Union. So because 53 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 3: the Soviet Union, although you know, part of their whole 54 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 3: thing was to spread communism globally, they really didn't have 55 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 3: much success in Latin America. And there's a number of 56 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 3: reasons why. Culturally, language, the weather, you name it, right, 57 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 3: you know, you know, Russians really weren't doing well here 58 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 3: in Latin America. But when Fidel Castro came along, he 59 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 3: was able to adapt a lot of the Marxist tutalitarian 60 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 3: views and actions of the Soviets and kind of put 61 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 3: that Latin American spin on it where it made much 62 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 3: more sense. So he focused his attention on obviously the 63 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 3: best economies at the time throughout nineteen fifty nine and 64 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 3: what turned into mostly our guerrilla conflicts where they would 65 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 3: fund folks and the mountains and and and would try 66 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:05,480 Speaker 3: to bring about violent revolutions that that kind of started 67 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 3: to really fail, as you know, as the Soviet Union collapsed, 68 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 3: and then in the nineteen nineties, however, the political movement 69 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:16,719 Speaker 3: that that that really was was an offshoot of these 70 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:21,480 Speaker 3: violent military gangs and militias that remained in a lot 71 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:23,839 Speaker 3: of these countries, right like in like in Chile and 72 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:25,800 Speaker 3: Bolivia and Ecuador. 73 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 2: And all those guys, right exactly. 74 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:30,880 Speaker 4: That's exactly it. That's exactly it. 75 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:35,000 Speaker 3: So so then as they became as those kinds of 76 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 3: viewpoints and politics became normalized, let's say, within within Latin America, 77 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 3: that thing gave rise to to what we saw later 78 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 3: with like an Ugo Chavas. Although you know, he took 79 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:50,920 Speaker 3: power in a coupeta uh and and at that time, 80 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:55,840 Speaker 3: I don't think uh, the you know, the United States 81 00:04:55,920 --> 00:05:00,120 Speaker 3: really focused its attention on on Ugo Chavas and and 82 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 3: you know, and didn't see didn't see the threat that 83 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:08,920 Speaker 3: he could turn into very quickly later when when he 84 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:14,360 Speaker 3: was elected by a popular vote, right, that really then 85 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 3: left the United States with not much of an opportunity 86 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 3: to really argue that Hey, this is what the Venezuelans wanted, 87 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 3: so you know, let him have it. To what extent 88 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:28,280 Speaker 3: he stole that election, or to what extent, you know, 89 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:30,919 Speaker 3: he did things to make sure that the outcome would 90 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 3: come out to just be him, one can only imagine. 91 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 3: But by then already he was pretty much working with 92 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 3: the Cubans. What would happen then? Now keep in mind, 93 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 3: so that you have the fall, the collapse of the 94 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 3: of the Soviet Union and you know, the early nineties 95 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 3: ninety one, and then now the next thing that happens 96 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:55,120 Speaker 3: is that, you know, the the Cuban government needs to 97 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:58,120 Speaker 3: have a support because there's really nothing in their economy 98 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:00,560 Speaker 3: that anyone wants around the world, right that there's nothing there. 99 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 3: Maybe tobacco, maybe nickel, but nothing to sustain an entire economy. 100 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:10,840 Speaker 3: So when when everyone was at that time thought that 101 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 3: Cuba was was done and over with and was not 102 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:17,280 Speaker 3: going to, you know, to continue, along comes Chabas in 103 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:21,159 Speaker 3: Venezuela and it's a marriage made in hell because he's 104 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:23,640 Speaker 3: able to export oil to the Cubans and exchange. The 105 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:26,440 Speaker 3: Cubans continue to prop him up. That props up his economy. 106 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:30,839 Speaker 3: The oligarchs in Cuba profit from from the oil that 107 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:33,320 Speaker 3: they're getting, because they only keep half of it and 108 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:35,120 Speaker 3: they sell the other half on the open market and 109 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:37,360 Speaker 3: keep all that money for themselves. 110 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 4: So that was how it started. 111 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:44,320 Speaker 3: And then and then that then became a template now 112 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 3: for for later for Maduro. And when Maduro saw was well, 113 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:50,240 Speaker 3: wait a minute, you know, I can do a very 114 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 3: similar thing and undermine the elections of all my neighboring countries. 115 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:58,200 Speaker 3: Do what I can to protect myself, and down that 116 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 3: slippery slope he went, where at the end he was 117 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:05,080 Speaker 3: just a mafia don running, you know, a completely illegal 118 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 3: operation with the thin veneer of it, operating under a country. 119 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:15,800 Speaker 3: So he exported and supported and funded a lot of 120 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:19,760 Speaker 3: the ultra left wing violent movements that we see. And 121 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 3: I suspect I suspect as as he's now a guest 122 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 3: of the US federal penitentiary system and he becomes friendlier 123 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:30,760 Speaker 3: with the folks at the Department of Justice, I suspect 124 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 3: we'll learn more and more about which politicians in Latin 125 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:39,480 Speaker 3: America were on the take from a Maduro, and I'll 126 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:42,480 Speaker 3: throw on even more. I suspect we'll learn about American 127 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 3: politicians who perhaps got a little too close to the 128 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:47,000 Speaker 3: Maduro regime. 129 00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 1: Well, there's been all kinds of speculation throwing out all 130 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:52,960 Speaker 1: over AX over the last two weeks about you know, 131 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:55,600 Speaker 1: they were producing a list of all the people that 132 00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:58,960 Speaker 1: supposedly took money from the you know that regime. And 133 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 1: you know, I I I, you know, you see people 134 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 1: just spread this stuff like it's you know, just like 135 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:10,640 Speaker 1: it's candy out there for the uninformed to just consume 136 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:14,520 Speaker 1: in mass quantities like a sugar high. Right, and and 137 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:17,880 Speaker 1: but there's so much more nuance to it as a 138 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:21,920 Speaker 1: guy that you know has been conducting operations within within 139 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 1: the agency for a long time. 140 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 2: And congratulations on your retirement, by the way, I. 141 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 1: Always love to see guys uh do their service, get 142 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:35,120 Speaker 1: out and have a positive outlook on their futures instead 143 00:08:35,160 --> 00:08:38,200 Speaker 1: of you know how that uh it is, I mean 144 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:38,760 Speaker 1: because of. 145 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 3: What thinker about this and and yeah, it's you know, 146 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 3: uh it's kind of like it's it's kinda feel like 147 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:48,680 Speaker 3: somebody coming out of a prison cell, right, you know, 148 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:52,840 Speaker 3: And that's not what it was at a great, great career. 149 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:54,679 Speaker 4: Loved my love, my colleagues, loved everything. 150 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:57,040 Speaker 3: But just the way your brain works sometimes when you 151 00:08:57,040 --> 00:08:58,920 Speaker 3: when you walk out, it's like, okay, wait, this is 152 00:08:58,960 --> 00:08:59,800 Speaker 3: the real world. Now. 153 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:02,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, That's the one thing for me. 154 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:05,000 Speaker 1: I always faced a little bit of like, you're so 155 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:10,079 Speaker 1: used to approaching problem solving in that operational mindset, and 156 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:13,560 Speaker 1: and then everybody else is using a system or an 157 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:17,559 Speaker 1: approach that seems like it's it's alien in nature, and 158 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:20,840 Speaker 1: and so the frustration of of just the speed with 159 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:24,000 Speaker 1: which things are done and everything else, it's it's it's 160 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:27,200 Speaker 1: it's pretty wild to me. But I find it fascinating 161 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:31,959 Speaker 1: that a small little country like Cuba can have such 162 00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 1: an influence. 163 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 2: And then you know, it almost as if they they. 164 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:45,400 Speaker 1: Taught uh Moduro how to expand in this massive global influence. 165 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:49,240 Speaker 1: Can you talk about, you know, how that works, uh 166 00:09:49,679 --> 00:09:54,000 Speaker 1: with the relationships not only with Cuba, but with Russia, 167 00:09:54,120 --> 00:10:00,200 Speaker 1: with China, Iran supposedly has a major influencer relationship up 168 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 1: going with with Maduro as well. How does that play 169 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:07,600 Speaker 1: out over time with with within that that region of 170 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:08,599 Speaker 1: South America. 171 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:11,640 Speaker 4: So it's funny if if. 172 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 3: You ever read the the earlier reports of soviets who 173 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:19,000 Speaker 3: who who went to Cuba right after the revolution, and 174 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:22,920 Speaker 3: they would write their assessments about about Fidel Castro and 175 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:26,800 Speaker 3: the new Cuban government and and the intelligence operatus that 176 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 3: they were putting in place at the time. Uh, they 177 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:34,040 Speaker 3: werowe back fear that they were like, hey, these guys, 178 00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:37,680 Speaker 3: they they're you know, they're they're they're worse than us there, 179 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:40,080 Speaker 3: they are much harsher than us, right because this is 180 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:43,040 Speaker 3: them that, this is the Soviets coming out of Stalinism, 181 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:46,360 Speaker 3: and and you know, cruse Chef and others saying okay, hey, 182 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:49,320 Speaker 3: you know, we just can't arrest everybody, and we just 183 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:52,160 Speaker 3: can't shoot everybody and ship everyone off the gulogs because 184 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:55,600 Speaker 3: it's not going to be anybody left right this. You know, 185 00:10:55,679 --> 00:10:58,000 Speaker 3: the Cubans kind of disagreed with that. They're like, no, no, no, 186 00:10:58,040 --> 00:11:00,520 Speaker 3: this is this is how we're gonna do it. And 187 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:04,320 Speaker 3: and then and then you know, Cuba is an island, 188 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:07,319 Speaker 3: if people forget that, right, So it is an island. 189 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:11,120 Speaker 3: And in nineteen fifties, nineteen sixties, up until recently, right, 190 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:13,360 Speaker 3: you couldn't communicate, you couldn't get there. 191 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:15,840 Speaker 4: You know, the Cuban government was able to wall that 192 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:16,560 Speaker 4: off completely. 193 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:18,840 Speaker 3: That's why a lot of people will wonder, well, why 194 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 3: is it in the nineteen nineties, communism fell throughout Europe. 195 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 4: But then you have like Cuba, right, right, did it 196 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:25,720 Speaker 4: happened there? 197 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:27,760 Speaker 3: Well, because it's an island, a lot of people, you know, 198 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 3: they you know, they're fed and told through media the 199 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:33,840 Speaker 3: only things that they want that they want them to see. 200 00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:34,160 Speaker 4: Right. 201 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:39,880 Speaker 3: So it's only been recently now with the internet, mobile phones, communications, 202 00:11:39,880 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 3: those kinds of things, that reality is really starting to 203 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:45,800 Speaker 3: set in there. But their ability to export that really 204 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:51,120 Speaker 3: came at the right time when most of these ultra 205 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:55,000 Speaker 3: left wing Marxist movements would just collapse by their own 206 00:11:55,040 --> 00:11:57,360 Speaker 3: weight because nobody really believed in that crap. 207 00:11:57,760 --> 00:11:58,800 Speaker 4: But when Cuba. 208 00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:02,040 Speaker 3: Starts giving you AK forties, evans and explosives and training 209 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:05,040 Speaker 3: on how to use that stuff, well now you may 210 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:07,920 Speaker 3: have a fighting chance, right, And that's what chick Abara 211 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:10,680 Speaker 3: was doing, and you know, from Bolivia and other places, 212 00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:14,480 Speaker 3: so so so so the Cubans started to export that 213 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:18,280 Speaker 3: that expertise UH that that they had gotten from the Soviets, 214 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:20,560 Speaker 3: and that was desperately needed by so many of the 215 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:23,000 Speaker 3: other UH Marxists in the area. 216 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:26,040 Speaker 4: There was a big in the early sixties. 217 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:29,280 Speaker 3: There was like a big, a big reunion that was 218 00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:32,439 Speaker 3: held on the island of Cuba where all the leftist 219 00:12:32,520 --> 00:12:36,439 Speaker 3: leaders came and and they all were committed to fighting 220 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:41,280 Speaker 3: you know, North American and Western interests and banding together, 221 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:44,120 Speaker 3: and a lot of that still remains today in place. 222 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 2: Well, we see it. I mean the comments from the 223 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:48,480 Speaker 2: Colombian president. 224 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:54,119 Speaker 1: Uh, you know, I think there's a tacit uh aspect 225 00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:57,280 Speaker 1: of what Shine Bamb's doing in Mexico. You know, you 226 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:01,680 Speaker 1: see that even Lula, I mean, obviously I think Lula's uh, 227 00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:03,360 Speaker 1: you know, quite outspoken in. 228 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:04,559 Speaker 2: His socialist beliefs. 229 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:07,600 Speaker 1: Why why is there a new rise in in this 230 00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:09,080 Speaker 1: mentality in the region. 231 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:11,560 Speaker 4: Well, I think it's piqued. 232 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:14,760 Speaker 3: Actually, you know, the rise has to do with just 233 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:19,520 Speaker 3: the inequality, the corruption, I mean, you know, all the 234 00:13:19,559 --> 00:13:23,240 Speaker 3: problems that that have happened throughout the world. 235 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 1: Right. 236 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:27,240 Speaker 4: The lack of rule of law obviously is the other 237 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:31,600 Speaker 4: major issue, and and those that have been in power 238 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:35,040 Speaker 4: have unfortunately oftentimes abused that stuff. 239 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:39,080 Speaker 3: So those that are poor and and and with very 240 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:42,520 Speaker 3: few opportunities look around and say there has to be 241 00:13:42,679 --> 00:13:46,920 Speaker 3: another way. They believe that socialism or Marxism might be 242 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:49,559 Speaker 3: that that road. And then as soon as they get 243 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:52,680 Speaker 3: on it, they recognize they made a huge mistake because 244 00:13:54,360 --> 00:13:57,679 Speaker 3: you know, instead of instead of, all you've done is 245 00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:00,600 Speaker 3: swapped out the corruption for for someone else else, But 246 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:04,960 Speaker 3: that someone else also nationalizes every everybody else's things. Right, 247 00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:08,959 Speaker 3: So so you know, I'm not making an argument for corruption, 248 00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:11,840 Speaker 3: but I'm saying you know that there I guess every 249 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:12,800 Speaker 3: society has. 250 00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:15,280 Speaker 4: Some tolerable amount of corruption, right. 251 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:18,280 Speaker 3: You know, you may tip somebody to look the other 252 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:21,400 Speaker 3: way so that you could get something past customs or 253 00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:24,760 Speaker 3: or avoid a fee here. Uh, but then in other 254 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:28,120 Speaker 3: places it's the only way to get things done that, 255 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:31,320 Speaker 3: you know. So so a lot of folks felt that 256 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:35,600 Speaker 3: they just weren't part of that country's movement, and and 257 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:38,680 Speaker 3: especially in the rural areas, and you know, where where 258 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:42,600 Speaker 3: there's very little economic incentive to do anything besides things 259 00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:46,680 Speaker 3: like grow cocaine. Right. So, so so that that's why 260 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:50,280 Speaker 3: that that that Marxist ideology I think blended very well 261 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:54,720 Speaker 3: because it preyed on on people that were that lacked education, 262 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:58,000 Speaker 3: many of them being illiterate, who realized that there was 263 00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:01,640 Speaker 3: a better way, but didn't understand the different of economic models, 264 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:04,280 Speaker 3: and then threw themselves into this kind of Marxist thing. 265 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 3: Recent elections though, and we've just seen this over in 266 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:09,720 Speaker 3: the last year, you know, we've had a tidal wave 267 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:15,720 Speaker 3: of change of of now better educated Hispanics who are 268 00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:19,040 Speaker 3: recognizing that, yeah, there is a better way, and that's 269 00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:23,920 Speaker 3: through free market capitalism, that's through rule of law, that's 270 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:27,000 Speaker 3: through honoring elections. And so we've seen that now. We've 271 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:29,240 Speaker 3: seen that now in Chile, we've seen that in Ol Salvador, 272 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:30,440 Speaker 3: we've seen that in. 273 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:32,720 Speaker 4: Argentina. 274 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:35,680 Speaker 3: Right, we're seeing that continue to play out just about 275 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:36,400 Speaker 3: everywhere else. 276 00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:37,600 Speaker 4: And it's working. 277 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:41,920 Speaker 3: It's it's it is actually working now for the first time, 278 00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:46,280 Speaker 3: we are looking at maybe in our lifetime hopefully maybe 279 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:49,680 Speaker 3: even shorter maybe who knows, maybe by the interres we're 280 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:54,360 Speaker 3: looking at at stamping out the last remnants of brutal 281 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:56,320 Speaker 3: communism in our own hemisphere. 282 00:15:56,840 --> 00:16:00,360 Speaker 1: Oh wow, that's exciting because there was an inner when 283 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:03,920 Speaker 1: Gary Bernston was on with Lara Logan recently talking about 284 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:07,120 Speaker 1: his book Stolen Elections, and you know, all the work 285 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:11,240 Speaker 1: that he and Martin Rudel had done. He talked about 286 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:14,800 Speaker 1: when he was a chief of station down in Bolivia 287 00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:18,360 Speaker 1: back in early two thousands that because of the g 288 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:23,040 Speaker 1: WATT there was kind of a you know, a strategic 289 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:26,920 Speaker 1: shift away from our own hemisphere. 290 00:16:27,240 --> 00:16:30,480 Speaker 2: Did you did you notice that? And how did it? 291 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:33,960 Speaker 1: How did it present yourself? And what we're kind of 292 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:38,520 Speaker 1: the rumblings inside and at Langley as to, hey, we're taking. 293 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:39,880 Speaker 2: Our I off the ball here. 294 00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 4: Well, you know, again, these things just don't happen overnight. 295 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:47,800 Speaker 3: They kind of sneak up on you and you you 296 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:52,120 Speaker 3: accept it until it's too late. Right, So in this case, 297 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:55,880 Speaker 3: I think what happened was that, and rightfully, so, right, 298 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:58,240 Speaker 3: we've been attacked nine to eleven, we've got to go out. 299 00:16:58,240 --> 00:16:59,400 Speaker 4: We've got to get the guys who did this. 300 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:02,200 Speaker 3: We've got to particularly so so we you know, not 301 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:04,680 Speaker 3: just the agency, but the entire federal government, right just 302 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:06,160 Speaker 3: focuses on that. 303 00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:08,960 Speaker 4: And and we do that really well. Right, we go 304 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:10,760 Speaker 4: around killing terrorists left and right. 305 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:14,640 Speaker 3: You know, but when we were doing that, when when 306 00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:17,280 Speaker 3: we when we were focusing our attention on the Middle East, 307 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:20,920 Speaker 3: that changed the global dynamics in a lot of way. 308 00:17:20,960 --> 00:17:23,480 Speaker 3: And our enemies were paying attention. They knew we weren't 309 00:17:23,480 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 3: paying attention to Latin America, and that's when they started 310 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:31,320 Speaker 3: to really make those investments, uh, in places like Venezuela. 311 00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:35,439 Speaker 3: You know, up until Saturday, Venezuela served as like an 312 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:39,439 Speaker 3: aircraft carrier where all our adversaries could launch from and 313 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:43,000 Speaker 3: export their chaos all around them, to include not just 314 00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:48,000 Speaker 3: nation states like like uh, China, Russia, uh, you know, Iran, 315 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:55,480 Speaker 3: but also Hezbollah, Hamas, bark d e l n Se, Marcitalia. Right, 316 00:17:55,720 --> 00:17:59,560 Speaker 3: all all of these folks you know used Venezuela were 317 00:17:59,680 --> 00:18:03,040 Speaker 3: under the protective cover of Nicolas Monduro so I think 318 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:04,840 Speaker 3: and do the stuff that they needed to get done. 319 00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:09,800 Speaker 1: That's a great answer. Thank you for giving that context. 320 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:14,000 Speaker 1: One of the things that I remember was, you know, 321 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 1: when I was working, you know, as a contractor, in particular, 322 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:21,040 Speaker 1: when I was in Pakistan in twenty eleven, I remember 323 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:26,280 Speaker 1: just the tempo of all the different intelligence agencies seemed 324 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:32,480 Speaker 1: palpable to me, where almost like where, oh wow, every 325 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:36,919 Speaker 1: you know, behind every alleyway there's somebody tracking us or 326 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:40,440 Speaker 1: tracking them, which is obvious, but it just seemed there 327 00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:46,840 Speaker 1: to be like a growing palpable kinetic reality to all 328 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:49,719 Speaker 1: the people conducting operations there. 329 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:51,040 Speaker 2: As your one of your. 330 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:54,480 Speaker 1: Last duty stations as the chief of station was that. 331 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:57,520 Speaker 1: I mean, obviously you're paying attention to that at the 332 00:18:57,560 --> 00:19:01,520 Speaker 1: highest level. Was it palpable for you where you did 333 00:19:01,560 --> 00:19:04,600 Speaker 1: you get that sense? And when they said, hey, you know, Rick, 334 00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:07,040 Speaker 1: we're gonna send you down here for this this tour, 335 00:19:07,520 --> 00:19:10,119 Speaker 1: did you volunteer or did were you assign? And was 336 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:12,560 Speaker 1: that something that we're like, hey, this is a really 337 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:16,800 Speaker 1: significant area of of espionage in the world right now. 338 00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:18,760 Speaker 4: Yeah, no, it certainly was. 339 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:21,199 Speaker 3: But by you know, by then, we kind of all 340 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 3: knew where where things were headed. Uh, you know, the 341 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:29,760 Speaker 3: you know two two slow rolling trains you know about 342 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:35,040 Speaker 3: about the collide, Uh, just not knowing exactly when. Yeah, 343 00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:40,680 Speaker 3: So that that obviously created uh a lot of anxiety 344 00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:45,119 Speaker 3: right the way different administrations handled it though, you know, 345 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:48,879 Speaker 3: I think early on during Trump point point zero, I 346 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:51,360 Speaker 3: think some of his advisors may may not have of 347 00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:55,320 Speaker 3: I'd really provided the kind of guidance that. 348 00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:57,240 Speaker 4: He needed. 349 00:19:57,240 --> 00:20:00,000 Speaker 3: Certainly now in the second administration with Marco Rubio or 350 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:04,240 Speaker 3: and others, you know, they got it. Definitely Under under 351 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:08,680 Speaker 3: Biden administration, they thought, just throw more diplomacy out the 352 00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:11,840 Speaker 3: problem and money and and you know, and that will 353 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:15,679 Speaker 3: solve it. And you know, obviously that was not the 354 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:21,639 Speaker 3: answer either. So so you know, our enemies. They know 355 00:20:21,760 --> 00:20:25,320 Speaker 3: our playbook. Our playbook has been very standard for the 356 00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:28,760 Speaker 3: last fifty years, right, since the end of the Cold War. 357 00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 3: In fact, a lot of our agencies and departments actually 358 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:37,800 Speaker 3: literally publish our playbook, right and and so so they know, right, 359 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:40,880 Speaker 3: you know that they know what to ask, how far 360 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:44,600 Speaker 3: to take it, what what our legal constraints are, you know, 361 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:48,040 Speaker 3: what we won't do, and and they play that. 362 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:49,640 Speaker 4: They play that very well, right. 363 00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:52,920 Speaker 3: You know, when I served in war zones, they knew, oh, 364 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:55,560 Speaker 3: here's the you know, the next uh, you know, white 365 00:20:55,560 --> 00:20:56,600 Speaker 3: guy from the agency. 366 00:20:57,080 --> 00:20:58,720 Speaker 4: Uh, he'll be here for a year or two. 367 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:00,639 Speaker 3: We just have to tell them X, Y and Z, 368 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:03,159 Speaker 3: and by the time he figures it out, he'll be 369 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:04,520 Speaker 3: on his way out of the country, and then we 370 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:05,760 Speaker 3: can do the whole thing over again with the next 371 00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:06,480 Speaker 3: guy that shows up. 372 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:09,879 Speaker 1: Now, that was the That was the fascinating thing for me. 373 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:14,399 Speaker 1: I mean, it's you get this insane education. I got it, 374 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:16,840 Speaker 1: you know, at the smallest level for what I was doing. 375 00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:23,160 Speaker 1: But it's like the the exchanges with the government officials 376 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:27,200 Speaker 1: meeting with their officials, you know, the diplomacy that's still 377 00:21:27,359 --> 00:21:31,320 Speaker 1: engaging as all the other stuff is going on was 378 00:21:31,840 --> 00:21:35,080 Speaker 1: and I just find that that's fascinating. Like, you know, 379 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:39,840 Speaker 1: they do understand kind of the politics of the moment 380 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:42,080 Speaker 1: as well too, and how they engage with us. 381 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:45,239 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, no, no, they they know us better than 382 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:47,879 Speaker 3: we know them, they really do. You know, they study 383 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:50,760 Speaker 3: us for years. We study them when we get told 384 00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:54,919 Speaker 3: that you're deploying to this area. So but you know, 385 00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:57,600 Speaker 3: what we what we witnessed on Saturday was was really 386 00:21:57,680 --> 00:22:01,040 Speaker 3: the world turning on its end because now for the 387 00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:04,480 Speaker 3: first time, the United States controls the majority of all 388 00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:08,040 Speaker 3: the oil production on this globe. Right that that will 389 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:11,280 Speaker 3: change the dynamics in Beijing, that will change the dynamics 390 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:14,600 Speaker 3: in Tehran, that will change the dynamics in Moscow for 391 00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:18,160 Speaker 3: the simple reason now we have leverage going into negotiations 392 00:22:18,200 --> 00:22:21,479 Speaker 3: with Putin in regarding Ukraine because we could control now 393 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:24,359 Speaker 3: the price of oil around the world. Right, you know, 394 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:26,720 Speaker 3: It's it's it's just that simple. Now it's a very 395 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:29,320 Speaker 3: very different position to be in, and it's a wonderful 396 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:31,240 Speaker 3: it's a wonderful one for us to be in as 397 00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:36,040 Speaker 3: opposed to say China. Uh So, so hopefully we'll continue 398 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:38,760 Speaker 3: to to build on this, and and and and work 399 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:39,120 Speaker 3: on it. 400 00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:40,680 Speaker 2: That me too. 401 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:43,480 Speaker 1: I I really think I I commented that on my 402 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 1: show last week about that. 403 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:47,399 Speaker 2: I think that's what's taking place. 404 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:52,440 Speaker 1: There's a new hegemony being uh instituted, you know, and Trump, 405 00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:55,760 Speaker 1: you know, has been quoted as saying there's a new 406 00:22:56,240 --> 00:22:58,639 Speaker 1: there's a new boss in the region, and there's a 407 00:22:58,640 --> 00:22:59,600 Speaker 1: new sheriff in town. 408 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:00,560 Speaker 2: And it's me right. 409 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:03,360 Speaker 1: I love it, Rick, I know you got a run, 410 00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:06,600 Speaker 1: and I really appreciate coming on last couple questions or 411 00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:10,800 Speaker 1: question in a statement, why why is Marco Rubio so 412 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:15,280 Speaker 1: suited for this type of diplomacy, this type of action? 413 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:18,560 Speaker 1: And then also just finish and let everybody know where 414 00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:21,760 Speaker 1: they can follow you in a little bit about what. 415 00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:23,840 Speaker 2: Your firm does and what you're going to be doing 416 00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:24,399 Speaker 2: in the future. 417 00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:25,160 Speaker 4: Yeah. 418 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:31,040 Speaker 3: So look, Senator Rubio, uh my home state senator from Florida, 419 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:34,080 Speaker 3: I had. I was blessed to have the opportunity to 420 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:37,119 Speaker 3: interact with him towards the latter end of my career 421 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:39,520 Speaker 3: when when I worked UH in, a lot of the 422 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:44,080 Speaker 3: COVID action programs at the agency focused on and I 423 00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:45,840 Speaker 3: would you know, I'd go down to the hill and 424 00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:48,399 Speaker 3: I'd have to brief oversight in Sissy and at that 425 00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:50,720 Speaker 3: time he was Senator of Sissy And and one thing 426 00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:54,640 Speaker 3: I immediately learned and recognized in him was he had 427 00:23:54,640 --> 00:23:55,359 Speaker 3: done his reading. 428 00:23:55,880 --> 00:23:58,160 Speaker 4: He would read his intel reports. 429 00:23:58,359 --> 00:24:01,560 Speaker 3: He he was engaged, he understood, and he had an 430 00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:04,679 Speaker 3: amazing memory, far better than mine. He had an amazing 431 00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:07,960 Speaker 3: memory knowing who is who, what they were doing, what 432 00:24:08,040 --> 00:24:11,240 Speaker 3: their motivations were, and where things were headed. While other 433 00:24:11,320 --> 00:24:15,960 Speaker 3: politicians and I've been in situations where I briefed the members, 434 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:19,879 Speaker 3: some of them falling asleep behind their desks, right, and 435 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:22,200 Speaker 3: and you know which I don't know. Maybe that says 436 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:27,560 Speaker 3: more about me and my briefing skills, but right, you know, uh, 437 00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:31,879 Speaker 3: you know, but he he, you know, he and his 438 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:38,440 Speaker 3: staff got this. They understood the complexities, the risks, and 439 00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:42,359 Speaker 3: and and and obviously the solutions. So when when he 440 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:46,520 Speaker 3: was nominated to be Secretary of State, I I for 441 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:49,760 Speaker 3: the first time in a long time, felt finally we've 442 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:53,760 Speaker 3: got someone at State, uh in a leadership position that 443 00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:56,640 Speaker 3: gets it, that that knows what's going on there, right, 444 00:24:57,000 --> 00:24:58,520 Speaker 3: And I think that's one of the reasons why he 445 00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:02,359 Speaker 3: is best suited for certainly Latin American affairs on the 446 00:25:02,359 --> 00:25:05,000 Speaker 3: global scale. He's doing amazingly well too, right with his 447 00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:07,600 Speaker 3: experiences on the Center Foreign Relations Committee, But when he 448 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:10,960 Speaker 3: comes to Latin America, he knows these folks, he knows 449 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:14,680 Speaker 3: these players. And and also I think, I think what's 450 00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:19,920 Speaker 3: happened is his brand has serves now as a beacon 451 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:23,639 Speaker 3: to a lot of Hispanics and Latinos living in Latin 452 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:26,119 Speaker 3: America that you know that the United States is a 453 00:25:26,119 --> 00:25:29,280 Speaker 3: country of opportunity. Here's a guy just like you know 454 00:25:29,359 --> 00:25:32,240 Speaker 3: my background and so many other Cuban Americans. You know, 455 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:35,680 Speaker 3: we come here with nothing in your pocket. You work 456 00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:40,760 Speaker 3: really really hard, and lo and behold, you have opportunities. 457 00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:41,840 Speaker 4: Right and and and. 458 00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:44,680 Speaker 3: That's that's his story in a nutshell, like so many 459 00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:48,879 Speaker 3: other Cuban American stories, right, So other people. That resonates 460 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:51,760 Speaker 3: with other folks, right, That resonates with other people in 461 00:25:51,800 --> 00:25:53,920 Speaker 3: the hemisphere, and they're like, we want more of that. 462 00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:58,119 Speaker 3: So so I think, I think if he continues to 463 00:25:58,119 --> 00:26:01,119 Speaker 3: do what he's doing now, this hemisphere is going to 464 00:26:01,119 --> 00:26:02,879 Speaker 3: be in a much better position than it was at 465 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:04,800 Speaker 3: the beginning of the Trump administration. 466 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:07,640 Speaker 1: That's good to hear, all, right, last little tell us 467 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:10,479 Speaker 1: where people can follow you and then how can they 468 00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:11,800 Speaker 1: get in touch with your firm? 469 00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:15,720 Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, sure so on x I AM v RK 470 00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:19,760 Speaker 4: Underscore Rick, you can find me there. And then. 471 00:26:21,320 --> 00:26:25,199 Speaker 3: Our corporate website, Tower Strategy DC dot com. What we 472 00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:29,359 Speaker 3: do is we help companies and individuals who have challenges 473 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:33,359 Speaker 3: here in Washington, DC and abroad, and we come up 474 00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:36,040 Speaker 3: with the kind of lobbying and strategic solutions that they 475 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:38,760 Speaker 3: need to move their companies or their issues forward. 476 00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:42,720 Speaker 1: Fantastic, Rick, God bless you, Thank you for your service 477 00:26:42,760 --> 00:26:44,840 Speaker 1: and looking forward to seeing you in the future. 478 00:26:44,880 --> 00:26:47,679 Speaker 4: Take care, seeing you again. Anything you need let me know.