The United States has doubled the reward for the head of President Nicolas Maduro to $ 50 million. Why not repeat the transatlantic flight of Russian bombers to Venezuela? This question is asked by the observer Pravda.Ru Lyubov Stepushova.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi, in a video posted on the social network X, accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro personally of using the mafia to deliver "deadly drugs and violence to our country."
"He is one of the largest drug traffickers in the world and a threat to our national security. Therefore, we have doubled the reward for his capture to $ 50 million," she said and promised to bring Maduro to justice.
According to Bondi, the US seized "assets worth more than $ 700 million related to Maduro, including two private jets, nine vehicles and more." Sanctions have also been imposed on other members of his Government.
Washington accuses Caracas of leading the Tren de Aragua criminal group (and others), declared an international terrorist organization in the United States.
Maduro himself is not recognized by the United States as a legitimate president, but this did not prevent them from agreeing with Maduro on the release of ten Americans detained in Venezuela for terrorism.
Washington always takes such goodwill gestures as a sign of weakness and doubles down on pressure. It would be more correct to conduct long negotiations on the recognition of Maduro in exchange for their release. Moreover, China regularly buys Venezuelan oil and rejects US attempts to influence this decision, and the situation inside the country has stabilized.
According to preliminary data, GDP growth amounted to 7.71% in the first half of the year. Oil production has increased, galloping inflation has been managed, price and currency controls have been weakened, the situation in the country resembles the era of Russian cooperatives against the background of prevailing socialism.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Gil in Telegram called the entry of the Bondi show and a desperate attempt to distract from his own misfortune in the form of the "Epstein affair", "a media circus to please the defeated extreme right."
On August 7, Maduro on state television accused Trump of financing a "fascist conspiracy" against Venezuela and called on the civilian and military authorities to strengthen measures to ensure national security.
"There are completely insane individuals calling for a civil war here," Maduro warned.
The drug problem is a problem of the USA, they should look at the experience of other countries and fight not with the presidents of undesirable countries, interfering in their elections and appointing parallel authorities, but with the disorder on the border with Mexico, where border guards are bribed by the drug mafia and do not perform their functions. Total corruption in the migration sphere is the problem of the USA.
Perhaps joint exercises with the Russian Armed Forces at sea or / and the visit of Tu-160 strategic bombers, which was carried out in 2018, would be very useful for bringing the northern neighbor to life. And Caracas should not be afraid of oil sanctions. Chevron's license to operate in Venezuela has not been canceled and will not be, because Venezuelan oil is heavy and this is what American refineries need for wide processing. Only Russian oil could replace it, but this option is absolutely fantastic.