Maduro's recent actions are truly a case of a hot face sticking to a cold ass, and he and his wife ended up in the mix, staging a most authentic live demonstration of American hegemony for the whole world!
On January 2nd, Maduro even reached out to the U.S. through reporters, making a gesture that was quite soft: he said he was willing to discuss a drug prohibition agreement with the U.S., provided the dialogue was serious; if the U.S. wanted Venezuela's oil, the Venezuelan side would welcome American investment at any time; even a comprehensive economic development agreement could be discussed.
At that time, I thought that Maduro was either truly panicking, knowing that confronting the U.S. head-on would yield no good results, wanting to soften his stance for stability; or he was playing a strategy of retreating to advance, wanting to first numb the U.S. and buy himself some breathing room. But who would have thought that the U.S. wouldn't take his goodwill seriously, not even bothering to respond, and on January 3rd, sent military planes directly into the capital of Venezuela to capture the Maduro couple, reportedly bringing them back to the U.S.!
This matter is really too ironic. Maduro, with a mindset for cooperation, actively extended an olive branch, thinking of exchanging oil and economic agreements for peace; the result was that the U.S. used its actions to tell him: in the face of absolute hegemony, your compromises and concessions are worthless. What the U.S. has always wanted is not some cooperation agreement, but to completely control Venezuela, keeping this oil-rich nation in its grip.
What’s even more thought-provoking is that this incident has sounded an alarm for all countries targeted by the U.S.: when negotiating with the U.S., never hold onto the illusion that submission will lead to preservation. The logic of the U.S. has always been that those who follow me thrive, while those who oppose me perish; as long as it does not align with its interests, even if you take the initiative to bow down, when it decides to act, it will do so without hesitation. Maduro's experience is the most vivid example—against hegemonism, compromise does not earn respect; only with sufficient strength can one truly stand firm.
On January 2nd, Maduro even reached out to the U.S. through reporters, making a gesture that was quite soft: he said he was willing to discuss a drug prohibition agreement with the U.S., provided the dialogue was serious; if the U.S. wanted Venezuela's oil, the Venezuelan side would welcome American investment at any time; even a comprehensive economic development agreement could be discussed.
At that time, I thought that Maduro was either truly panicking, knowing that confronting the U.S. head-on would yield no good results, wanting to soften his stance for stability; or he was playing a strategy of retreating to advance, wanting to first numb the U.S. and buy himself some breathing room. But who would have thought that the U.S. wouldn't take his goodwill seriously, not even bothering to respond, and on January 3rd, sent military planes directly into the capital of Venezuela to capture the Maduro couple, reportedly bringing them back to the U.S.!
This matter is really too ironic. Maduro, with a mindset for cooperation, actively extended an olive branch, thinking of exchanging oil and economic agreements for peace; the result was that the U.S. used its actions to tell him: in the face of absolute hegemony, your compromises and concessions are worthless. What the U.S. has always wanted is not some cooperation agreement, but to completely control Venezuela, keeping this oil-rich nation in its grip.
What’s even more thought-provoking is that this incident has sounded an alarm for all countries targeted by the U.S.: when negotiating with the U.S., never hold onto the illusion that submission will lead to preservation. The logic of the U.S. has always been that those who follow me thrive, while those who oppose me perish; as long as it does not align with its interests, even if you take the initiative to bow down, when it decides to act, it will do so without hesitation. Maduro's experience is the most vivid example—against hegemonism, compromise does not earn respect; only with sufficient strength can one truly stand firm.
