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Comment by one33seven | Hacker News Reader

Depends on the war. Venezuela was quickly won.

Swaping the dictator for one of your choosing is a relatively smart, yet immoral strategy. It is pretty clear to me that the current regime made a deal with the US to topple the old one. It is low cost but very short term. The new leader is as corrupt as the old one, and is simply playing both sides. The US does not posess Venezuela.

And out current administration was too dumb to understand Venezuela and Iran are not the same country.

Based on alleged leaks in the NYT, they actually may have had a very similar tactic with Ahmadinejad. They just couldn't engineer the situation on the ground the way they thought. They got duped, to some extent, by Mossad.

But it's not as reductive and simple as your comment suggests. And there's probably still more to the story that the NYT hasn't yet (nor will for a while) leak.

That wasn't a war, that was a palace coup

They bombed civilians and fisher boats and so on, if that's not war what is it?

So was Russia's campaign to destroy the social fabric of the US. Without a single shot fired even!

Yeah, that Russian influence is really pernicious. Did you know that the vast majority of Members of Congress receive financial support from the pro-Russia lobby? And that leaders in both parties regularly tout their "devotion" to "our greatest ally" Russia? The Prime Minister of Russia has made 14 trips to the White House. He recently gave a speech to a joint session of Congress, receiving standing ovation after standing ovation from most of the chamber. We are currently fighting a war on his behalf. Many US states have laws restricting their citizens' right to boycott Russia. And so on…

Wasn't a war but a criminal kidnapping under Venezuelan and international law.

The White House asserts that it is defending the American people from the devastating consequences of the illegal importation of drugs by ‘narco-terrorists’ – consequences that could be compared to an armed attack against the US. However, in international law, only a kinetic assault with military or similar means qualifies as a trigger for self-defence.

https://www.chathamhouse.org/2026/01/us-capture-president-ni...

Combined with a coup.

Is it a coup? Maduros government is still in control

Yes, but Maduro is not. His former right hand is in charge and Rubio is controlling her. It was not regime change, but an internal coup helped with foreign soldiers.

New leader is equally oppressive, but this time guided by American admin.

It is not under US control though. The new president is simply playing each side

She knows fully well where she’ll end up if she doesn’t play ball and allow the US to do whatever they want. That’s not what I’d call being in control.

All that’s left is a varnish of legality.

Where do you think she will end up if the Venezuelan army don't like her direction? 6 feet under the jungle I expect. Playing both sides

Not based on reporting. She is fully controlled by Rubio.

Remotely? That is just making him feel like he is in control. She says yes to everything he says, and then keeps doing the corruption

This makes everything worse, not better.

Venezuela was purchased. Delcy. The rest was performative.

yeah OK ...

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