Venezuela wurde nicht befreit (mit Quico Toro)

Quico Toro offers an insider’s perspective on his lost homeland and the American raid.

The recent Mona Charen discussion featuring Quico Toro argues that the U.S. operation in Venezuela should not be framed as a liberation, neither in purpose nor in outcome. While some U.S. voices (including the current administration) characterize the capture of Nicolás Maduro as a blow for freedom and security, critics contend this narrative obscures deeper strategic motives and serious geopolitical implications.

From this perspective, the operation didn’t emerge from a popular Venezuelan uprising or a negotiated transition; but from a direct U.S. military action justified through claims about narcotrafficking, migration, and “narco-terrorism” that critics liken to past pretexts for intervention (e.g., Iraq, Afghanistan). These assertions are contested and raise questions about the legality under the UN Charter and the erosion of norms against unilateral invasion.

This piece does a good job challenging the simplistic liberation frame and invites discussion on how geopolitical interests, international law, and regional stability intersect in Venezuela’s unfolding crisis.