day 12 - industrial complex

ex hard coal mine, coal coke production site – essen, germany // 08-2022  

this one felt like it took much longer than it actually did, but we're cool beans. still going strong

Early this morning, the United States military conducted a large-scale strike on Venezuela, capturing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores and flying them out of the country. The operation, which Trump called "one of the most stunning, effective and powerful displays of American military might," involved strikes on multiple military installations in Caracas, including Fuerte Tiuna, the country's main military base. The US Army's elite Delta Force was reportedly involved in the capture, and Maduro is being transported to New York to face narco-terrorism charges.

This is not a drill. This is not hypothetical. The United States just carried out an unprovoked military invasion of a sovereign nation, kidnapped its head of state, and is now openly declaring its intention to occupy the country and seize control of its natural resources.

What Actually Happened

Let's be crystal clear about the timeline and what led us here:

Trump has been threatening Venezuela for months, warning he would attack "accused drug traffickers" and saying strikes on land would happen "very soon". Initially framing the military buildup as about stopping drugs and claiming Maduro had emptied prisons into the US—claims with no evidence—Trump eventually dropped the pretense. By mid-December, he accused Maduro of "stealing" US oil and land, demanding Venezuela "return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us".

What "theft" is Trump talking about? In 1976, Venezuela nationalized its oil industry under President Carlos Andrés Pérez, establishing state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) to control all oil resources. This was Venezuela exercising its sovereign right over its own natural resources—the same right the US claims over its own oil reserves. But to Trump and his administration, the work done by Western oil companies in Venezuela in the 1970s before nationalization somehow gives the US perpetual claim to Venezuelan oil.

Stephen Miller, Trump's Homeland Security Advisor, made the colonial logic explicit: "American sweat, ingenuity and toil created the oil industry in Venezuela. Its tyrannical expropriation was the largest recorded theft of American wealth and property". This is empire speaking plainly—the belief that because American companies once operated in Venezuela, the country's resources belong to the United States in perpetuity.

Now, Trump has announced the United States will "run" Venezuela for an unspecified period, and has declared that "very large United States oil companies" will "go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country".

This Is About Oil, Full Stop

Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves on Earth—approximately 303 billion barrels, about a fifth of the world's global reserves. At current prices of roughly $57 per barrel, Venezuela's oil reserves are valued at approximately $17.3 trillion. That's more than the GDP of every country except the US and China.

In 2001, Hugo Chávez's government passed the Organic Hydrocarbons Law, asserting state ownership over all oil and gas reserves. This reversed the neoliberal privatization of the 1990s that had been pushed by the IMF and US oil companies. This deeply angered US-owned oil companies—particularly ExxonMobil and Chevron—which put pressure on the Bush administration to act against Chávez. The US attempted a coup in 2002, which lasted only days because Chávez had the vast support of the population.

For over two decades, the US has been trying to overthrow the Bolivarian government and restore corporate control over Venezuelan oil. The question is not about "democracy"—it's about the international class struggle between the right of the Venezuelan people to freely control their oil and gas and that of US-owned oil companies to dominate Venezuelan natural resources.

Trump himself couldn't be clearer. When asked about his motivations, Tulsi Gabbard—now Director of National Intelligence but previously opposed to intervention—quoted John Bolton in 2019: "We're in conversation with major American companies now...It would make a difference if we could have American companies produce the oil in Venezuela". This is the same logic, the same goal, just executed by a different administration.

Understanding Jingoism and Imperial Propaganda

Jingoism—extreme nationalism that advocates aggressive foreign policy and military action—is the ideological fuel for what we're witnessing. It's the drumbeat that convinces people that American military might is righteous, that other nations' sovereignty is negotiable, and that resource extraction by force is somehow justice.

The propaganda machine is already in motion. Notice how the narrative frames this:

Maduro is a "dictator" and "narco-terrorist" (while the US arms and funds actual dictatorships worldwide)

The operation is about "bringing him to justice" (ignoring that the US has no jurisdiction to kidnap foreign leaders)

This is "liberation" for the Venezuelan people (who didn't ask for invasion and whose government called this "extremely serious military aggression")

American companies will "fix" and "invest" in Venezuela (colonial language that erases extraction and exploitation)

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025 and dedicated it to Trump, has openly welcomed US military pressure. This is how empire operates—it finds local elites willing to collaborate in exchange for power, then uses them to legitimize intervention.

Meanwhile, international reaction has been swift, with Colombia's President Gustavo Petro calling for emergency UN and OAS meetings, and Trinidad and Tobago explicitly stating they are "NOT a participant" in these operations. France's Macron expressed hope that the Venezuelan opposition can guide a "peaceful and democratic transition," while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated Britain was "not involved" and wanted to "speak to President Trump" to establish facts. Even supposed allies are distancing themselves from this naked aggression.

The jingoistic narrative wants us to celebrate "American military might" and ignore that this is an illegal act of war, a violation of international law, and a transparent resource grab. It wants us to believe that because Maduro is "bad," anything the US does is justified—a logic that has been used to justify every imperialist intervention from Iraq to Libya to Afghanistan.

What Americans Can Do Right Now

This is a moment that demands action, not passivity. Here's what we can do:

1. Reject the Propaganda

Don't let the media narrative go unchallenged. When friends, family, or coworkers repeat talking points about "bringing democracy" or "fighting narco-terrorism," push back. Name what this is: an illegal invasion for oil. Share factual information about Venezuela's nationalization, the history of US interference, and the real motivations behind this attack.

2. Organize and Mobilize

Protests have already begun—demonstrations opposing US actions in Venezuela occurred in Paris and Washington DC. Find or organize local actions. Connect with anti-war organizations, socialist groups, and Latin American solidarity networks. If there are protests in your area, show up. If there aren't, help organize them.

3. Contact Your Representatives

Yes, I know—electoral politics are limited, and representatives often don't give a shit about their constituents. But we should still flood their offices with calls demanding:

Immediate withdrawal of US forces from Venezuela

An end to the blockade and sanctions

Respect for Venezuelan sovereignty

Transparency about the operation and its goals

Congressional oversight and investigation

Make it clear that this military action is illegal, immoral, and opposed by their constituents.

4. Support Venezuelan Solidarity Efforts

Seek out Venezuelan diaspora organizations and grassroots solidarity groups. Listen to Venezuelan voices—particularly those not aligned with US-backed opposition figures. Amplify their perspectives and follow their leadership on what international solidarity looks like.

5. Connect This to Broader Anti-Imperialist Work

Venezuela is not isolated. This is the same imperial logic that's been applied to Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Palestine, and countless other nations. Connect Venezuela solidarity to Palestinian liberation, to Indigenous sovereignty, to anti-war organizing. Build coalitions across movements because the forces we're fighting—militarism, capitalism, colonialism—are interconnected.

6. Prepare for Escalation

This likely won't end with Venezuela. Trump has already indicated that any country where illicit drugs are produced or trafficked could be subject to attack. The logic of "America First" combined with open resource extraction means more interventions are coming. We need to build sustained anti-war infrastructure now, not react to each new invasion as a surprise.

7. Practice Mutual Aid and Build Dual Power

Empire abroad requires compliance at home. Every act of mutual aid, every successful collective project, every moment we build alternatives to state and corporate power weakens the system that enables these wars. The work of building socialism locally is inseparable from international solidarity.

8. Document and Amplify

Record what's happening. Save articles, testimonies, and footage before they disappear or get buried. The US will attempt to control the narrative—don't let them. Create accessible summaries, infographics, and resources that break down what's happening and why it matters.

9. Refuse Militarism in All Forms

If you're connected to military or law enforcement institutions, this is a moment to question that connection. Refuse deployment, refuse participation, refuse complicity. Support veterans organizing against war, and amplify voices of active-duty resisters.

10. Remember That This Isn't New

The US has been interfering in Latin America for over a century—coups, assassinations, death squads, economic warfare. Venezuela is the latest chapter in a long history of American imperialism in the region. Study that history. Understand the pattern. Use it to predict what comes next and organize accordingly.

Final Thoughts

What happened today is a brazen act of imperial aggression. It's the United States doing what it's always done—invading, occupying, and extracting resources from nations that dare to assert sovereignty over their own land and natural wealth.

The propaganda will be relentless. The media will manufacture consent. Politicians will justify, minimize, or stay silent. But we cannot afford to be complicit.

Venezuela's fight is our fight. Palestinian liberation is our fight. Indigenous sovereignty is our fight. These struggles are not separate—they're all battles against the same systems of exploitation, extraction, and empire.

The state wants us isolated, demoralized, and passive. Our response must be organized, angry, and active. This is the moment to stand in solidarity, to refuse imperial logic, and to build the movements that can challenge American militarism at its root.

They've shown us exactly who they are and what they're willing to do. Now we show them what resistance looks like.

» day 12: industrial complex ˖