Bewildered in Venezuela

by Oui Sat Jan 10th, 2026 at 06:41:10 PM EST

Bewildered in Venezuela | El Pais |
Those who were hoping for change have suddenly found themselves living in a caricature: Donald Trump is now the one leading the Bolivarian revolution

A Venezuelan man, during a demonstration for the release of Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores on January 7 in Caracas. (Credit Gaby Oraa - Reuters)
The U.S.-orchestrated military intervention to kidnap Nicolás Maduro bore the hallmarks of a major television production, in which the scriptwriters crafted a heroic narrative devoid of any bloodshed. The background explosions, the gunfire, the din of planes and helicopters, and then the immediate transition to the figure of a handcuffed and humiliated leader: the gray tracksuit, the dark glasses, the headphones, the water bottle. The dead appear only as a minor detail, a number in small print.

America Slaughtered 100 Persons to Nab Maduro
The opposition was stunned to realize that neither Edmundo González Urrutia, the undeclared winner of the last elections -- which Maduro ignored to cling to power -- nor María Corina Machado whose resilience serves as an inspiration to those yearning for a different country, were part of Trump's plans.

Venezuela announces release of 'significant number’ of prisoners as 'unilateral peace gesture’ | El Pais |
[link: https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-01-08/venezuela-announces-release-of-significant-number-of-prisoners-as-unilateral-peace-gesture.html]
The head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, announced on Thursday the release of a “significant number” of prisoners, including both Venezuelan citizens and foreigners. Rodríguez, who avoided referring to these individuals as political prisoners, described the move as “a unilateral gesture to reinforce our unwavering decision to consolidate peace in the republic and peaceful coexistence among all, regardless of political, religious, economic, or social differences.”
Housing damaged after the United States attack on Venezuela, on January 4.

Qatar, Lula, Zapatero: Who were the key mediators in the release of prisoners in Venezuela?
[link: https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-01-09/qatar-lula-zapatero-who-were-the-key-mediators-in-the-release-of-prisoners-in-venezuela.html]
Chavismo recognizes the mediation work, in some cases lasting for years, carried out by the Arab state, by the Brazilian president and by a former prime minister of Spain

The pardon comes in a completely different political context than what it was just five days ago, when Maduro was still in power. His position is now held by Delcy Rodríguez, Jorge’s sister, who in these first few days has shown signs of openness. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that the country is in a process of stabilization that will be followed by a transition, which could be interpreted as a call for elections. Jorge Rodríguez wanted to make it clear that the release of prisoners was not imposed by Washington, asserting that it was “a unilateral gesture to strengthen peace.”
Zapatero began to have a presence in Venezuelan politics in 2015, when the opposition invited him to mediate with the Chavista regime. The Spanish socialist leader approached this delicate matter with the experience of having successfully dismantled ETA, the Basque terrorist group, back home. His main focus throughout this time, according to those close to him, has been on the issue of political prisoners.

An ETA attack in Vic (Barcelona) killed 10 people on May 29, 1991. (Photo credit Pere Tordera)

[Update-1]

The Enduring Legacy of Franco | Spain's Forgotten Dictatorship Ep. 4 | Documentary |

Franco's foreign policy successes opened up new perspectives in Spain in the mid-1950s, which brought the country forward again after a long period of stagnation.
The renewed legitimization of Franco's rule led to dwindling resistance inside and outside Spain, while the dictator consolidated his position. However, with new international friendships came fresh influences into the country and Spain began to change.
These changes presented the regime and Franco with new challenges: How long could Franco hold on to power? And can Prince Juan Carlos give the dictatorship a promising future? Our documentary series embarks on a journey into the past to shed light on the four decades of General Franco's rule.
Beyond the usual clichés about the Spanish Civil War and Franco's seemingly clever leadership, the documentary provides a more nuanced insight. The research results of the last ten years shed new light on Spain's heritage and the regime of General Franco.

US–Spanish Relations after Franco, 1975–1989: The Will of the Weak | Harvard U. |
On September 26, 1953, the Eisenhower administration signed three executive agreements with General Franco’s regime, which allowed the United States to install military bases in Spain in exchange for economic and military aid. The deal clearly favored US Cold War interests, and critics soon denounced that by signing the Pact of Madrid America had betrayed its own democratic credentials. The agreements stabilized the dictatorship and effectively converted it into a US satellite.

During the transition to democracy after 1975, the US military presence in Spain was strongly debated. Many politicians and a large section of the Spanish public demanded a new foreign policy and a much higher degree of autonomy for Spain in the international system. However, as this book unravels, the UCD center governments of the late 1970s and early 1980s essentially gave up on their long-held claim to a new and more balanced relationship with Washington. This fact was carefully concealed from the public. Thus, it was only well into the mid-1980s, when the new socialist government gradually developed a more consistent foreign policy doctrine, that Washington fully realized that the bilateral relations had to be approached in an entirely different manner.
For all these reasons, the present work is also a statement in the ongoing scholarly debate on the Spanish transition to democracy and the importance of foreign influences on this process. Finally, the book sheds new light on the role of King Juan Carlos in foreign affairs, just as it discusses Spain’s alleged role in the Iran-Contra Affair.