Yazilarimi paylasayim da Venezuela uzmani oldugum belli olsun:) National Interest nationalinterest.org/feature… Miami Herald miamiherald.com/opinion/op-e… Global Americans theglobalamericans.org/autho… Ahval ahvalnews.com/turkey-venezue… Foreign Affairs Latinoamerica revistafal.com/nuevo-espacio…

Wow. Diosdado Cabello directly targeted me in his latest livestream, questioning my competence as an analyst. I don’t accuse him of anything. But his documented record of corruption, human rights abuses, and drug-trafficking allegations already speaks for itself.

Many people are starting to pay attention to #Turkey’s role in #Venezuela. But as someone who has studied this relationship for more than a decade, I can say that none of this really surprises me. Lack of transparency has been a defining feature of Turkey-Venezuela relations for years. After Maduro discovered Erdogan and Turkey, the relationship grew closer and closer, partly because Maduro needed economic lifelines to keep his regime afloat, especially when it was struggling with liquidity. The two countries developed a kind of “win-win” cooperation through mechanisms that often lacked transparency. Some of these activities came under scrutiny over potential US sanctions violations. For example, U.S. officials raised concerns that private jets were being used to transport Venezuelan gold to Turkey in exchange for cash or food, potentially helping the Maduro regime bypass U.S. sanctions. In 2019, then-Senator Marco Rubio warned Turkey against becoming “accomplices” in the illicit shipment of Venezuelan gold. I look at today’s developments through the same lens. It is possible that Maduro and other regime figures have built financial connections in Turkey, potentially giving them options for the future. If some of these figures are eventually forced to leave Venezuela and look for a safe haven, Turkey could be one of their destinations. That’s why I’m paying close attention to the unusual private jet traffic between Turkey and Venezuela. Given the history of this relationship, I don’t see these developments as isolated events.

The only realistic window for elections in Venezuela seems to be late 2028, when Trump’s term ends and he will no longer care about Venezuela. But at that moment, without US pressure, Delcy would have little incentive to hold elections and could easily postpone it into the 2030s.

The agreement also offers long-lasting protections for Betancourt and unnamed investors. It requires a supermajority vote of five to oust Betancourt as CEO, change the board composition or execute any transactions with a shareholder that isn’t the U.S. government, an indirect equity holder, director, affiliate or “immediate family members.”

Julio Herrera Velutini, a prominent Venezuelan, was seeking clemency. He got it not long after his daughter gave Ms. Habba, a lawyer close to President Trump, an extraordinarily lucrative job. nytimes.com/2026/10/20/us/po…

As countries across Latin America deepen their ties with this new version of Chavismo, remarkably little has changed in Venezuela to justify the rapprochement. Diosdado Cabello, a longtime Chavista figure associated with years of human rights abuses, remains interior minister. Rodríguez's brother, Jorge, heads the National Assembly. The new defense minister previously led the intelligence service and has been sanctioned by the United States, Canada and the European Union over repression under his command. The human rights group Foro Penal still counted 344 political prisoners in September, and there is still no established timetable for elections. Ten months after the U.S. operation to capture Maduro, the main obstacle to democratization is now the political and institutional system that has survived him. responsiblestatecraft.org/ve…

I joined @NTN24 to discuss the unusual flights between Venezuela and Turkey.

My first op-ed for @RStatecraft is out today! What happened to all the concern about Venezuelan democracy? Across Latin America, leaders who once railed against Maduro are now eager to embrace the new-look regime. responsiblestatecraft.org/ve…

Today, I was asked several times about the possibility of Diosdado Cabello leaving Venezuela for #Turkey. If he were allowed to move to a third country to avoid facing justice, I think Turkey or Qatar would be the most likely destinations. Erdogan reportedly offered Maduro a chance to leave power peacefully last December, but Maduro rejected it. Cabello may see the risks ahead and decide that he needs an exit strategy of his own. We know that several members of the Maduro regime have invested in Turkey, and Cabello may have accumulated a considerable fortune there himself. If Delcy comes under pressure to push him out of the regime’s inner circle, moving him to a safe third country could be the most convenient option for everyone involved.

Top Trump adviser Ric Grenell allegedly outlined a stunning pay-for-influence offer to a Turkish billionaire last year: access to "POTUS," "VIP events" and administration officials. axios.com/2026/10/19/kennedy…

El Delcysmo” barre con el “madurismo” y se reposiciona en el poder. Imdat Oner, analista del Jack D. Gordon Institute y exdiplomático turco en Caracas, cuestiona la tesis de una supuesta purga revolucionaria y advierte: “Basta con observar el caso Betancourt. No conviene hacerse demasiadas ilusiones solo porque algunas de las figuras clave de Maduro estén siendo apartadas. Los rostros pueden cambiar, pero el sistema puede sobrevivir”, advierte. diarioversionfinal.com/polit…

Fonlar aracılığıyla milyonlarca dolar yurt dışına kaçırılırken,birileri hala ülkeye uyuşturucu üzerinden “sıcak para” sokma peşinde. Ekvador polisi Türkiye’ye gidecek iki konteynerde, çimento kolileri arasına gizlenmiş 700 kilodan fazla kokain ele geçirmiş