I'm John Batschke with my colleague Evan Ellis,

Professor, Latin American Research Professor at the U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute.

Venezuela, my memory is that there is a candidate in Venezuela

for the presidency in the new year who's extremely powerful, extremely popular. Her name is Machado. However, she's been banned

from being a candidate by Maduro, the dictator who was elected by no one who's not recognized as legitimate by the US and many of its neighbors.

However, right now we wait for a decision from Washington whether banning Machado violates the

understanding between Washington and

Venezuela and Caracas that it will be brought back into the community of

nations and can use its resources, chiefly oil, to pay its bills.

We also have this. Reuters, reporting from New York, Venezuelan politicians, military officials

and police were, quote, bought and paid for

by a man on trial on charges of shipping tens of thousands of kilograms of cocaine

into the US, according to prosecutors.

Evan, this is a general way of saying it's a narco-terror state and banning Machado is one way to hold on to power that is entirely a threat to the United States.

At the same time, there's the intention out of Washington when I last checked

to make concessions and to maintain those concessions for Venezuela to ship oil.

Where are we?

It's a great point, John.

And to lead with your comment about the Carlos Orrin's trial in New York, which has really highlighted the degree to which, you know, what some of the organizations, you know, Cartel de Losolas, essentially under Maduro you had that the consolidation of power, the consolidation of

institutions, but essentially also part of maintaining itself in power was

allowing the military and the politically allied to

essentially run the country as a criminal franchise in which all other groups

...