What Really Happened in Venezuela (and What Comes Next)

The Chris Cuomo Project

Chris Cuomo

News Commentary, News, Politics

4.6 • 3.3K Ratings

🗓️ 8 January 2026

⏱️ 62 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Chris Cuomo breaks down the competing reactions to what just happened in Venezuela and why that “pick a side” framing misses the real issue. He lays out why the operation went forward, what it cost, why the aftermath is more complicated than “bad guy out, good guys in,” and the biggest unanswered questions about what the Trump administration is doing now and what comes next. Then, Rick de la Torre (founder and CEO, Tower Strategy, and former CIA Caracas Station Chief) joins Chris to explain what the post-operation reality looks like on the ground, why stability often means dealing with whoever is actually inside the country, and how a reported CIA assessment fits into the decision to leave parts of the existing power structure in place—plus what that implies for the next phase in Venezuela. Follow and subscribe to The Chris Cuomo Project on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube for new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday: https://linktr.ee/cuomoproject Join Chris Ad-Free On Substack: http://thechriscuomoproject.substack.com Support our sponsors: Refresh your winter wardrobe with Quince—visit https://quince.com/cuomo for free shipping and 365-day returns. Get the right life insurance for you and save more than 50% at https://selectquote.com/chrisc Reverse hair loss with @iRestorelaser and get exclusive savings on the iRestore Elite, use code CUOMO at https://irestore.com/cuomo! #irestorepod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Why do growing businesses love working in Slack?
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0:10.4	What say you?
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0:15.2	Your partners, vendors and customers all in one place.
0:18.3	Take us on home, Ashley from Carraway.
0:20.3	If we did have Slack tomorrow, I would explode.
0:23.4	Well, let's not let that happen.
0:25.1	Visit Slack.com slash podcast to get 50% of Slack Business Plus.
0:29.8	Do you want to know what led up to what just happened in Venezuela?
0:33.1	Why and what it was about and what is going to happen next?
0:36.4	I have real answers for you two ways.
0:38.4	One, through my reporting and reasoned analysis
0:40.5	of what has happened before,
0:41.9	what I know about what's going on inside the Trump administration,
0:44.5	and what is to follow.
0:45.9	And I've got the guy who led the CIA
0:48.8	on the ground in Venezuela for years for perspective.
	...

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