(Translation + Copyread) — It's time to occupy a new place — Patagonia, on the border of Argentina and Chile. Israel is seeking to establish a new state, but this time in South America. What's the gist of this story? Large numbers of Israeli soldiers are sent to Patagonia in South America after completing their military service. There's a project called "Andinia," which claims that Patagonia—a vast region on the border of Argentina and Chile — could become a suitable capital for Zionists. There is evidence of foreign investors purchasing vast tracts of land in this region. Local politicians have also repeatedly warned about the extensive influence of Israelis in the area, and these purchases have raised concerns among the local population. A vast territory rich in water, gas, oil, and mineral resources—exactly what the ruler of the captured lands loves. Do you think this idiot, in love with Zionists, was brought to power for no reason? No, it's part of the plan.

■ Argentina cancels Tel Aviv embassy relocation over Israel’s drilling in South Atlantic: Report (01/13/26)
✅ Israel's Shadow Over Patagonia and Milei's Betrayal of Argentina (Sarah B.)
✅ How Fires, Foreign Capital, and the Isaac Accords Are Reshaping Argentina’s Last Frontier (Freddie Ponton)

President Donald Trump said Friday his administration has reached a huge oil deal with Venezuela that gives the United States majority control of 65 billion barrels of proven petroleum reserves. | The deal -- which Trump proclaimed as "the biggest oil deal in world history" -- will bring nearly $100 billion in private investment to Venezuela, US and Venezuelan officials said. ● Venezuela has the world's largest proven oil reserves. Its government has operated under intense pressure and close scrutiny from the Trump administration since the US ousted and captured long time ruler Nicolas Maduro in January. ● Washington allowed his vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, to stay on and serve as interim leader so long as she toes the US line.

■  The US will control 55% of output from the new oil company in Venezuela (MercoPress)
■  US Army drills in Venezuela met with protests (Peoples Dispatch)

Kurt Nimmo | The Donroe Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine works toward authoritarian dominance in Latin America. | Trump’s favorite in Colombia is Abelardo de la Espriella, the rightwing “populist” millionaire who, as a child, tortured and killed cats with explosives, similar to the notorious serial killers Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, and David Berkowitz. His wealthy family backed Álvaro Uribe, candidate of the Colombia First party of Antioquia, as president despite Uribe’s links to drug traffickers and paramilitary groups. ■ Espriella, aka El Tigre, won the Colombian presidential race earlier this month, defeating President Gustavo Petro, described as a “leftwing South American firebrand” by the corporate media. Petro, who traded insults with Trump, claims the election was stolen. He did not attend Espriella’s swearing in ceremony at Santiago de Cali University, outside Bogotá.

✅ Huge scandal exposes how USA uses criminals to manipulate elections in Latin America (Ben Norton)

Authorities have confirmed at least 235 deaths but that number is expected to rise significantly as hundreds of buildings have collapsed | At least 235 people have been confirmed dead and 4,300 injured after two powerful back-to-back earthquakes struck Venezuela’s northern Caribbean coast, causing widespread destruction in the capital, Caracas, and several other regions. Rescue teams are continuing to search through the rubble for survivors as aftershocks shake the affected areas. ● The first quake, measuring magnitude 7.2, was followed less than a minute later by a stronger 7.5 tremor, triggering a large-scale emergency response. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the epicenter was located off Venezuela’s northern coast near the city of Morón. The quakes were felt across much of the country, as well as in neighboring Colombia and several Caribbean islands, with more than 20 aftershocks recorded. ● The Venezuelan government declared a nationwide state of emergency, deploying the armed forces, civil defense units and emergency services. Schools, public transport and some airports have been temporarily closed, while power, water and communications have been disrupted in several regions.

■ 11,000 Missing, 164 confirmed Dead, After Venezuela Earthquakes (Hal Turner)

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth visited US troops at the US base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on Wednesday and issued a threat to the Cuban government. | Hegseth said that it would be “unwise” for the Cuban government to acquire weapons that could reach the US, saying that it would “be inviting the kind of confrontation not only do they not want, but they could not stand.” The Pentagon chief also said that the Department of War was ready for anything that President Trump may order, and recent reports have said that the US military has placed enough assets in the region to be ready if the president orders an attack. [...] The Trump administration has set up potential pretexts for an attack on Cuba, including the indictment of the country’s 94-year-old former president, Raul Castro, suggesting the US may launch a similar operation to the one to abduct Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, which Hegseth referenced.

Charges against the former Cuban president mirror the pretext used by the US to kidnap Nicolas Maduro | The "indictment" [the U.S. has no jurisdiction here] of former Cuban President Raul Castro by the US Justice Department marks the latest escalation in Washington’s pressure campaign against Havana. Is President Donald Trump trying to repeat the Maduro playbook? ● What was Raul Castro charged with? Unsealed on Wednesday, the indictment accuses Castro of ordering the shooting down of two American planes off the coast of Cuba in 1996. Castro and five of his officials are charged with conspiracy to kill US nationals, destruction of aircraft, and four counts of murder, one for each of the Cuban-Americans killed in the shootdown. ● Castro, who was Cuba’s defense minister at the time of the incident, [allegedly] “participated in a conspiracy that ended with Cuban military aircraft firing missiles at those civilian planes and killing four Americans,” acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a press conference in Miami on Wednesday.

✅ Вашингтон запустил против Кубы сценарий цветной революции (Елена Панина) (Translation)

Elena Panina | Washington is preparing to bring charges against 94-year-old former Cuban leader Raúl Castro in connection with a 1996 case involving aircraft belonging to the humanitarian organization Brothers to the Rescue, which the Cuban military was accused of shooting down, Reuters reports.

❖ In a wider perspective, this points to a familiar pattern. First come sanctions, economic strangulation, and attempts at international isolation. Then come charges of some form of “terrorism” against symbolic figures. And then the opportunity arises to speak not of a political conflict, but of “the prosecution of criminals.” This is precisely the model the U.S. used against Nicolás Maduro—right up to his abduction by U.S. special forces. ● According to Reuters, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida is exploring the possibility of bringing criminal charges against other high-ranking officials from the Island of Liberty. ● It is telling that the case against Castro was revived nearly 30 years after the events in question. This is clearly no coincidence. Nor is the full-blown energy crisis that has erupted in Cuba recently due to the U.S. blockade, accompanied by statements from American officials calling for “fundamental changes.”

❖ Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov emphasized Cuba’s importance. And this is entirely justified, especially since we are capable of neutralizing the U.S.’s main leverage—the energy stranglehold on Cuba. Cuba, as well as the stability of its society, is critically dependent on fuel imports. Organizing regular fuel deliveries, for example, as part of humanitarian efforts, appears to be a perfectly feasible task for Russia. (DeepL) (Photo: Reuters)

■ Cuba hosts CIA chief as US blockade pushes island into worst blackout crisis in decades (The Cradle)
■ CIA chief delivers message from Trump to Cuba (PHOTOS) (RT)

State Department officials have reportedly warned Havana that it has a “small window” to implement reforms | US officials have urged Cuba to transition from socialism to a market-based economy and compensate American citizens and corporations whose assets were seized in the 1960s, US news outlets reported on Friday and Saturday, citing sources familiar with the matter. ● A delegation from the US State Department outlined the demands late last week during the first trip of the kind to Havana since 2016, as Cuba grapples with severe fuel shortages and blackouts following restrictions on oil shipments imposed by US President Donald Trump.

First cargo on course to arrive on Monday as Donald Trump taunts communist island while administration engages in talks | Two vessels heading for energy-starved Cuba carrying Russian oil and fuel are due to arrive as early as next week in defiance of US President Donald Trump’s energy embargo, according to maritime intelligence companies. ● If the ships arrive, they will be Cuba’s first energy shipments in three months. The island was plunged into a nationwide blackout when its entire grid collapsed on Monday before gradually regaining power on Tuesday, deepening a bitter economic crisis. ● The Hong Kong-flagged Sea Horse, believed to be carrying some 27,000 tonnes of Russian gas, was headed towards the island after appearing to divert course last month. The ship is estimated to arrive in Cuba on Monday, Samir Madani, co-founder of maritime intelligence company TankerTrackers.com, told the FT.

The island has not received oil shipments for the past three months, President Miguel Diaz‑Canel has said | Cuba suffered a nationwide power outage on Monday, the Cuban Energy Ministry says, amid a US oil blockade. The blackout left nearly 11 million people without electricity as the blockade strains the country’s aging power stations. ● Officials said emergency protocols were activated and that power has since been restored in several areas, including the Faustino Perez Hospital in Matanzas. The Energy Ministry said the cause of the outage is under investigation. ● Cuba has experienced prolonged power cuts and fuel shortages since the US threatened to impose sanctions on countries importing oil to the island. US President Donald Trump cited Cuba’s ties with Russia, China, Iran, and pro‑Palestinian armed groups as justification.

■ ‘I can do anything I want with Cuba’ – Trump (RT)

The suspects’ boat was loaded with tactical gear, assault rifles and improvised explosives, according to authorities on the island | Cuba’s Interior Ministry has released new findings from its investigation into the deadly gunfight between Cuban border guards and a US‑flagged speedboat, saying the vessel was carrying ten armed men who allegedly intended to execute a “terrorist infiltration.” ● Havana said the clash erupted on Wednesday when border guards approached a Florida‑registered vessel, FL7726SH, operating roughly one nautical mile off the northern coast of Villa Clara province for an identification check. The individuals aboard the boat allegedly opened fire first, wounding the commander of a Cuban patrol craft before guards returned fire, killing four people and injuring six others. ● Cuban officials said weapons and tactical gear were found aboard, including assault rifles, sidearms, handmade explosive devices such as Molotov cocktails, ballistic vests, telescopic sights and camouflage uniforms – equipment the ministry said was consistent with an attempted “infiltration with terrorist objectives.”

Russia opposes unilateral sanctions, including Washington’s “maximum pressure” strategy, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said | Russia condemns the renewed US attempts to economically strangle Cuba, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said. Her comments come after US President Donald Trump moved to ramp up pressure on the island’s fuel lifeline. ● On Thursday, Trump signed an executive order invoking a national emergency to lay the groundwork for tariffs on goods from countries that sell oil to Cuba. The move is meant to strengthen an embargo against Havana, which dates back to the 1960s. It also comes after Washington kidnapped in Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro, which served as Cuba’s primary source of oil. In a statement on Saturday, Zakharova said:.

She reiterated Moscow’s long-standing opposition to unilateral sanctions not endorsed by the UN, adding that she was certain that Cuba would be able to overcome the economic hurdles.

■ Trump issues ultimatum to Cuba as humanitarian crisis looms (RT)
■ Russia resolutely condemns US illegitimate bans against Cuba — diplomat (TASS)
✅ The US Is On The Brink Of Subordinating Cuba (Andrew Korybko)

The US president has dramatically escalated pressure on the government in Havana and its trade partners | US President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency and threatened to impose steep tariffs on any country supplying oil to Cuba, dramatically escalating pressure on Havana after the US military operation in Venezuela already cut the island nation off from its most crucial energy source. ● After abducting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro earlier this month, the US has set its sights on Cuba, which Trump claims is “ready to fall” next. In an executive order signed on Thursday, Trump branded Cuba “an unusual and extraordinary threat” to US national security. [...] Trump predicted on Tuesday that the Cuban government would be “failing pretty soon,” boasting that the cutoff of Venezuelan oil and revenue has pushed Havana to the brink.

■ Nutjob signs [illegal] order allowing US to impose tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba (TASS)

Lula also condemned the recent US action in Venezuela that led to the capture of ruller Nicolás Maduro, questioning what he portrayed as a violation of territorial integrity. | Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Friday that global politics is entering a critical phase in which “multilateralism is being thrown out by unilateralism,” and argued that US President Donald Trump is effectively proposing “to create a new UN in which he alone is the owner,” referring to Washington’s plan to set up a Peace Council tied to the administration of Gaza. ● Lula spoke at the closing session of the 14th National Meeting of Brazil’s Landless Workers’ Movement (MST) in Salvador, Bahia. He said the UN Charter was being “torn up” and reiterated Brazil’s long-standing call for UN reform—specifically, expanding permanent membership of the Security Council to include countries such as Brazil and Mexico, as well as African nations.

■ The architect of Gaza's destruction joins the 'Board of Peace' (Al Mayadeen)

Derrick Broze | The US bombing of Venezuela and capture of Nicolás Maduro cannot be rationally explained as a drug enforcement operation, or even solely about recovering oil. The bigger picture is Technocracy. | In the early 20th century, a movement emerged around a political theory known as Technocracy—a system in which government and society would be managed by technical experts, often involving technology-focused solutions. Early proponents claimed that Technocracy would lead to better management of resources and the protection of the planet. However, this system of governance by technological experts and their technology would also involve a loss of privacy, as well as centralization of power and the management of all human behavior.

In the early morning hours of January 3, 2026, the United States military launched military strikes on Venezuela and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Maduro and Flores have since been transported to the New York City to face charges relating to gun crimes and cocaine trafficking. ■ The move has divided the MAGA base—and the American public more generally—with a large portion of President Donald Trump’s base viewing it as a betrayal of the principles he claimed to champion. Specifically, Trump has claimed for years he would not start new wars of aggression. ■ While Trump has stated that taking out Maduro is not about launching new wars but instead a calculated attack to take out a man he blames for America’s fentanyl crisis, the facts tell another story.

American officials reportedly believe that by shutting off Cuba’s access to oil, they will place its government in a “chokehold” | The US is considering imposing a total blockade on oil imports to Cuba, Politico has reported. News of the possible blockade comes as Washington reportedly searches for Cuban insiders to help topple Miguel Diaz-Canel’s government. ● The plan is being “sought by some critics of the Cuban government” within President Donald Trump’s administration, and is backed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Politico reported on Friday, citing anonymous sources. Trump has not made a decision on whether to go ahead with the blockade, they claimed. ● Trump announced last week that he would stop any shipments of Venezuelan oil from reaching Cuba, but a total blockade would place the island in a “chokehold to kill the regime,” one source said.

■ US Scales Directed-Energy Weapons - Pentagon (Sputnik)

Elena Panina | “We will start drilling very soon,” Trump told reporters. He was referring to drilling by American oil companies in Venezuela. Although earlier, representatives of the US oil industry had expressed skepticism about this. | News has also come from Venezuela itself. The Venezuelan National Assembly has approved, in the first reading, a law that completely opens up oil production to the private sector. Until now, this has been the exclusive prerogative of the state itself and joint ventures in which the state held a controlling stake, notes the TG channel Energy Today. Under the new law, “private companies registered in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela” will be able to produce oil after signing the relevant contracts. ■ It is obvious that these events are interrelated. We are witnessing a gradual transition from the operational success of the US (the capture of President Maduro) to a strategic one — gaining control over oil production in Venezuela. ■ The US already controls oil exports from Venezuela through a naval blockade. If only American companies are now extracting oil in this republic, then the need for a blockade will disappear. ■...Only 20 days have passed since January 3. (Translation: DeepL + Copyread: Grammarly)

Trump has declared a complete and total blockade of sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers in the Caribbean. | US forces boarded and seized control of an oil tanker in the Caribbean, which it alleges was violating sanctions on Venezuelan oil. President Donald Trump declared a blockade of Venezuelan oil that US forces maintained after the capture of President Nicolas Maduro. The US began seizing tankers, alleged to be carrying Venezuelan oil that is sanctioned by Washington, in December. The Motor Vessel Sagitta is the seventh vessel seized by the US in six weeks.

■ The footage of capturing the sixth tanker in a row (01/17/26)

CIA Director John Ratcliffe was in Caracas, Venezuela yesterday, meeting Acting President Delcy Rodriguez and other top Venezuelan officials.

Photos from Central Intelligence Agency pic.twitter.com/OlWV8g0Uhi

— Benjamin Hall (@BenjaminHallFNC) January 16, 2026

■ The American military has captured a fifth tanker (RT)
■ UK believes it can seize any tanker under Russia sanctions (RT)
■ US operation in Venezuela a ‘flagrant violation’ of international law – Lavrov (RT)

Judge Alvin Hellerstein ruled that Fein's request to join the case had no legal basis and upheld the claim of lead counsel Barry Pollack. | On Monday, US Judge Alvin Hellerstein ordered lawyer Bruce Fein to be removed from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's defense team in the case he is facing in New York, noting that he was not hired by the Chavista leader.

Fein, a veteran lawyer specializing in constitutional law, requested to join the case under the legal concept of ‘pro hac vice’, which allows a lawyer to represent a client on an occasional and temporary basis, subject to court approval, without being licensed in the jurisdiction, which is necessary to practice law. ● On Thursday, Pollack told the judge that he had spoken with Maduro, who said he had not hired him and therefore authorized him to request that he be removed from the case. ● The judge indicated today that Fein “admits that he was not hired by Maduro, nor by the lawyer hired by Maduro, nor was he appointed by the court” and considers that his request to join the case “has no legal basis.”

He also denied a motion “to bring Maduro to court to ask him ‘in camera’ (in private, according to legal language) if he would like to add Fein to his defense team,” which was filed on Friday. ● Pollack represented Maduro on January 5 in his first appearance in a New York federal court, where he was charged with drug trafficking and corruption offenses, following his capture and transfer to the South American country in the early hours of Saturday, January 3. ● Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores, accused of collaborating in the crimes with which he is charged, has a different lawyer, Mark Donnelly. (Original article in Spanish) (Translation: DeepL + Copyread: Grammarly)

■ [President] Maduro’s Legal Team Is Still Up in the Air a Week After Arrest (Bloomberg)

Argentina’s President Javier Milei has reportedly frozen at the last minute the relocation of the country’s embassy from Tel Aviv to the occupied al-Quds. [Jerusalem] | Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Milei, a devoted supporter of the occupying regime, took the decision after learning of the Israeli plan for oil drilling near the disputed Malvinas Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, which are also known as the Falklands to the British. ● Valued at $1.8 billion, the project is expected to begin in the coming weeks with the Israeli company Navitas aiming to produce 32,000 barrels of oil per day. ● Argentine officials warned that the drilling project could damage relations between Tel Aviv and Buenos Aires, which have improved under Milei’s presidency. ● Milei has openly praised Israel’s acts of aggression, including the genocidal war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. ● He had earlier pledged to move Argentina’s embassy from Tel Aviv to the occupied al-Quds by 2026.

The US president has urged Havana to strike a deal with Washington “before it is too late” | US President Donald Trump has said Cuba will no longer receive Venezuelan oil and money, warning the island to do a deal with Washington “before it’s too late.” ● Cuba, a close ally of Venezuela and a major beneficiary of its subsidized oil, has seen supplies from the OPEC nation dry up since early January. Shipping data show no crude cargoes have left Venezuelan ports for the island since President Nicolas Maduro was abducted by American forces, as a strict US-led oil blockade brought deliveries to a halt.

■ Rubio could lead Cuba – Trump (RT)

Trump welcomed the oil executives to the White House after U.S. forces earlier Friday seized their fifth tanker over the past month that has been linked to Venezuelan oil.. [He] met with more than a dozen major oil company executives at the White House on Friday, just hours after the U.S. announced the seizure of a fifth oil tanker. | Trump, as he opened the meeting with oil industry executives, sought to assure them that they need not be skeptical of quickly investing in and, in some cases, returning to the South American country with a history of state asset seizures as well as ongoing U.S. sanctions and the current political uncertainty. [...] It’s all part of a broader push by Trump to keep gasoline prices low. At a time when many Americans are concerned about affordability, the incursion in Venezuela melds Trump’s assertive use of presidential powers with an optical spectacle meant to convince Americans that he can bring down energy prices.