32 Cubans Died Guarding Maduro: Cuba's Lie Exposed, Socialist Protests Funded, Mexico Next

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Good Tuesday morning, Patriots. Welcome back to O'Connor's Write Stand. I'm your host, John O'Connor. Software programmer by day, concert or choose seeker by night. Alright, well, as a heads up, this is going to be a long but necessary episode. And also, I wanted to say, bear with my voice as I started getting sick over the weekend, but I'm pushing through. So, now, if you've been following the news, and I know you have, then you already know what happened this past weekend.

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Saturday morning, January 3rd, US Special Forces launched Operation Absolute Resolve. They struck Venezuela. They captured socialist dictator Nicolas Mandurah and his wife. And by Saturday afternoon, they were both sitting in cells at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, the same facility that's held Diddy, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Sam Bankman Fried. Yesterday, Monday, January 5th, Mandurah appeared in Manhattan Federal Court.

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He pleaded not guilty to narcoterrorism, cocaine importation, possession of machine guns, and conspiracy charges. He told the judge he's a decent man and a prisoner of war. His lawyer, the same guy who represented Julian Assange, claims Maduro has sovereign immunity as a head of state. The judge wasn't buying it. Next court date is March 17th. Now, we've talked about Venezuela on this show before. We did a

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deep dive back in December on the 20 plus billion dollars Venezuela stole from American companies. But here's the thing, patriots. There's a story nobody's covering. A story that exposes something far bigger than one narco-terrorist dictator getting arrested. Because while millions of Venezuelan exiles were dancing in the streets of Miami, Doral, and Santiago celebrating Maduro's capture, guess who was also hitting the streets?

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American socialists, Hollywood celebrities, Democrat politicians, Chinese-funded nonprofits, teachers unions. And they weren't celebrating. They were protesting. They were demanding Maduro's release. They were calling Trump a war criminal. Now, Patriots, I want you to think for a second. Have you ever tried to organize anything on 12 hours notice? Getting your family together for an emergency?

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coordinating a work meeting across several time zones, it's nearly impossible. But somehow, these groups mobilized thousands of protesters across 20 such as New York, LA, San Francisco, Chicago, Philly, Boston, Atlanta, to name a few cities, printed professional signage, coordinated messaging, and had people in the streets, all before most Americans even woke up on Saturday morning.

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So today we are asking the questions the mainstream media won't. Who organized this? Who funded it? Who benefits from defending a narco-terrorist dictator who killed thousands of his own people and flooded America with cocaine? And most importantly, are there socialist cells operating on American soil funded by foreign adversaries working to undermine US foreign policy? By the end of this episode, you're going to understand who could be pulling the strings.

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You are going to see the network and you're going to realize that the fight against Maduro's regime doesn't just happen in Caracas. It's happening right here in American cities. So here's my question for you. When the same groups that organize pro-Hamas rallies, anti-ice protests, and Black Lives Matter riots immediately jump to defend a cocaine trafficking dictator, what does that tell you about who they really work for? The right stand starts now.

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Let me walk you through the timeline, Patriots, because this is where things get really interesting. Saturday, January 3rd, 1.35am Eastern Time. News breaks that explosions have been heard in Caracas. Social media lights up. Nobody knows what's happening yet. Ten minutes later, 1.45am. A guy named Manolo De Los Santos, executive director of a non-profit called The People's Forum in New York City.

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Posts on social media calling the operation an illegal bombing. Now, how did he know it was an illegal bombing 10 minutes after the first reports? How did he know anything about what was happening? But wait, it gets more interesting. At 2.29 a.m., less than an hour after the first reports, the ANSR coalition publishes a red siren alert on social media and not just a tweet.

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A full professional poster with graphics branding and a call to action. No war on Venezuela. Stop the bombings. Join us in Times Square Saturday for a protest to support Maduro. So let me repeat that. At 2.29 in the morning they had professionally designed posters ready to go. By Saturday afternoon, less than 12 hours later, there were coordinated protests in over 20 American cities.

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New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Philly, Boston, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Denver, Houston, Sacramento, San Antonio. And they had, all of them had the same exact sign, the same messaging, the same talking points. No war on Venezuela, stop the bombings, hands off Maduro, US out of Latin America. Now Patriots, I want you to think about this for a second. Have you?

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ever tried to organize anything on 12 hours notice? Even a birthday party, a family dinner, how'd that go? But somehow, someway, these groups mobilized thousands of protesters across 20 cities, the signage, coordinated the messaging, and got people onto the streets. Again, all before most Americans even knew Maduro had been captured. How does that happen? Who has that kind of infrastructure, and who has that kind of funding?

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Let me introduce you to the network. The ANSR Coalition. That's an acronym. That's Act Now to Stop War and End Racism. Sounds nice, right? Very progressive. Except it was co-founded by a proud Marxist named Brian Becker. And it was founded three days after September 11, 2001. Yeah, that's September 11th. While the towers were still smoldering, Becker was organizing a group to oppose a military action.

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The ANSWER Coalition has been at the center of every major anti-American protest for the past 25 years. Iraq war protests, Afghanistan, they organized the pro-Hamas rallies after October 7th, they organized anti-ice demonstrations, they are at every socialist cause, and on Saturday they organized the pro-Maduro protests. Then there's the People's Forum.

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This is a 501c3 non-profit, meaning they are tax-exempt. Your tax dollars are subsidizing this organization. Who runs it? Manolo De Los Santos, the guy who posted about the illegal bombing at 1.45 a.m. And guess what? There are photographs of De Los Santos with Maduro, standing next to him, smiling, giving a thumbs up. In 2019, De Los Santos

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organized a protest outside Venezuela's consulate in New York and physically blocked opposition figures from entering the building. In May 2019, when there was a coup attempt against Maduro, De Los Santos appeared on TELUSR, the Venezuela state-funded television network, to talk about engaging in the battle of ideas against imperialist aggression. This isn't some random activist, Patriots.

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This is a Venezuelan government operative working on American soil. And then there's the Party for Socialism and Liberation. They co-sponsored the protests. They are the same group that organized those pro-Hamas rallies you saw on college campuses. The same group that protests ICE enforcement. The same group that defends every authoritarian socialist regime on earth. Oh, and Students for Justice in Palestine. Yeah, they co-sponsored this too.

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The same organization that celebrated Hamas murdering Israeli civilians on October 7th is now defending a cocaine trafficking dictator. See the pattern? But here's where it gets really interesting. Who's funding all this? There's a guy named Niveel Roeh Singham. He's an American tech executive who's made millions selling his software company. And then he moved to Shanghai. Yeah, China. And according to investigations,

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Singham has been funneling money into the People's Forum and other socialist organizations in the United States. Military intelligence analysts looked at Saturday's protests and said, and I quote, this bears the hallmarks of a pre-positioned influence network executing a rapid response operation. Translation.

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This wasn't spontaneous, this was planned, this was coordinated, this was a military-style information warfare operation conducted on American soil. So again, let me ask you, when Chinese-funded organizations mobilize within hours to defend a narco-terrorist dictator who works with our enemies, are these just activists? Or are these foreign agents? But it wasn't just street protesters, patriots. Oh no.

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Hollywood got in on the action too. Mark Hamill, yeah, Luke Skywalker himself posted on his social media that Maduro's capture is illegal, reckless, and deeply corrupt and claimed it's a desperate distraction from the Epstein files. Really Mark, that's your take? A dictator who's trafficked thousands of tons of cocaine into the United States, who's killed his own people, who stole an election, and you are worried about defending him?

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Ethan Hawke told reporters he was in shock about the operation. He said power corrupts and claimed Trump is acting like a tyrant. Ethan, buddy, you know what actually corrupts? Being a socialist dictator who steals $20 billion, floods America with drugs, and allies with Iran, Cuba, China, and Russia. That is corruption. And it wasn't just celebrities. Senate Democrats condemned the operation. Chuck Schumer called it

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reckless violation of the law. Senator Mark Warner said it sets a dangerous precedent. Kamala Harris, who's gearing up for another presidential run, posted that Trump's actions do not make America safer, stronger, or more affordable. She claimed it's not about drugs or democracy, it's about oil. Really, Kamala? So the $11 billion Maduro owes ConocoPhillips doesn't matter?

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The cocaine his regime traffics doesn't matter. The Trende Agua gang members he sent to America doesn't matter.

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And here's the beautiful irony, Patriots. While privileged Hollywood actors and Democrat politicians were crying about Maduro's illegal arrest, actual Venezuelans were celebrating in the streets. Miami, Doral, Florida, which has the largest Venezuelan population in America, Santiago, Chile. These people were singing the Venezuelan national anthem. They were crying tears of joy. They were chanting liberty.

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Because for the first time in decades, there's hope that Venezuela might be free. So here's my question. Why are white American leftists defending a dictator while the people who actually suffered under that dictator are celebrating his capture? What does that tell you about who the real victims are? Now, Patriots, if you thought Hollywood celebrities defending Maduro was bad, wait till you hear this.

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The Democratic National Committee, the DNC, sent out a fundraising email on Saturday condemning Maduro's capture. Let me read what they wrote. And then... uh

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And this is the kicker, they wrote, most important thing we can do is elect more Democrats who will check this administration's power. They are fundraising off of this, patriots. They are using the arrest of a drug trafficking dictator to raise money for Democrat candidates. Just for a second, think about that. The DNC is literally saying, give us money so we can stop Trump from arresting narco-terrorists. That's their pitch right now. And it's not just America.

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Six leftist governments issued a joint statement condemning the operation. Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, and Spain. Spain, a European country thousands of miles away, felt the need to condemn America for arresting a dictator who's been trafficking cocaine and committing human rights abuses for decades. Mexican President Claudia doubled down yesterday. She said the operation violated Venezuelan sovereignty.

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She said US intervention has never brought democracy to Latin America. And then get this, she blamed the United States for Mexico's cartel problems. Really Claudia? America forced Mexican cartels to work with Maduro. America made the Sinaloa cartel in Los Zetas a traffic cocaine through Venezuela. No, what happened is Maduro's indictment proves Mexico's complicity. The court documents show Maduro worked

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directly with the Sinaloa cartel and Los Ades. He used diplomatic planes to fly cartel cash from Mexico to Venezuela. He sold diplomatic passports to traffickers so they could move money without scrutiny. And now, Mexico's president is mad because Trump just exposed her government corruption. So here's my question for Claudia. If you are so opposed to US intervention,

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Why are you defending a guy who worked with the cartels that murder your citizens? Whose side are you really on, Claudia? Now let's talk about Cuba, because this is where the story gets really interesting. For decades Cuba has claimed they have no military presence in Venezuela. We're just advisors, they said. Just cooperation between socialist brothers, they said. Just solidarity, they said. The United States said otherwise.

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US intelligence reported that Cuba had infiltrated Venezuela's security services, that Cuban agents ran Venezuela's intelligence apparatus, that Cubans were calling the shots. Cuba denied everything, until Saturday morning. When US special forces raided Maduro's compound, they encountered fierce resistance. And when the shootings stopped, 32 Cuban soldiers were dead. Not Venezuelans, Cubans.

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Trump said it at his Mar-a-Lago press conference. You know, many Cubans lost their lives last night. Did you know that? Many Cubans lost their lives. They were protecting Maduro. That was not a good move. On Sunday, Cuba's communist regime declared a two-day mourning period for the fallen heroes. The official newspaper Granma admitted that 32 Cubans were killed, carrying out missions on behalf of the revolutionary armed forces.

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Cuba's puppet president, Miguel Diaz-Canal, posted on social media, honoring glory to the brave Cuban combatants who fell fighting terrorists in imperial uniforms. So let me get this straight Cuba, you've been saying for 25 years that you have no military in Venezuela, but somehow 32 Cuban soldiers were at Maduro's residence when US forces arrived. How does that work exactly?

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But here's the really damning part, Patriots. Why did Maduro have Cuban guards protecting him instead of Venezuelans? Well, think about that. Maduro was the president, quote unquote, of Venezuela. He supposedly controlled the military, the police, the National Guard. He had thousands of Venezuelan soldiers at his command. So, why did he surround himself with foreign troops? Because...

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He couldn't trust Venezuelans. After 25 years of socialism, after destroying the economy, after stealing elections, after murdering protesters, Maduro knew that if Venezuelan soldiers had the chance, they might just let the Americans walk in. Or worse, they might help. So he needed Cubans, troops loyal to Havana, not Caracas, troops who had no loyalty to Venezuela or Venezuelans.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it perfectly. Venezuela's whole spy agency was basically full of Cubans. One of the biggest problems Venezuelans have is they have to declare independence from Cuba. They tried to basically colonize it from a security standpoint. And Trump? He had a message for Cuba. Cuba is a failing nation right now. A very badly failing nation. And we want to help the people. Rubio was even more direct.

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If I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I'd be concerned. At least a little bit. And Representative Mario Diaz-Balart from Florida said the quiet part out loud. The first of those tyrannies has not survived President Trump. The next two? Their days are also counted. Cuba and Nicaragua are next. So here's my question, Patriots. If Cuba has been lying about military forces in Venezuela for 25 years, what else are they lying about?

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how many other countries in Latin America have Cuban troops. Now let's talk about Mexico, because this is where things get really uncomfortable for President Claudia. The unsealed indictment against Maduro lays out everything, and Mexico apparently is all over it. In 2006, Maduro and his family coordinated the shipment of 5.5 tons of cocaine on a jet from Venezuela to Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

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The drugs had been seized by Venezuelan police and then loaded back onto the plane by the Venezuelan military. Between 2003 and 2011, Maduro's top general, a guy that I'm not even going to attempt to say his name, worked with the Sinaloa, Cartel, and Los Zetas to move multi-ton shipments of cocaine through Venezuela to Mexico. We are talking five tons, 10 tons, 20 tons at a time. And get this.

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When Maduro was foreign minister between 2006 and 2008, he sold diplomatic passports to drug traffickers. These passports let them fly between Mexico and Venezuela carrying cartel cash without being searched. The indictment says Maduro provided diplomatic immunity to private airplanes used by drug traffickers. So these planes weren't carrying diplomatic materials, patriots. They were loaded with millions in drug money.

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And his wife, Celia Flores, she took a bribe in 2007 to arrange a meeting between traffickers and Venezuela's top anti-drug official. The official agreed to take $100,000 per drug shipment and share part of it with Celia. So now let me ask you, if Trump can send special forces into Venezuela to grab Maduro, what's stopping him from doing the same to cartel leaders in Mexico?

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And Trump's already warned Colombia's socialist president, Gustavo Petro. Trump said, So, President Claudia, you want to keep defending Maduro? You want to blame America for Mexico's cartel problems? Go ahead. But just remember, the indictment proves Mexico's cartels work directly with Maduro's regime.

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And if Trump decides to collect that debt, your government might not like what gets exposed. Here's my question for you. Is Mexico's government just incompetent or are they complicit? Alright, Patriots, let's zoom out and look at the big picture because this isn't just about one dictator getting arrested. What Trump just exposed is a network, a transnational socialist machine that's been operating for decades. Here's how it works.

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Cuba provides the muscle. They infiltrate security services, they train secret police, they provide intelligence, they keep socialist dictators in power. Venezuela provides the money. Oil revenue, drug trafficking, money laundering. They are the cash cow that funds the whole operation. Nicaragua provides the transit point. Cocaine moves from Colombia through Venezuela, then through Nicaragua, then through Mexico, and finally into the United States.

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Mexico provides the gateway. The cartels distribute the drugs. They move the cash. They provide the final link. And operating within the United States, Chinese-funded socialist nonprofits. They organize protests. They shape public opinion. They provide cover for the whole operation. It's a system, patriots, and it's been running for 25 years. Well, until Trump. On Saturday, Trump didn't just arrest one dictator.

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He exposed the entire network. He showed the American people that Cuba's been lying, that Mexico's complicit, that socialist groups in America are foreign-funded. And now the dominoes are starting to fall. Cuba knows they are next. That's why they are declared mourning for their fallen heroes. They are trying to rally support. Nicaragua's terrified. Daniel Ortega demanded Maduro's release. But his statement was weak. He knows he's on the list.

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Mexico's scrambling, Claudia's blaming America, but the indictment proves her cartels worked with Maduro. And the socialist groups in America? They are exposed. Everyone can now see that the same groups defending Maduro are the same groups that defended Hamas, that attack on ICE, that want open borders. Trump just connected all the dots. Patriots, this episode isn't just about Venezuela.

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It's about exposing a network that's been operating in the shadows for decades. We now know that Cuba has been occupying Venezuela with military forces while lying about it for 25 years. We know that Chinese-funded socialist groups can mobilize thousands of protesters across America within hours with professional signage and coordinated messaging. We now know that Mexico's cartels work directly with Maduro's regime to flood America with cocaine.

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We now know that the DNC will fundraise off of defending narco-terrorists if it helps them attack Trump. And we now know that when Trump says he's going after the drug trade, the corrupt governments, and the socialist regimes, he's not bluffing. Cuba's next, Nicaragua's next, and maybe, just maybe, Trump's going to start asking some hard questions about who's funding these socialist groups operating on American soil.

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The mainstream media won't ask these questions. They are too busy defending Maduro and calling Trump a warmonger. But you know better. You've seen the network. You've seen the funding. You have seen who benefits from keeping these dictators in power. And now you can see why they are all so desperate to stop Trump. Because for the first time in decades, there is a president willing to dismantle the whole system. Well, patriots, that's our show for today.

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The truth about Maduro's machine isn't just in Caracas, it's operating right here in American cities. Thanks for putting up with my cold, hopefully I'll be feeling even better tomorrow. And if you haven't already, make sure to hit that subscribe, follow, and or like button. It really helps me out and thank you in advance. Once done here, head on over and check out O'Connor's Quick Strike. Remember Quick Strike airs Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays. This podcast is Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can find me on X at O'Connor Podcasts.

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Share the episode. The mainstream media won't tell you about the Socialist Network defending Maduro, so it's up to us to get the word out. Have a great rest of your day. Until Thursday, hold the line unapologetically. This is John O'Connor, signing off.