In this episode, we discuss the events on January 5, 2026, where Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as acting president, replacing Nicolás Maduro amid a $50 million US bounty from the State Department. In this episode, we break down who Delcy Rodriguez is, why Chinese diplomat Lan Hu, Russian Sergey Melik-Bagdasarov, and Iranian Ali Chegini were present at her swearing-in ceremony, and what this leadership transition means for Venezuela's future. We examine the global divide between US/UK/France supporting intervention versus China/Russia/Mexico/Cuba opposing it, the oil interests driving these positions, Maria Corina Machado's controversial Nobel Peace Prize and Trump's criticism of her leadership, Trump's "peace through strength" foreign policy and newly renamed War Department, and what everyday Venezuelans actually think about this transition. Plus, we connect this to Trump's Greenland announcement and explore bonus content on Elon Musk's South African origins and controversial Silicon Valley rise.

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(0:00) Intro

(1:12) Venezuela’s New President: Power, Oil, and Global Stakes

(10:19) A $50M Bounty & the Network Around Delcy Rodríguez

(20:35) Political Controversy, Opposition Figures & Trump’s Greenland Announcement

(38:07) Elon Musk the "Canadian" & His Narrative of Success

(49:58) X.com Meets PayPal & Peter Thiel's Power Play

(01:01:24) Final Thoughts

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