logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2025
35m 5s

US Forces Off the Coast of Venezuela: Wh...

GEOPOLITICAL FUTURES - GEOPOLITICS FROM GEORGE FRIEDMAN AND HIS TEAM AT GPF
About this episode

In recent weeks, tensions between the US and Venezuela have been growing. Several US military strikes have targeted boats in the Caribbean allegedly carrying illicit drugs, and US President Donald Trump has said that he has authorized the CIA to use lethal force in Venezuela. And the issue doesn't end there, now there is wider involvement from Europe and elsewhere.

GPF Chairman George Friedman joined host Christian Smith on this episode of Talking Geopolitics to dive into what's really going on, how it ties into the Monroe Doctrine - the policy relating to affairs in the Western Hemisphere - and what Russia's role in all of it is.

Visit http://www.geopoliticalfutures.com for world-class geopolitical analysis and discussion.

Up next
Yesterday
Middle East Security, Long-Term US Strategy, and the Big Picture | Q&A with George Friedman
Are we living through an unprecedented collapse of the global order, or is this just another turbulent chapter in the geopolitical cycle? On this episode of Talking Geopolitics, GPF Chairman George Friedman joins host Christian Smith to answer subscriber questions on the state of ... Show More
38m 20s
Oct 7
Russia's Failure, Poland's Rise, and the End of an Era
Is Eastern Europe finally free from the crushing dominance of foreign powers? In this recent ClubGPF Live Discussion, GPF analyst Ridvan Bari Urcosta joins GPF Chairman George Friedman to discuss the diminished power of Russia, the obsolescence of Cold War geopolitical frameworks ... Show More
13m 45s
Sep 29
The UK Airbase Puzzle and Inside the Trump-Xi Summit
On this episode of Talking Geopolitics, GPF Chairman George Friedman joins host Christian Smith to discuss the unfolding security incident at RAF Fairford, the fallout from the US-China summit and Xi's letter to Trump, and the overblown risks of AI in geopolitics and related tech ... Show More
34m 36s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2025
Venezuela and Trump’s hemispheric defence agenda
This week, Mark Leonard returns to the World in 30 Minutes to unpack the latest development in US foreign policy: America’s military buildup off the coast of Venezuela. The US has deployed troops in the Caribbean and an aircraft strike group has joined the operation—but the Trump ... Show More
22m 2s
Oct 2025
Is the U.S. Trying to Oust the Government in Venezuela?
<p>For months, President Trump has been ratcheting up the pressure on Venezuela with increasingly aggressive military actions that the administration claims are about targeting drug traffickers.</p><p>But behind the scenes, some U.S. officials are pushing toward a regime change.< ... Show More
29m 57s
Oct 2025
How bad is the drug problem in the US and what's Trump's strategy?
US strikes near Venezuela - which President Donald Trump says are targeting drugs gangs. That's disputed, but the major military mobilisation has brought the issue of narcotics centre stage. How bad is the problem in the US - and what's Trump's strategy? In this episode: Sanho Tr ... Show More
24m 19s
Oct 2025
Are we going to invade Venezuela?
President Trump is sending warships to Venezuela and bombing so-called drug boats off the coast. His aggression toward Venezuela smells a lot like the beginnings of a war. But it may just be a way to expand presidential power. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by ... Show More
25m 52s
Sep 2025
US Blows Up Venezuelan Drug Boat
The Trump Administration elevates the war on drugs - escalating tensions with Venezuela in the process - by blowing up a boat in the Caribbean it claims belongs to a notorious drug cartel ... More than 30,000 pages of Epstein documents are released to the public, but calls for tr ... Show More
45m 56s
Oct 2025
Trump Barrels Towards War with Venezuela
Tommy & Ben sound the alarm about how Trump is laying the foundation for war with Venezuela—breaking down the administration’s justifications, what escalation could look like, and why attacking Venezuela won’t solve America’s drug problem. Then, they discuss the latest negotiatio ... Show More
1h 36m
Sep 2025
BONUS POD: Cartels Look OUT! Trump sends Military to Southern Caribbean & Venezuela
U.S. Military Deployment: The U.S. Navy has increased its presence in the Southern Caribbean with 7–8 warships (including cruisers, amphibious assault ships, and a nuclear submarine), along with 4,000+ personnel and surveillance aircraft. The mission is presented as a crackdown o ... Show More
13m 36s
Jan 2024
Venezuela Versus Guyana
The current president of Venezuela made global headlines when he seemed on the cusp of invading the neighboring country of Guyana -- why would a country already in the grip of domestic chaos aim to start a war? In today's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel dive into the disturbing histo ... Show More
52m 38s