Rafael De La Fuente, a Venezuelan American, described what he said is the full scope of Venezuela’s collapse under a narco-dictatorship that has ruled the country for more than two decades, resulting in mass displacement, human rights abuses, and growing foreign influence that he argues now threatens the entire Western Hemisphere.
Speaking from personal experience, De La Fuente said the devastation inflicted on Venezuela has directly affected his family and millions of others forced to flee the country.
“Okay as a Venezuelan American, I got some shit to say. My family, my parents, my sister, my extended family, all lost everything, their work, their savings, their investments gone wiped out by a narco dictatorship that has held Venezuela in a death grip for over 25 years, and what happened to my family has happened to millions,” De La Fuente said.
He said Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis has reached historic proportions, ranking behind only Syria in terms of global displacement.
“And yes, millions, the Venezuelan Exodus is the second largest displacement crisis on Earth after Syria. This is not just a tragedy. It is one of the great humanitarian disasters of our time,” he said.
De La Fuente said the crisis extends far beyond economic collapse, pointing to widespread political repression and violence carried out by the regime.
“But the suffering doesn’t end there. This regime has jailed hundreds of political prisoners. 1000s have been murdered simply for speaking out,” he said.
“More than a third of the population has fled, 1/3 not for better opportunities, or for the American dream, but to survive, to live, because staying often means death.”
He rejected the idea that Venezuela is merely a failed state, arguing instead that it is effectively occupied by hostile foreign powers exploiting its resources.
“And while the world may see Venezuela as a collapsed state, what it is in reality is an occupied one,” De La Fuente said.
“Our territory, our natural resources, and our institutions have been overrun by hostile foreign powers, Iranian militias, Chinese corporations, Russian intelligence, all exploiting our country with impunity.”
According to De La Fuente, Venezuela’s situation now represents a broader geopolitical threat.
“Venezuela is no longer just a local crisis. It is now a geopolitical threat that endangers the entire Western Hemisphere,” he said.
“It has become a launch pad for an authoritarian expansion in the Americas.”
De La Fuente pointed to opposition leader Maria Corina Machado as a central figure in Venezuela’s fight for democracy, citing her role in leading a peaceful uprising in 2024.
“And in the midst of all this, one woman has dared to leap the charge for freedom, Maria Corina Machado in 2024 against every odd she led a peaceful democratic uprising that won the election,” he said.
“Her team smuggled physical voting receipts out of the country, hard proof of victory that the regime tried to bury.”
He said Machado’s actions inspired millions of Venezuelans desperate for change.
“Her courage has lit a fire in the hearts of millions of Venezuelans desperate to believe that change is still possible,” De La Fuente said.
De La Fuente also addressed criticism surrounding Machado’s decision to dedicate her Nobel Prize to President Donald Trump, arguing the move was calculated and strategic.
“But now some have questioned her decision to dedicate her Nobel Prize to Donald Trump. Okay, I get that, but here’s the truth: it was a brilliant strategic move in the global chessboard of politics,” he said.
“She knows exactly the kind of man Trump is. She knows how much he campaigned for it loudly and relentlessly to win that very same prize. She knows how symbolic and personal that recognition is to him,” De La Fuente said.
He argued the dedication was intended to keep international attention focused on Venezuela.
“She didn’t dedicate that award to flatter him. She did it to protect and preserve the one kind of power that could help shift the course of history,” he said.
De La Fuente emphasized that Machado is not calling for a U.S. invasion, stating Venezuela is already under foreign control.
“And let’s be very clear, Maria Corina is not asking for the US to invade Venezuela. She’s not campaigning for war. Venezuela is already invaded,” he said.
“It is held hostage by a narco state overrun by foreign agents and enemies of democracy, Russians, Iranians, and Chinese, all operating freely.”
He said Venezuelans are seeking support from the international community to counter those forces.
“What Maria Corina is calling for, what millions of Venezuelans are praying for is the support of the only military on Earth capable of countering that threat and helping to free our people,” De La Fuente said.
“This is not imperialism. This is liberation,” he added.
De La Fuente closed by urging the free world to recognize the stakes involved.
“The fight for Venezuela is a fight for freedom, for democracy and for the stability of an entire continent,” he said.
“If we truly care about liberty, human dignity, and peace in the Americas, then Venezuela’s fight must matter to all of us.”
“Que viva Venezuela, que viva María Corina Machado.”
WATCH:
For all the folks wringing their hands in fake moral outrage over Pres. Trump’s action on Maduro, you have ZERO understanding of the geopolitical significance this action for not just Venezuela but for Western Civilization..let this Venezuelan educate u 👇🏾pic.twitter.com/DtpslCOG87
— Melissa Tate (@TheRightMelissa) January 3, 2026
