Translation
In an analysis published by the Israeli website N12, by Major General (Res.) Israel Ziv, the writer discussed the strategic implications of the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his transfer to the United States for trial. He considered this step not merely a local or regional event, but rather a reflection of the United States’ return to the role of “global policeman” after a period of decline lasting about three decades.
Ziv believes that removing Maduro from the political arena through a precise military operation in Caracas, followed by his transfer to American soil, has direct global repercussions, extending to the Middle East, especially to Iran and Hezbollah, for whom the Maduro regime served as a significant economic and security base.
The writer reviews the political background of Maduro, who is considered one of the most prominent disciples of the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. After inheriting an oil-rich country and a liberal system, Maduro – according to the analysis – led a systematic transformation of the regime into a socialist dictatorship steeped in corruption, leading to the collapse of the economy and the widespread emigration of the middle class and elites, and transforming Venezuela from one of the largest oil-exporting countries into one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in the world.
The analysis points out that Maduro, who came to power through fraudulent and successive elections, consolidated his authority for about 13 years by force, relying on a complex network of illicit interests. With the decline in oil production, Venezuela, as the writer says, has become one of the largest global drug trade centers, led by huge cartels that export drugs by land and sea to the United States, Europe, and Africa.
In addition, the Maduro regime engaged in black market oil trade and smuggling operations of weapons and minerals, benefiting from close relations with Russia and China. While Beijing funded massive infrastructure projects, oil deals worth billions of dollars were transferred to Moscow in exchange for political and military support, making Maduro’s downfall, according to the analysis, a severe blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin as well.
But the biggest loss, according to Major General Ziv, falls on Iran and Hezbollah. He confirms that Maduro’s main partners in the illicit trade network were the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah, who not only benefited financially but also provided direct security protection to the Venezuelan regime and contributed to preventing previous American attempts to overthrow it.
The analysis explains that this network included more than a hundred ships, a fleet of trucks, and hundreds of shell companies that handled smuggling and money laundering operations. Thanks to the huge profits, legitimate transportation companies, real estate assets, and investments in the United States and Europe were later purchased, allowing the flow of “clean” money to illicit partners to this day.
The writer suggests that Maduro’s downfall will lead to the cessation of the flow of tens of millions of dollars annually to Hezbollah, in addition to the loss of assets and investments estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars that may later fall under the control of the American authorities. He considers this blow to be an economic and strategic setback that exceeds, in its impact, the military losses suffered by Hezbollah in its confrontations with the Israeli army.
Major General Israel Ziv concludes, in his analysis published on N12, that Maduro represented a major source for Hezbollah to rebuild its financial capabilities, and that losing him will make the recovery process very difficult, if not impossible, in light of tightened international oversight and the decline of alternative funding networks.
