Oil, Not Ideals

Irony is useful when facts insist on wearing costumes. Consider the breathless claim that the President ordered the capture of Nicolás Maduro to help Venezuelans, spread democracy, or liberate the oppressed. The record itself asks us not to believe that story.

Start with migrants. If the operation were animated by concern for Venezuelan families, one would expect protection before pageantry. Instead, at the direction of Marco Rubio, the administration preemptively eliminated Temporary Protected Status, closing the door on the very people now invoked as justification. It is an odd humanitarianism that begins by pulling the ladder up.

Try democracy next. We are told this was about restoring it, which is curious given the administration’s casual sidelining of democratic norms elsewhere, including in Ukraine, while leaving Venezuela’s existing power structure intact by default, with the vice presidency carrying on as usual. Democracy, apparently, is best served by selective application and executive convenience.

Freedom? If freedom were the objective, the demand would have been simple and loud: the release of all political prisoners. That demand never came. Liberation was not a condition. Oil was.

The President’s own press meeting was the most candid witness. Count the words. “Oil” appeared 20 times. “Wealth” appeared twice. “Democracy” appeared zero times. “Free and fair elections” appeared zero times. When a speaker tells you what matters by repetition, believe him. This was not a sermon; it was a prospectus.

Timing, too, has a sense of humor. The strike landed precisely one month after the U.S. Department of State renamed the United States Institute of Peace in the President’s honor. Peace, commemorated. Force, deployed. One month to the day. Coincidence is a generous word.

Then there is the administration’s favorite talking point: that Maduro “stole” the last election from an opposition led by María Corina Machado. The irony is not subtle. The same President who attempted to steal the 2020 U.S. election exactly five years ago now presents himself as a global election auditor. Evidently, the problem with stolen elections is not the theft, but the thief.

The irony deepens. The President reportedly dismissed Machado as lacking the respect necessary to assume the presidency, a judgment said to be colored by his irritation that she received the Nobel Peace Prize instead of him. This is a novel credentialing standard: democratic legitimacy measured by personal grievance.

Strip away the costumes and the motive looks mundane. Oil fields promise returns. Returns attract friends. Friends sit in the Cabinet and on Wall Street. The rhetoric was never meant to convince; it was meant to distract. When “oil” drowns out “democracy,” when migrants are barred before bombs are dropped, and when peace is celebrated on a plaque while profits are chased in practice, irony stops being literary. It becomes policy.

We Can Never Forget Who Stood the Line for Democracy on January 6

On January 6, 2021, Latino law enforcement officers stood on the front line of American democracy. Among them was Aquilino Gonell, whose sworn duty carried him into a storm of violence that tested the very meaning of service.

In sworn testimony, Gonell offered a harrowing, first-hand account of what he rightly described as “medieval battleground” brutality. Officers were crushed by a mob, fighting hand to hand for air, footing, and survival. At one entrance, Gonell believed his life was ending—trampled while defending the Capitol. He later testified that he had never felt more afraid in his career, not even during his U.S. Army deployment in Iraq, where armed violence was expected.

The physical assault was matched by venomous abuse. A Dominican immigrant and Army veteran, Gonell was called a “traitor,” a “disgrace,” and an “immigrant” who should be “executed.” He was beaten with poles bearing American flags—the very symbol he had sworn, multiple times, to defend.

The injuries were severe and lasting: damage to his hands, shoulder, calf, and foot; multiple surgeries; and long-term physical and mental health treatment. The cost was not abstract. Gonell lost his career with the U.S. Capitol Police because his body could no longer do the job he loved.

Equally painful was what followed: delayed reinforcements, political minimization of the violence, and attempts to whitewash the attack—culminating in pardons for rioters who injured officers.

Honoring all law enforcement means telling the truth about that day, defending the dignity of those who stood their ground, and insisting on accountability. The trauma of January 6 did not end when the mob dispersed. Our obligation to remember—and to protect democracy—did not end either.

Official Statement from Virginia LULAC on the Venezuelan Humanitarian Crisis

January 6th, 2026

Virginia LULAC calls on the United States Congress and federal administration to act with urgency, humanity, and accountability in response to the rapidly unfolding crisis in Venezuela following the recent U.S. military operation that resulted in the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. While Maduro has been widely criticized for his authoritarian rule, the means by which he was removed, a U.S. military intervention that has significantly intensified political instability and administrative upheaval in an already fragile nation.

On January 3, 2026, during a large-scale strike known as Operation Absolute Resolve, U.S. forces captured Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in Caracas and transported them to the United States to face federal charges. Maduro and Flores have since pled not guilty in federal court in New York. (Finley et al., A timeline of U.S. military escalation against Venezuela leading to Maduro's capture 2026 PBS, https://tinyurl.com/2taz768w)

This unprecedented military action, condemned by numerous global leaders as a violation of Venezuelan sovereignty and raising profound legal and humanitarian concerns, has triggered further turmoil within Venezuela and heightened uncertainty for Venezuelans everywhere.

Read the entire post with the 5 priorities HERE.

Thank you, Angela Ciolfi! I could not have said it better:

 "There is nothing more exhilarating than being part of a rapid community mobilization mama-bear style to protect its young people and our collective future." Grateful to have your talent and heart on our side. 

Just catching my breath from this week, but by way of update, I spent the last day of '25 and rang in 2026 (quite literally) filing in court on behalf of the Dream Project to defend the core of our mission: to support students who are undocumented or otherwise face financial barriers to attend higher education as a result of their immigration status.

It's a privilege to be in a position to step in for our community, and grateful to be in #Virginia, surrounded by other leaders who are as empathetic and courageous as they are brilliant- first and foremost the Dream Project #boardofdirectors, without whose unqualified support we would not have been able to proceed; #VACIR and their leadership for bringing us all together and doing incredible strategic work; the #ACLU and #LAJC for their partnership and brilliance from the getgo; and the leaders who paved this path, fighting for almost a decade to get the VA Dream Act passed and continue to defend it, leaders like Alfonso Lopez, Emma Violand-Sanchez, Walter Tejada , Andres Tobar, Leni Gonzalez and so many of our DP alumni, families, and allies who I won't name for obvious reasons.

"If not us, who? And if not now, when?" As President Obama said, "We are the ones we've been waiting for." 

And because I've been asked by others "How can I help?", and we are a very small organization, a proverbial David taking on Goliath, if you are so inclined you can support with a gift to Dream Project here:

Donate - Dream Project working to make higher education accessible to all https://share.google/7sEV3NSns6By0q7kb

And on #charitynavigator

Read the original post HERE.

ÚLTIMA HORA: Les anulan las reservaciones agentes migratorios

El hotel Hilton Minneapolis se volvió viral tras cancelar las reservas de varios agentes del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas que planeaban hospedarse allí.



La situación escaló luego de que el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional se quejara públicamente por el rechazo a una solicitud de alojamiento en Minneapolis.

En lugar de asignar habitaciones, el hotel envió un correo indicando que no aceptan estancias de personal de ICE y que, por ese motivo, las reservas quedaban canceladas, pidiendo además que el mensaje se compartiera con otros colegas para que sepan que aquí no son bienvenidos.”

La decisión generó una ola de reacciones en redes. Para muchos, un gesto firme y aplaudido.

BREAKING NEWS: Immigration agents cancel their reservations

The Hilton Minneapolis hotel went viral after cancelling reservations by several Immigration and Customs Control agents planning to stay there.

The situation escalated after the Department of Homeland Security publicly complained about the rejection of a housing application in Minneapolis.

Instead of allocating rooms, the hotel sent an email indicating that they do not accept ICE staff stays and that, for that reason, reservations were canceled, also asking that the message be shared with other colleagues to let them know that they are not welcome here. ”

The decision generated a wave of reactions online. For many, a firm and applauded gesture.

Current Events - Eventos Actuales

Trump’s piracy in the Caribbean

Under the Shadow

The Real News Network

A podcast on US intervention and revolutionary resistance in Latin America, and all the ghosts that still linger, from independent journalist Michael Fox. Co-produced by The Real News Network and NACLA (North American Congress on Latin America).

On September 2, 2025, President Donald Trump announced from the Oval Office that the U.S. Navy had carried out an air strike on a boat in international waters. That boat strike rewrote U.S. policy for Latin America overnight. Three months later, 26 boats have been hit, killing more than 90 people.

The United States has codified its justification for the boat strikes as part of a new National Security Strategy, published in early December 2025. In the National Security Strategy, Trump announced a new Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, which he hopes can propel the United States and the U.S. military to preeminence in the hemisphere. Trump’s actions suggest he believes he has broad latitude to take whatever measures he deems necessary, regardless of international law, the sovereignty of other nations, or the impact on human life. This reenvisioning of U.S. policy for Latin America has disastrous implications for the region. More missile strikes. Loss of innocent lives. And even wrapping the United States into war close to home.

Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. Season 2 will respond in real time to the Trump Administration’s onslaught in Latin America. We begin today where we started in the last episode of Season 1… in Panama.

Play this episode HERE.

Episode Webpage HERE.

Putin, Xi and Me

Thanks to Antonia Fasick

for finding this all-too-relevant graphic

As seen on the internet.

Events - Eventos

Road To Richmond 2026

Fairfax Count Democratic Committee

Sunday, January 11, 2026

11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Westwood Country Club

This is more than a parade — it is a moment of representation, visibility, and collective power.



Governor-elect Spanberger has consistently shown up for Latino families, workers, small businesses, and our communities across Virginia.



She has listened, partnered, and stood with us. Now, during this historic and momentous occasion, we are showing up for her.

The Democratic Latino Organization of Virginia (DLOV), alongside Latinos for Spanberger and other Latino organizations, invites you, your family, and your networks to march together in solidarity — celebrating our culture, our voices, and our role in shaping Virginia’s future.

📣 We need strong participation and big numbers to ensure Latino communities are visibly represented at this historic inauguration.

👉 Please complete the application using the link so we can coordinate participation, logistics, and make this moment as powerful as possible.

Let’s march together.

Let’s celebrate history together.

Let’s show Virginia the strength of our Latino communities.

¡Nuestra voz. Nuestra presencia. Nuestra historia!

Get the Inauguration Parade Interest Form HERE.

Corazón y vida: Lowriding Culture

Through late 2027

National Museum of American History

300 Constitution Ave. NW.

Click on the picture for more information.

According to The Washington Post: The lowriding community stretches back about eight decades and is overwhelmingly Mexican American, tied inextricably to the Chicano artistic and political movement of the postwar southwest United States. Throughout the bilingual “Corazón y vida” is a core notion: that the creation of lowriders (U.S.-made cars customized with hydraulic systems and, often, culturally inspired designs) meant mapping a Mexican identity onto an American canvas — and that the creations are wholly original.

Read the enire Washington Post story HERE.

The Soul of Tango

with Berta Rojas

February 7, 2026 @ 8pm

Harris Theatre

at George Mason University

Berta Rojas ranks among today's foremost classical guitarists. The Washington Post has praised her as "guitarist extraordinaire" and Classical Guitar Magazine as "Ambassador of the classical guitar."

Read how “Berta Rojas Proves the Classical Guitar can Sing a Tango” on NPR. Learn more at the George Mason Center for the Arts HERE.

Major Annual Festivals (Future Dates)

Several large-scale festivals celebrate Latin American and Caribbean culture annually in the region: 

• Fiesta del Sol Festival: An annual community celebration of Latin American and Caribbean culture, featuring music and dance.
• Location: McLean Community Center, McLean, VA.
• Next Date: Saturday, March 21, 2026.
• Fiesta DC: Known as the nation's largest Latin festival, it features a wide range of entertainment, food, arts, and crafts from various Latino cultures.
• Location: Washington, DC
• Next Dates: Scheduled for September 2026.
• Manassas Latino Festival: A local festival that showcases Latino culture through food and art.
• Location: Harris Pavilion, Manassas, VA.
• Next Date: Typically held in September. 

https://www.youtube.com/@FCDCLatinoCaucus

Latino Caucus

Fairfax County

Democratic Committee

Click HERE to join FCDC

www.FairfaxDemocrats.org

or HERE to join our mailing list

Maritza Zermeño — Chair

Marta Calderon — Secretary

Leonel Rojas — Social Media Master

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