Pirate's Cove

Trump Derangement Syndrome is a hell of a thing, where it drives people who are supposed to be rational into utter shock over things that happen, like

With Maduro in U.S. custody, his lieutenants warm to Trump

Last month, as U.S. forces were massing off Venezuela, government officials here — the political heirs to Hugo Chávez, founder of the country’s socialist state — vowed American intervention would ignite 100 years of war. “If they attack Venezuela,” one senior official said, “not a single drop of oil can leave here for the United States.”

But since the U.S. military’s stealth operation Jan. 3 to capture President Nicolás Maduro, the leaders of a newly pragmatic Chavismo seem to have walked through a looking glass to welcome Los Yanquis with open arms.

Two countries with leaders of sharply different ideologies are moving toward the creation of a neo-colony here in South America, with Washington holding the purse strings (and all the cards). The Venezuelans, whether motivated by the threat of more U.S. force or an assessment that a diplomatic reset with their longtime nemesis to the north is now the best — if not only — course, are moving quickly to reestablish formal ties while working on legislation that could grease American investment in the key oil sector.

President Donald Trump, who until Maduro’s capture condemned his authoritarian regime, hailed Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s vice president and now Venezuela’s interim leader, as a “terrific woman” after they spoke Wednesday. Cast aside has been the pro-democracy movement led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado — a “nice woman,” Trump said this month, but “lacks support” and is “not respected.”

It’s all about the pragmatism: those Venezuelan leaders seem to understand they could be next after Machado and that they could be seen as heroes if they are in charge as the economy turns around. If they’re the ones providing toilet paper and beer to The People they will great! They also get to keep power. They like that. They are essentially going to be high ranking employees of Trump, Inc. Trump gets to do what Trump does: reduce the flow of drugs out of Venezuela and into the US (he hates drugs) and turn a “company” around. He gets to try and make Venezuela into a productive, wonderful, just wonderful, it’s really great, people want to go there, country.

As for Machado, the NY Times did a whole whiny piece, failing to understand that the best thing Trump can do is not be all gung ho about her, which would cause Leftists to call her a Trump dupe and pull all support for her in a rage of TDS. Anything and anyone that Trump supports gets the opposite from the Never Trumpers.

Rodríguez this week called for a new political era, using language that would have been shocking two weeks ago. Her government’s release of some political prisoners, she said, should make clear that Venezuela aims to “allow understanding” and embraces a “political and ideological diversity.” She was seeking energy cooperation with the United States, she said Thursday, “based on decency, dignity, and independence.”

“If one day I were to have to go to Washington, as acting president, I would do so, on my own two feet,” she said, “carrying the tri-colored flag.”

Well, she wants to stay in power. It’s much easier to work with the Trump admin than oppose them.