ice water and ocicats

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Content Advisory: US government classified and controlled unclassified info leaked to news outlets, within.

[Previously: The Essequibo (Buddy-ta-na-na, We Are Somebody, Oh): Part 1]

Now, when looking at these strikes being carried out in the Caribbean, shockingly, I think there's not been a ton of coverage on this. CNN, for one, their Pentagon reporters, have been some of the only ones consistently covering what's happening in Venezuela. CNN and the New York Times right now, I would say, are the two that are kind of all over this and have been for a while. I don't know why it's getting so little coverage elsewhere, but it is. So, normally I would like to look at these, uh, these reports and source them from multiple different outlets and we just don't have that because there's so limited coverage around US military operations in SOUTHCOM right now.

— Preston Stewart [PrestonStewart on YT], 2025 Oct 15, "American Bombers Send A Message To Venezuela"

[...] I know that the people of the United States are attentive observers and the people of the United States are very aware of what is being attempted against Venezuela is armed aggression to impose regime change.

— Nicolás Maduro, 2025 Oct 3, via Times of India via AP via VTV, "Venezuela Deploys Army & Tanks After Another Deadly U.S Attack, Fighter Jet action"

I am still desperately trying to pull together Part 2 of this series, but in the meanwhile, more things keep happening. I keep checking in with my focus group, aka, Mr. Bostoniensis, about what he is seeing in the news, because my own algorithms are, uh, rather peculiarly trained at this point, and the answer seems "rock all", so I thought I'd post a news round-up of some of the developments over the last couple of weeks. (Holy crap it's been two weeks.)

October 2nd

( It comes out that the Trump administration has literalized the 'War on Drugs'. [CW: 'controlled but unclassified'] )

( US terminates diplomatic relations with Venezuela )

October 3rd

( Fourth US strike on a boat in Venezuelan waters is announced by Trump admin )

October 6th

( Venezuela announces it foiled a false-flag plot against the US Embassy in Venezuela )

October 8th

( Democrats in Senate try to limit Trump's war powers but fail )

October 9th

( The Venezuelan opposition leader wins the Nobel Peace prize )

( Venezuela requests emergency intervention from the UN Security Council )

( The US asks Grenada, 100 miles off Venezuela's coast, to allow US military installation )

October 10th

( The Nobel Peace Prize winner dedicates the prize to Trump, confusing a lot of people who haven't been keeping score )

( It comes out that Maduro had been trying to negotiate his way out of US demands for his outster by offering up 'a dominant stake in Venezuela's oil' )

( UN Security Council has emergency meeting per Venezuela's request )

October 13th

( Maduro closes Venezuela's embassies in Norway and Australia )

( Venezuelan activist and political consultant in exile in Colombia were shot )

October 14th

( US bombs fifth boat off Venezuela, six killed )

( US announces Admiral in charge of US SOUTHCOM visiting Antigua and Barbuda and Grenada )

Which brings us to today. (Well, it was today when I started writing this.)

October 15th

( Trump has authorized covert CIA operations in Venezuela [CW: 'highly classified'] )

( Three US Air Force B-52 bombers buzzed Venezuela for four hours; Venezeula scrambles an F-16 in response )

( It comes out that the boat of Colombians bombed in September was not bombed by mistake, but was deliberate )

( Nobel Laureate Machado exhorts Trump to rescue Venezuela from Maduro )

( Trump is musing aloud to the press about airstrikes on Venezuela )

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