Podcast Summary: HUBO CRÍMEN DE GUERRA - USA vs VENEZUELA ft. Jay Fonseca

Podcast: Chente Ydrach
Episode Date: December 9, 2025
Guest: Jay Fonseca

Overview

In this thought-provoking episode of Masacote, Chente Ydrach and journalist Jay Fonseca dive deep into recent allegations of war crimes committed by the USA in the Caribbean, specifically related to confrontations with Venezuelan drug-running boats. The conversation then expands to the murky politics of resource exploitation, the geopolitics surrounding Venezuela and its oil, socioeconomic disparity, and Puerto Rico's colonial relationship with the United States. Jay and Chente keep their characteristic irreverence and candor, weaving in witty observations, cultural anecdotes, and pointed historical parallels.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. War Crime Allegations in the Caribbean

Timestamps: 02:41 – 16:00

• Incident Explained:
  Chente introduces reports where U.S. operatives are said to have sunk Venezuelan-origin boats suspected of drug trafficking. Survivors in the water allegedly were killed via a second attack despite protocol dictating they be captured (03:01).
• Is it a war crime?
  Jay gives an overview of the legal definition: “Un crimen de guerra, una violación grave de las leyes y costumbres de la guerra... incluyen el asesinato, la tortura, los ataques intencionados contra civiles, la toma de rehenes y el uso de niños soldados.” (07:44).
• Blurry Combatant Status:
  Jay and Chente debate if narcotraffickers can be classified as civilians or enemy combatants, noting the U.S. tends to frame them as "terrorists" to justify lethal action (08:30).
  • “Eso es lo que nos están vendiendo y son parte del ejército y por tanto dejaron de ser civiles porque al ser terroristas son parte de un ejército.” — Jay (08:52)
• International Law and Sea Rescues:
  Jay references sea law conventions that stipulate shipwrecked individuals, regardless of status, must be rescued—not killed (15:05).
  • “Se supone que la Guardia Costera cuando coge un barco... rescates a esa persona. Es un principio básico.” — Jay (13:24)

2. Venezuela, Oil, and Global Interest

Timestamps: 16:00 – 22:15

• Strategic Timing & Resource Politics:
  Chente suspects the U.S. interest in Venezuela is tied to oil and notes the timing coincides with Trump’s pushback on Biden-era eco-friendly policies (16:00).
  • “No te parece una casualidad increíble que mientras este revolú está pasando en Venezuela él está diciendo vamos a volver a mamárselo al petróleo…?” — Chente (16:00)
• Longstanding Pattern in Global Power:
  Jay explains resource extraction (currently oil, gas, rare minerals) has always been the real motivator for intervention, from Ukraine to Venezuela (17:03).
• Comparative Outcomes:
  Jay references examples like Norway, which managed its oil for the common good, suggesting there's potential for equitable wealth distribution—if governance allows (20:14).

3. Socioeconomic Reflections and Corruption

Timestamps: 22:15 – 44:52

• On Wealth, Opportunity, and Governance:
  The conversation veers into sports economics as a metaphor for resource sharing, then returns to whether countries rich in resources can provide for their people. Noruega’s model is repeatedly mentioned as an achievable ideal—if corruption is fought (40:54).
• Corruption as the Ultimate Crime:
  Jay argues corruption undermines entire societies, stealing opportunity from the most vulnerable:
  • “Yo siempre he dicho que los delitos que más penas deberían tener son los de corrupción, no son los delitos contra un ser humano, porque el delito contra la corrupción es un delito contra la humanidad, contra todos.” — Jay (41:17)
• On Puerto Rican Poverty:
  Chente and Jay recall Puerto Rico’s recent history of hunger, likening conditions to current-day Haiti to underline the importance of good governance and resource management (35:13).

4. Colonialism, the Insular Cases & U.S.-Puerto Rico Relations

Timestamps: 45:40 – End (~1:00:00)

• Historic Legal Precedent:
  Jay draws a parallel from the U.S. handling of Puerto Rico and the Insular Cases—where racist logic justified keeping territories in legal limbo—to speculate about U.S. motivations in broader policy today.
  • “Por favor vayan a chat GPT y pregúntele los adjetivos que usaron en los Insular Cases para definirnos a nosotros. Poco le faltó para decirnos mono, poco le faltó.” — Jay (52:02)
• Modern Testing of Colonial Power:
  • Chente asks whether Trump’s recent actions with Puerto Rico’s Oversight Board is a new “test” of federal power over territories; Jay speculates the White House is still probing the limits of presidential control, similar to the colonial era (59:48).
• Key Lesson:
  Both speakers stress that the rules of empire—who gets exploited, when, and why—are consistent. The language and excuses change, but the underlying quests for resources and power are persistent.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the fluidity of war crime definitions:
  “Todo depende de quién define la ley, de quién la interpreta, como siempre en la vida.” — Jay (11:28)
• On Venezuela’s resource curse:
  “Cuando un país es explotado por minerales, históricamente… no tiende a mejorar el estilo de vida para las masas.” — Chente (19:37)
• On corruption’s real cost:
  “La corrupción te robó a ti la posibilidad de tener una mejor computadora en la escuela y por tanto mis sueños de hacer coder y de ser desde niño.” — Jay (41:52)
• On the persistent nature of imperialism:
  “Todas las guerras han sido que yo saco de allí, excepto las que han sido por la mujer que tú quieres sacar también de allí, pero todas las guerras han sido que yo saco de allí. Se usa la excusa de la religión… narcotráfico… tierras de los abuelos de China…. Siempre es qué yo saco de ahí.” — Jay (31:04)
• On Puerto Rican identity and U.S. colonialism:
  “Esos negritos que están allí, que son son americanos o no? Nosotros no teníamos ciudadanía.” — Jay (52:02)

Important Timestamps

| Time | Segment | Summary | |-----------|--------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------| | 02:41 | War crimes intro | Chente details the alleged incident involving US forces | | 07:24 | What is a war crime? | Jay and Chente define and debate application | | 13:24 | Maritime law and sea rescue | Sea conventions discussed re: rescuing shipwrecked people| | 16:00 | Venezuela, oil, and US interest | Political motives of US involvement scrutinized | | 19:37 | Resource curse discussion | Chente muses on mineral exploitation and poverty | | 29:19 | On inheritance and systems | Jay critiques both capitalism and socialism | | 41:17 | Corruption as ultimate crime | Jay’s argument for harsher penalties for corruption | | 45:40 | Colonial history | Insular Cases, US-Puerto Rico, and legal racism discussed| | 59:48 | Trump, the Board, new legal tests | Jay theorizes about Trump testing presidential power |

Tone and Style

The tone is witty, irreverent, skeptical, and at times polemical. Neither host shies from jokes or passionate opinion, yet the analysis remains rooted in historical precedent, international law, and lived experience. Chente is more speculative and everyman, Jay is analytical and historically grounded, but both share an accessible, entertaining delivery.

Final Thoughts

This episode challenges listeners to question official narratives regarding conflict, resource wars, and international justice. It’s both a primer in realpolitik and a rumination on how little the structures of power (and their abuses) have changed, from the Caribbean to Eastern Europe and back.