Podcast Summary: "How Cuba Propped Up Maduro"

Podcast: Conversations With Coleman
Host: Coleman Hughes
Guest: Helit Martinez Frajela, Cuban-born journalist and founder of ADN Cuba / ADN America
Date: January 8, 2026

Overview of Main Theme

This episode provides a deep, historical, and geopolitical analysis of Venezuela’s transformation from a prosperous democracy into a “narco-state” ruled by a criminal cartel embedded within its own government. Coleman Hughes and guest Helit Martinez Frajela examine the roles that oil, corruption, U.S. interests, drug trafficking, and especially the influence of the Cuban regime have played in shaping Venezuela’s collapse under Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro. The conversation also explores the motivations behind recent U.S. military intervention, prospects for true regime change, and the broader implications for Cuba and the region.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Venezuela Before and After Chávez

(05:06–09:57)

• Oil's Transformative Role
  • Venezuela’s immense oil wealth in the 20th century made it one of the richest Latin American countries, funding public works, healthcare, and education.
• Political Evolution
  • After a period of dictatorship, Venezuela became a stable electoral democracy (the Fourth Republic) in 1958.
  • Dependency on oil revenues made the country highly vulnerable to price swings, economic downturns, and ultimately, corruption.
• Chávez's Rise
  • Populist dissatisfaction with inequality and corruption created an opening for Hugo Chávez, whose “socialist” promises found resonance despite warnings about repeating Cuba’s fate.
• The Shift to “Narco-State”
  • Instead of resolving corruption, Chávez transferred and intensified it, laying the foundation for a military-run criminal enterprise—the Cartel de los Soles ("Cartel of the Suns").

“They drank the Kool-Aid of socialism. Despite all the evidence, everything that happened in Cuba... Instead of fixing corruption, it simply transferred the corruption and increased criminality—Venezuela transforming into a military, mafia state.”
—Helit Martinez Frajela (08:43)

2. Cartelization of the Venezuelan State

(09:57–16:14)

• Cartel de los Soles (Military Cartel)
  • Unlike traditional cartels, the Cartel de los Soles operates as a structure embedded in Venezuela’s military, running the drug trade and dividing territories among officers.
• Escalation Under Maduro
  • Contrary to expectations, civilian leader Maduro deepened the cartelization, allowing further drug, human, and arms trafficking, as well as illegal gold mining and money laundering.
• The Nature of the Trade
  • Drugs (primarily cocaine), human trafficking, weapons smuggling, and illegal resource extraction are all integral to the Venezuelan regime’s revenue.

“I had a few sources that told me... ‘they’re not receiving the bribe. They run the operation. It’s their business.’”
—Helit Martinez Frajela (13:10)

“Sometimes the cartels burn money because they don’t have enough places to store money.” —Helit Martinez Frajela (14:39)

3. Trump’s Motivations: Oil, Drugs, or Something Else?

(16:14–30:44)

• Why Target Venezuela, Not Mexico?
  • Venezuela’s cartel is the government itself, granting “diplomatic immunity” to cartel leaders (unlike Mexico).
  • The regime’s reach is global due to these legitimized positions—posing a broader threat (e.g., ties to Iran, Russia, China, Hezbollah).
• Multiple Motives
  • While oil interests are significant, security concerns (narco-terrorism, foreign actors) and humanitarian dimensions are at play.
• Exposé by Hugo “El Pollo” Carvajal
  • Former Venezuelan intelligence officer detailed Cuban-designed drug routes intended to harm the U.S., and infiltration of Venezuelan/Cuban operatives into the U.S. government.

“The difference between Venezuela and Mexico is that the cartel leaders are the government... We have granted these cartel leaders diplomatic immunity.”
—Helit Martinez Frajela (18:40)

“He [Carvajal] explained how all the drug trafficking was designed by the Cuban regime with Hugo Chávez—the routes were advised by Cubans to damage the United States.”
—Helit Martinez Frajela (22:23)

• Oil and Domestic Politics
  • Oil companies and lobbyists have complicated U.S. calculations; earlier attempts (like sending Richard Grenell to negotiate) were met with backlash from U.S. Latino communities.
  • Trump’s decision seen as courageous, benefiting both Venezuelans and U.S. interests.

“What the United States did has given hope to millions... I honestly don’t care if his motivations are oil or hotels.”
—Helit Martinez Frajela (28:56)

4. The American Debate on Regime Change

(30:49–43:46)

• Concerns About “Win-Win” Scenarios
  • Coleman discusses the fear that U.S. oil interests might settle for a deal that leaves oppressive remnants in power.
• Internal Political Dynamics
  • U.S. domestic politics, especially the influence of Cuban American and Venezuelan American voters, play a decisive role in shaping policy.
• Trump, Legacy, and Motivation
  • Trump’s personal drive to achieve what predecessors could not (i.e., force a real regime change), and the opportunity to shift the Western Hemisphere’s alignment away from foreign adversaries.

“He sees himself ... as a person who did the unthinkable: make the longest dictatorship in the Western hemisphere collapse.”
—Helit Martinez Frajela (41:37)

5. Cuba’s Role in Propping Up Maduro

(43:46–50:54)

• Historical Alliance
  • Chávez and Castro’s alliance in the 1990s led Cuba to embed itself into Venezuelan intelligence and military.
  • Cuba provided expertise in repression and surveillance; in exchange, it received deeply discounted oil.
• Cuban Presence, Torture, and Control
  • Cubans staffed all levels of Venezuela’s security and repression apparatus, including direct involvement in torture and black operations.
  • Cuban “black beret” units (trained by China) were present among Maduro’s inner defenders.
• Financial Symbiosis and Money Laundering
  • Cuba’s military controls vast commercial interests and uses figurehead companies globally to launder drug and oil money from Venezuela.

“For years, the Cuban regime has been denying they had troops in Venezuela. Now, they had to acknowledge it—they lost 32 soldiers who were members of Cuba’s armed forces.”
—Helit Martinez Frajela (45:57)

6. Why Not Regime Change in Cuba?

(50:54–59:33)

• Absence of Political Will in Washington
  • Despite Cuban exile hopes, no U.S. administration has attempted what was just done in Venezuela.
  • Post-9/11 priorities and a belief that Cuba would “collapse on its own” led to neglect.
• Cuban Regime Infiltration
  • A pattern of Cuban intelligence recruiting agents inside the U.S. (State Dept., NSC) and minimizing perceived threat, with regime change “taboo” among policymakers.
• Effectiveness of Cuban Repressive Control
  • Cubans’ singular focus on regime survival and U.S. opposition, combined with their experience in population suppression, makes change extremely difficult.

“The reality is you have an entire population who is hungry, has no water, no electricity, and has no weapons... and you are dealing with a criminal enterprise that is very well funded.”
—Helit Martinez Frajela (57:30)

7. U.S. Choices: Rodríguez vs. Machado

(61:05–66:12)

• Why Not Back María Corina Machado Directly?
  • Machado, a courageous and popular opposition leader, lacks power over the military-cartel structure and thus cannot guarantee order or political transition.
  • U.S. works with Rodríguez (and other regime figures) out of necessity to minimize bloodshed and instability.
• Machado’s Moral Standing
  • Her refusal to make deals with the regime preserves her symbolic importance; her not getting involved directly in transitional horse-trading may actually secure her future political legitimacy.

“That doesn’t mean she can control the military immediately... there’s symbolic power and there’s concrete power.”
—Helit Martinez Frajela (62:04)

8. Current Situation on the Ground in Venezuela

(66:12–71:09)

• Atmosphere of Fear and Hope
  • Despite euphoria among Venezuelans globally, there is ongoing repression on the ground—checkpoints, detentions by colectivos (paramilitaries), targeting of journalists.
  • People rely on encrypted messaging for safety, and there is uncertainty as regime remnants (still controlling certain levers) react.
• Unanswered Questions
  • Political prisoners remain detained. The U.S. is not physically present, despite declarations of continued involvement.
  • Cuban counterintelligence is expected to launch aggressive investigations to find leaks that led to Maduro’s extraction.

“What the journalists we have on the ground are telling me... there are checkpoints in many areas by colectivos, they’re stopping everyone, going over your phone... There’s a lot of confusion, a lot of fear, also rumors.”
—Helit Martinez Frajela (67:00)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Venezuela’s transformation:
  "Chavez became the worst chapter in Venezuelan history... Instead of fixing those problems... Venezuela transforming into what we have today—a military, a mafia state." (08:43 - Helit Martinez Frajela)

• Cartel State Mechanics:
  “They're not receiving the bribe. They run the operation. It's their business.” (13:10 - Helit Martinez Frajela)

• On burning money & the scope of crime:
  “They light cash on fire. Sometimes... they set it on fire because they don’t have to store it. And they have so much they don’t really care.” (14:41 - Helit Martinez Frajela)

• On Cuba’s role in Venezuela:
  “The Cubans embedded in themselves at every sector of Venezuela, at the military, in the intelligence community, they have completely taken... because the Cuban regime has a lot of expertise in intelligence.” (44:18 - Helit Martinez Frajela)

• On U.S. politics and regime change:
  “You cannot have the Cuban American vote if you make a deal and if you continue on that path with the Maduro regime, it’s not going to happen.” (34:01 - Helit Martinez Frajela)

• On hopes for the future:
  “What I hear from many different people is relief and hope, especially after Trump said that the US was not leaving. But of course, they're also not present in the country.” (69:36 - Helit Martinez Frajela)

Important Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Theme | |-----------|---------------| | 05:06 | Venezuela’s democratic & oil-rich past; rise of Chávez | | 09:57 | Transition to a cartel-run state, Cartel de los Soles | | 14:39 | Burning money: scale of narco-state operations | | 18:31 | Trump’s possible motivations—oil, drugs, national security | | 22:23 | Carvajal’s revelations: Cuba’s design of drug routes | | 28:56 | U.S. intervention’s benefit for Venezuelans (regardless of motive) | | 34:01 | U.S. Latino politics and regime change | | 41:37 | Trump’s legacy motivations versus oil interests | | 44:18 | Cuba’s deep integration in Venezuelan repression & military | | 51:57 | Why no Cuban regime change: U.S. lack of will, Cuban intelligence | | 61:05 | U.S. partnering with Rodríguez, not Machado; power realities | | 66:49 | Current realities and anxieties inside Venezuela |

Summary Takeaway

This conversation provides a comprehensive, nuanced look at how Cuba sustained Maduro’s narco-regime in Venezuela, why the U.S. finally intervened, and the complex mosaic of forces—domestic, international, structural, and psychological—now shaping the fates of both countries. The episode goes far beyond current headlines, unpacking the historical roots and contemporary power plays that continue to define the region.

For more reporting on Venezuela and Latin America, follow Helit Martinez Frajela at ADN Cuba (@HelitMartinez on X) and ADNAmerica.