Kibbe on Liberty – EP 367 | What’s Next for Venezuela?

Host: Matt Kibbe
Date: January 7, 2026
Podcast Network: Blaze Podcast Network

Overview

In this solo episode, Matt Kibbe examines the recent U.S. military intervention in Venezuela—specifically, the extraction and arrest of Nicolás Maduro—through the lens of libertarian non-interventionism. Kibbe challenges the mainstream triumphalism surrounding the operation, raises concerns about regime change, foreign policy motives, and the interests behind such actions. He brings in historical context and contemporary voices critical of military intervention, asking what real liberation for Venezuela would—and should—require.

Tone: Principled, skeptical, personal, and passionate, with pop culture references, historical context, and both fiery and earnest libertarian advocacy.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Skepticism About U.S. Military Intervention

• Kibbe’s Stance:
  • Opposes military intervention in countries that have not attacked the United States.
  • Argues that intervention, nation-building, and regime change are forms of central planning—"it never works out very well." (03:22)
  • Recognizes the legitimate evils of Maduro’s regime, but is wary of unintended consequences and the pattern of history.
• On the Operation:
  • "It is just a couple days since Nicolas Maduro was militarily extracted from Caracas and brought back to the United States along with his wife. A number of people were killed in that military operation." (00:34)
  • Critiques the trick of calling the action "legal" rather than "military": "I think that’s a wild stretch, a rhetorical stretch that really doesn’t bear much debate at all." (01:25)

2. Historical Pattern and Unpopular Dissent

• Kibbe details the pattern of grand promises (Gulf War, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria) and disastrous outcomes.
• He frames his position as part of a consistent, principled lineage of libertarian non-interventionism.
  • "This view gets trashed quite a bit as naive at best. And I want to dig through that and try to argue why it's neither naive nor impractical..." (10:53)
• Calls out bipartisan enthusiasm for war at each new crisis.

3. Trump’s Own Words & Underlying Motives

• Reads and dissects President Trump’s public statements about the operation:
  • Quote:
    • "Late last night and early today, at my direction, the United States armed forces conducted an extraordinary military operation, a spectacular assault..." (12:35)
    • "The oil business in Venezuela has been a bust. We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies go in... and start making money for the country." (13:05)
    • "We are going to run the country… until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition." (13:37)
• Kibbe’s analysis: Trump admits the oil/financial motive, not just the humanitarian one. Raises concern that central planning from Washington has not worked elsewhere and likely won't in Venezuela.

4. Who Runs Venezuela Now? Problems of Power and Legitimacy

• Points out the continuity of entrenched powers and that removing Maduro doesn’t cleanly transfer real power.
• "Extracting Maduro in no way changes anything about Venezuela, because there is the entire infrastructure, the goon squad and all of the generals and the military and the gangs and the vested interests... all of that still exists." (16:54)
• Notes that interim leadership is a socialist vice president viewed as illegitimate domestically.

5. Reactions from Dissident Voices

• Kat Timpf (Fox News, Gutfeld):
  • Quote:
    • "Let me get this straight. We go to a country, we capture their leader, we bomb it, and then we say we run this country now. And that’s not war? Well, of course it’s war." (22:00)
  • Kibbe lauds Timpf’s courage amidst backlash from the pro-war core Fox News audience.
• Megyn Kelly:
  • Quote:
    • "I’ve been burned too many times to mindlessly cheerlead regime changes in Venezuela. Not that taking out Nicolas Maduro’s a bad thing… But maybe, just maybe, think about what’s going to happen now and whether or not American interests will be furthered, whether or not the safety and freedom and prosperity of the Venezuelan people will be furthered." (24:42)
• Congressman Thomas Massie:
  • Quote:
    • "If the president believes military action against Venezuela is justified and needed, he should make the case and Congress should vote before American lives and treasure are spent on regime change in South America." (27:18)
    • "Do we truly believe that Nicolas Maduro will be replaced by a modern day George Washington? How did that work out in Cuba, Libya, Iraq or Syria?" (27:30)

6. Regime Change Critics on the Right

• Highlights other critics: Rand Paul, Marjorie Taylor Greene.
• MTG’s argument: “same Washington playbook,” serving banks and oil interests over American interests (30:48).

7. Free the People’s Documentation of Venezuelan Crimes

• Kibbe recounts his organization’s long history exposing the Human Rights atrocities of the Maduro and Chavez regimes. (33:00)
  • Story: In the Chavez/Maduro era, shortages became so severe families had to choose between feeding their children or keeping the family dog. (36:44)
• Reinforces that his opposition to intervention is NOT a defense of Maduro.

8. Who Should Lead Venezuela? The Maria Corina Machado Debate

• Details the recent, disputed election; Machado’s popularity and credentials; systemic obstacles to legitimate transition.
• Raises concern at Trump/admin’s dismissal of Machado:
  • Trump on Machado:
    • "I think it would be very tough for her to be the leader… She doesn’t have the respect." (41:54)
  • Kibbe suspects this reflects deep state interests in a controllable leader.

9. Historical U.S. Meddling & Motives

• Outlines CIA/USAID history of both overt and covert regime manipulation in Latin America.
• Quote: "This has never been about democracy. It's never been about freedom. It's about money and power and control." (48:24)
• Contends that economic, intelligence, and financial interests are pursuing their own ends, not liberty for Venezuelans.

10. Crony Capitalism, Oil, and American Special Interests

• Details the 1970s nationalization of Venezuelan oil, history of U.S. oil company deals, and the myth of ‘American oil’.
• Explains how companies like Exxon Mobil and investors like Paul Singer stand to profit massively from regime change.
  • Paul Singer's case: Acquired Citgo assets on the cheap; can make billions if the new regime is business-friendly.
  • Singer also funds efforts to unseat intervention critics like Thomas Massie, further signaling financial motive. (59:00)
• "If your incentive is to maximize profits so that fat cats and oil companies make out… that might be the opposite of leading to freedom in Venezuela." (01:06:44)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Trump’s Framing of the Operation:

• "These are contrary to everything that Marco Rubio and the Justice Department has been framing around this action ever since. So sometimes Trump has the virtue and perhaps the liability... for speaking the actual truth of what happened. It was a military operation." (13:00)

On Central Planning:

• "Military intervention, nation building, regime change… all of this is kind of a form of central planning." (02:01)

On U.S. Motives in Latin America:

• "This has never been about democracy. It’s never been about freedom. It’s about money and power and control." (48:24)

On Unintended Consequences of Intervention:

• "You break it, you own it." (Colin Powell, quoted by Kibbe, 44:37)

On Experience of Venezuelans Under Socialism:

• "It got so bad that the Venezuelans who had so prospered under the oil wealth in the pre-Maduro years… had to debate whether or not they disappeared the dog, the family dog, [to] feed their kids with that dog. That’s how bad it got." (36:44)

On Current Political Realities:

• "If we actually want the right thing to happen in Venezuela for the Venezuelan people… it can’t just be about money and special interests. One of the reasons why regime change always fails." (01:06:10)

Important Timestamps

• 00:34 – Description of Operation Maduro Extraction
• 01:25 – Critique of 'legal action' framing
• 10:53 – Kibbe: Why skepticism isn’t naive
• 13:00 – Trump’s own words on operation and motives
• 16:54 – The realities of entrenched power in Venezuela
• 22:00 – Kat Timpf’s critique on Gutfeld
• 24:42 – Megyn Kelly on past regime changes
• 27:18 – Thomas Massie’s speech in Congress
• 33:00 – Free the People’s work on Venezuela
• 36:44 – Family dog anecdote: poverty under socialism
• 41:54 – Trump’s dismissal of Maria Corina Machado
• 44:37 – Colin Powell’s "You break it, you own it"
• 48:24 – U.S. motives: "money and power and control"
• 59:00 – Paul Singer, Citgo, and campaign funding
• 01:06:10 – The real incentives behind regime change

Concluding Thoughts

• Kibbe stresses the importance of asking difficult questions and challenging official narratives, regardless of their popularity.
• Warns that unless incentives and knowledge align with liberty—for Venezuelans, not just for American corporations—regime change is doomed to repeat tragic history.
• Final reflection:
  • "The more important question is now that we have broken Venezuela, we own it. And if you don’t want another 20-year military engagement, thousands of Americans lives at stake, trillions of dollars of American treasure at stake, we should at least call out truth to power and ensure that we’re not looking for a puppet Marxist who with enough payola might pretend that she’s doing the things that we want to do." (01:10:10)
• Promises more in-depth interviews with experts and on-the-ground voices in future episodes.

Summary

Matt Kibbe delivers a forceful libertarian critique of the U.S. military extraction of Nicolás Maduro, wary of regime change's unintended consequences, skeptical of official motives, and deeply concerned by the history of central planning in foreign interventions. He documents ongoing machinations among politicians, corporations, and financiers, makes the case for local legitimacy and self-government in Venezuela, and calls for Americans to keep asking uncomfortable questions—before the next war arrives.