Episode Overview

Podcast: The Monocle Daily
Episode: The international reaction to the US’s attacks on Venezuela
Date: January 5, 2026
Host: Georgina Godwin
Guests: Nina dos Santos (International Broadcast Correspondent, former CNN Europe Editor), Michael Binion (Foreign Affairs Specialist, The Times)

Purpose/Theme:
This episode dives deep into the unfolding international crisis following the United States' special forces operation against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, analyzes the legal, political, and global energy ramifications, assesses the muted and not-so-muted reactions from allies and adversaries, and explores knock-on effects for Ukraine and global diplomacy. The episode also highlights media dynamics, social media’s evolving role, and features an interview on Iran’s women-led protest movement.

Key Topics and Discussion Points

1. The US Special Forces Removal of Maduro: Legal and Political Fallout (03:13–08:22)

• Background: US forces extracted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife from Caracas, flown to the US to face drug and weapons charges—charged not guilty.
• UN Response:
  • The UN Security Council, led by Secretary General António Guterres, questioned the operation’s legality under international law (UN Charter Article 2: non-intervention).
  • Venezuela’s representative denounced the move as a breach of sovereignty, while the US labeled Maduro a “narco-terrorist.”
• Legal Nuance & International Law:
  • Nina dos Santos (04:05): “Venezuela’s representative made very clear this is a breach of the UN Charter...Although the United States has countered that—‘no, we’re just taking out a narco terrorist at the top of the tree there.’”
• Global Ramifications:
  The action is seen as precedent-setting and may erode respect for international law, with potential fallout in other “spheres of influence.”

2. Motives Behind the US Operation: Oil, Petrodollars, and Hemispheric Power (04:51–08:22)

• Is it just about oil?
  • Michael Binion (05:09): “I think for Trump, the main issue is he didn’t like the defiance of someone in his own hemisphere...He thought the world would applaud him because Maduro was deeply unpopular.”
  • Change in petrodollar dynamics as Venezuela flirts with BRICS and considers trading oil in yuan or rubles.
  • Nina dos Santos (06:36): “I do think this is partly about the petrodollar system...If you’re trying to sell oil, gas or gold, you really have to sell it in dollars. The US considers—and what Donald Trump is trying to reassert here—there’s...”
• Historical Parallels:
  References to Iraq (Saddam Hussein’s euro switch attempt), Gaddafi’s Africa policy, and Kissinger’s 1974 pact with Saudi Arabia.

3. Media Dynamics & Advance Warnings (08:22–10:17)

• Selective Media Embargo:
  • Mainstream American outlets reportedly had advance warning but respected “voluntary limits” akin to the British “D Notice” system.
  • Michael Binion (08:48): “Americans don’t have a system for stopping the media releasing sensitive national security information...There are kind of voluntary limits...they deliberately withheld the information.”
• Leaks from Trump Administration:
  • High-level leaks suggested as likely sources for NYT/WSJ scoops.

4. Venezuela’s Internal Dynamics and Regional Impacts (10:17–14:05)

• Maduro’s Media Blitz & Public Sympathy:
  • Nina dos Santos (10:47): “He had clearly been on a publicity campaign...his little dance to the Beatles and stuff like that.”
  • Links to Portuguese diaspora in Venezuela and hope for business stability.
• Cuban Influence and Losses:
  • Michael Binion (12:26): “At first we thought this was a bloodless kidnapping...It wasn’t.”
  • Reports of Cuban bodyguards killed during the raid.
• US Rhetoric Toward Cuba:
  • Trump is openly signaling Cuba is “next,” with Marco Rubio pushing for regime change.

5. Ukraine: War, Diplomacy, and Western Response (14:05–18:56)

• Distraction/Link to Venezuela:
  • Nina dos Santos (14:54): Suggests a possible tacit “swap” between US and Russia: “Russia and the United States under the Trump administration might swap Venezuela for Ukraine...”
  • Concern that US focus on Venezuela emboldens Putin and distracts the West from Ukraine’s war.
• Coalition of the Willing—Real or Symbolic?
  • Michael Binion (16:48): “Not much...It’s more symbolic than anything else.”
• Military Realities:
  • Russia grinding forward at high cost; hopes for “concrete steps” at Paris summit remain slim.
  • Putin’s confidence that the US can’t focus on multiple crises; “Gaza all but forgotten.”

6. Global Spheres of Influence: Taiwan, Iran, and Beyond (18:31–20:32)

• Spheres-of-Influence Argument:
  • Nina dos Santos (18:31): “Operation by the United States in Venezuela gives Vladimir Putin cover for saying, ‘Ukraine is my sphere of influence’. If the US is allowed to have a sphere in the Americas, that one’s mine.”
  • Raises prospect of China moving against Taiwan under the same rationale.
• Iran as a Potential Flashpoint:
  • Iran’s opposition muted due to current global distraction; women-led protests have lost media attention momentarily.

7. The Social Media Backlash & the New “Tangle” App (22:15–26:43)

• Introduction of Tangle:
  New social app focused on “intentional living,” developed by tech heavies (Biz Stone of Twitter, Evan Sharp of Pinterest).
• Panel Opinions:
  • Michael Binion (22:15): “I find this absolutely ridiculous...I think it’ll be just like any other platform...The pernicious influence of social media on young minds...To add yet another one is not the answer.”
  • Nina dos Santos (23:33): “This new app sounds absolutely ridiculous...You just absolutely cannot win on the social media game. Whichever platform you’re on, you don’t have enough users, you’re not posting enough...The name Tangle, I think is also rather unfortunately named...”
• Broader Social Trends:
  • Increasing regulation and age restrictions (Australia, France).
  • Media consumption shifts: decline of print, revival of radio and podcasts.
  • Generational divides: “My 25 year old daughter—not on social media.” (Georgina Godwin, 26:43)

Interview Segment: Iran’s Women-Led Uprising (27:39–33:32)

Guest: Nilo Tabrizi, co-author of For the Sun After Long Nights
Host: Andrew Muller

• Genesis of the Protests:
  • Nilo Tabrizi (27:39): “The moment I felt like this is about to turn into something bigger...was seeing the photo of Mahsa (Jina) Amini—unconscious in a hospital bed—shared everywhere. I knew this is about to be so much bigger than just this one interaction.”
• Why Hijab is Central:
  • Guidelines in “the law run to cover for women to cover. And if they want to be a theocracy...they have to adhere to that strict code.” (28:43)
  • Power, not just religion, is at play: both sincere conviction and performance for the West.
• What Made These Protests Different:
  • Nilo Tabrizi (29:49): “We saw women cutting their hair...for the first time putting their bodies on the line...even young girls in middle school standing up to basijis...Women at the front lines in all aspects of this movement.”
• Writing the Book Under Duress:
  • Collaboration with Fatima Jamal, her co-author inside Iran, who insisted: “If you get arrested tomorrow...publish it. I want you to publish it.” (31:15)
  • Use of encrypted communication, paranoia over surveillance.
• Optimism for Iran’s Future:
  • Nilo Tabrizi (32:30): “Islamic Republic has lost legitimacy among its people...for decades, people are living in an economy of limbo...If Iranians have survived centuries of oppression, this is a small blip in history.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Legal/Political Analysis

“Venezuela’s representative made very clear this is a breach of the UN Charter...Although the United States has countered that—‘no, we’re just taking out a narco terrorist at the top of the tree there.’”
—Nina dos Santos (04:05)

“I think for Trump, the main issue is he didn’t like the defiance of someone in his own hemisphere...He thought that the world would applaud him because Maduro was deeply unpopular.”
—Michael Binion (05:09)

Petrodollar Power

“If you’re trying to sell oil, gas or gold, you really have to sell it in dollars. The US considers—and what Donald Trump is trying to reassert here—there’s...”
—Nina dos Santos (06:36)

Social Media Critique

“I find this absolutely ridiculous...I think it’ll be just like any other platform...The pernicious influence of social media on young minds.”
—Michael Binion (22:15)

“This new app sounds absolutely ridiculous...You just absolutely cannot win on the social media game. Whichever platform you’re on, you don’t have enough users, you’re not posting enough...The name Tangle, I think is also rather unfortunately named...”
—Nina dos Santos (23:33)

Iran Protests—Personal Testimony

“We saw women cutting their hair...for the first time putting their bodies on the line...even young girls in middle school standing up to basijis...Women at the front lines in all aspects of this movement.”
—Nilo Tabrizi (29:49)

“Islamic Republic has lost legitimacy among its people...for decades, people are living in an economy of limbo...If Iranians have survived centuries of oppression, this is a small blip in history.”
—Nilo Tabrizi (32:30)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• UN Security Council response/International Law: 03:13–08:22
• Oil, Petrodollars, and US Motives: 04:51–08:22
• Media Dynamics and Leaks: 08:22–10:17
• Venezuela Internal Reaction, Cuban Angle: 10:17–14:05
• Ukraine Update, Western Response: 14:05–18:56
• Broader Diplomatic Spheres/Iran and Taiwan: 18:31–20:32
• Social Media Backlash & “Tangle”: 22:15–26:43
• Interview: Iran’s Women-led Uprising: 27:39–33:32

Conclusion

This episode offered a thorough and incisive panel discussion of the US’s controversial intervention in Venezuela, razor-sharp commentary on superpower politics and petrodollar intrigue, and a rich report on media, protest, and technology trends. It closed with a poignant, firsthand account of Iran’s women-led protest movement, placing all these fast-mutating stories in global context. Tense, timely, and probing, the conversation seamlessly intertwined geopolitics, economics, and culture for the globally curious listener.