Henry Shuldiner

security and venezuela @aclatam @atlanticcouncil l formerly @insightcrime | @fulbrightcol alum | views own

[Henry Shuldiner @HenryShuldiner]

"For a country that was already financially crippled by years of hyperinflation and mismanagement, this is a devastating setback and tragedy even beyond the human loss, which is obviously the worst part," I told the @Telegraph. Full story here:

https://t.co/XsLEbn4PXl

[Henry Shuldiner @HenryShuldiner]

These videos from Venezuela are not only heartbreaking. How many lives have been lost tonight, how many people won't have a family, a home, a neighborhood when they wake up tomorrow. Para mis amigos y colegas venezolanos, fuertes abrazos; la ayuda está en camino 🇻🇪🇻🇪🇻🇪

[Henry Shuldiner @HenryShuldiner]

Some thoughts on the missile strike in Venezuela, regional implications, and what a stunning reversal this is from Delcy Rodriguez after decades of incorporating these very same criminal groups into the Chavista security apparatus. Give a read below:

https://t.co/pavOtbiYXh

[SOS Orinoco @SOSOrinoco]

Critical situation in southern Bolívar state (Venezuela): Km 33 to Km 88, Las Claritas, Sifontes Municipality. Since 2018, @SOSOrinoco has been systematically monitoring this region through a network of trusted local sources, allowing us to verify information in real time.

🔴 Verified reports confirm that the Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana/FANB operation involving armed helicopters in the Las Brisas area and surroundings, targeting armed mining leaders (reportedly alias “Juancho”).

Important: A large amount of disinformation, old videos, and footage from other countries is circulating. ➡️Much of it does not correspond to the current events.

🔴 This conflict is not an isolated incident. It is the direct result of a criminal governance model deliberately promoted and tolerated for years by the Maduro regime and @delcyrodriguezv — an ecosystem we have documented extensively since the illegal creation of the Arco Minero.

🔴 The origin: In 2016, the regime decreed the Arco Minero del Orinoco:
➡️Over 111,000 km² handed over without National Assembly approval
➡️Without prior consultation with affected communities
➡️Without environmental or social impact studies
This decision opened the door to illegal mining, armed groups, and environmental destruction.

🔴The presence of irregular armed groups and criminal unions "sindicatos" in Bolívar did not happen by chance. It stems from a system of territorial control built with state complicity at multiple levels.

🔴The current operation is focused on highly strategic areas (Las Brisas – Las Cristinas), a region with vast gold and copper reserves and a long history of international legal disputes. This suggests strong political and economic pressures to regain territorial control.

🔴The main risk: A purely military approach, without a comprehensive strategy, could trigger:
➡️Massive displacement of thousands of miners and their families
➡️Further deterioration of the humanitarian crisis
➡️Violence affecting innocent civilians

🔴Illegal mining in Bolívar is a complex problem that cannot be solved with brute force alone. It requires:
🟢Serious territorial planning
🟢Formalization of artisanal miners
🟢Genuine social attention
🟢Environmental restoration

@SOSOrinoco demands:

🟢Full transparency on the ongoing military operation
🟢Immediate and effective protection for the civilian population
🟢A real, rights-based strategy that addresses the root causes

After years of on-the-ground monitoring, one conclusion is clear: Southern Venezuela cannot be stabilized without dismantling the mafia-style model that fueled illegal extraction and armed structures.
#Bolivar #ArcoMinero #SOSOrinoco

[Unidad Venezuela @unidadvenezuela]

MANIFIESTO DE PANAMÁ

Las fuerzas democráticas reunidas en Panamá asumimos un compromiso común ante la nación: actuar con unidad, cohesión histórica y sentido de urgencia para avanzar en la transición, restaurar la democracia y concretar la libertad en Venezuela.

[Jorge Mantilla @jmantillaba]

Colombia: dedicamos ocho años de guerra (2002-2010) y ocho años de paz (2010-2018) para desmovilizar 27.000 combatientes, sólo para que en cuatro años de confusión (2018-2022) y cuatro años de condescendencia (2022-2026) tengamos 27.000 personas en armas. Un cuarto de siglo.

[Henry Shuldiner @HenryShuldiner]

While a “cartel” might seem like something you can drone strike, a decentralized network of brokers and specialists is not. Framing complex criminal webs as cartels or terrorists distorts both the problem and the strategy to fight it. Latest @InSightCrime
https://t.co/0VEkspWrcJ

[Adam Isacson @adam_wola]

What an amazing time to be a criminal.

Diverted from their _real_ jobs to “mass deportation”: “1 in 5 US marshals (650 of 3,892), 1 in 5 FBI agents (2,840 of 13,700), half of DEA agents (2,181 of 4,620), over 2/3 of ATF (1,778 of 2,572), and nearly 90% of HSI (6,198 of 7,100).”

[Michael Paarlberg @MPaarlberg]

Why didn’t we just track and interdict the vessel in US waters, arrest the crew and seize the drugs, as the US Coast Guard routinely does?

[Henry Shuldiner @HenryShuldiner]

I broke down what Bolivia’s elections on Sunday may mean for environmental crime and coca cultivation. Check out the pre election analysis here 👇

https://t.co/dRctZFqP1g

[Henry Shuldiner @HenryShuldiner]

@InvisiblesMuros @alicianieves__ @MPaarlberg but...

[InSight Crime @InSightCrime]

🌎 | Erik Prince’s footprint is growing in Latin America as governments turn to foreign private military contractors to confront organized crime. His efforts in Ecuador, Haiti, Peru, and El Salvador reflect a growing trend toward outsourced public security. Read the full piece: https://t.co/SFCzelTX3F

[Caracas Chronicles @CaracasChron]

🫓✍️Call for pitches!

Caracas Chronicles has always been nourished by a unique network of expert contributors inside and outside Venezuela, across disciplines and experiences.

We now want to share your stories and insights as we approach the 1st anniversary of July 28, 2024🧵👇

[FRANCE 24 English @France24_en]

Colombia seizes first unmanned narco-submarine with Starlink antenna
➡️ https://t.co/y3x5QZrmsZ

[Henry Shuldiner @HenryShuldiner]

While not a gamechanger, this Starlink-powered, unmanned "drone" sub removes the risk of captured crew members cooperating with authorities, I told AFP. Check out the story below:

[AFP News Agency @AFP]

#UPDATE The Colombian navy announces its first seizure of an unmanned narco-submarine equipped with a Starlink antenna off its Caribbean coast.

The vessel is believed to be part of a trial run by a cocaine trafficking cartel

Read more here https://t.co/0aR8ZJQzbt

[Henry Shuldiner @HenryShuldiner]

"lo escribo para aquellos infinitamente más valientes que yo, para los que aún creen que se puede hacer algo desde dentro. Yo, a falta de un mejor verbo, creo que se nos ahogó la democracia, se nos ahogó El Salvador."

Enloquecedor, por no decir más. Solidaridad completa, Juan.

[Juan Martínez d’Aubuisson @juan_martinezd]

Me voy de El Salvador. La persecución de la mafia de Estado me obliga a huir. Que ese dictador me haya robado mi país no significa que sea suyo.

Te voy a extrañar, lugarcito loco.
https://t.co/unDZ0OCt1m via @Milenio

[Sam Woolston @samwoolston_]

🎧| Me complace compartir una versión narrada de mi reciente artículo con @HenryShuldiner para @InSightCrime: Lo que revelan cientos de incautaciones de narcosubmarinos sobre las rutas globales de cocaína. https://t.co/HG84h6wqih

[Henry Shuldiner @HenryShuldiner]

this is a diabolical level of plotting 😭

[𝙇𝘽𝙕  @losblancoszone]

Trent speaking Spanish.

[The New York Times @nytimes]

Hamed Aleaziz, a New York Times immigration reporter, traveled to Miami to observe how immigrant arrest operations have changed under pressure from the Trump administration. https://t.co/u31v7lJA39

[Henry Shuldiner @HenryShuldiner]

Golazooooo luchito!! 🟨🟥🟦